I did not have time to develop this exercise in detail, but the idea is worth relating. I began with illustrations of juxtapositions in Shakespeare, such as the sudden change from the fussing servants who occupy the stage and Capulet striding in with his splendid hosting. Under this heading, I put the familiar juxtapositions of youth and age, individual and society, freedom and responsibility, city and country, nature and culture, etc., which run through Shakespeare. But in addition, I used this exercise to point out the parameters of the plays. Noticing such polarities helps students define the world of the play and provides a backdrop that helps give the principal events a sense of context, naturalness, and inevitability.
Noticing juxtapositions can open additional dimensions of the plays.
In these four series of exercises on the basic emotions, I attempted to start from the student's own experience and work from there to the text. I believe that literature is best taught when personal awareness and depth of reading both increase together. Students prepared in advance by such exercises may be better oriented to respond to Shakespeare than whose who approach him cold. Most of these exercises were based on small group work. I divided the class and gave each group some task it could accomplish on its own and share with the class.