Post-Show ‘Connect the Dots’ Activity

Three people in medieval robes stand in a horizontal line. They're all looking at something off to the side. — Photo of Kenneth La’Ron Hamilton, Brandon Miller, and Anthony Baldasare by Michael Brosilow.

Engage in independent internet research, discussion, and reflection as you explore connections between the themes in The Lion in Winter and related history and culture.

‘Connect the Dots’ Activity

Activity Preparation
- Supplies:
  - You may wish to put your thoughts to pen and paper, or use a device to do some basic internet research as you consider these questions!

Use these questions to reflect, discuss, or journal about your experience and reactions to The Lion in Winter! Explore any of the questions that interest you.

Make a list of sensational family squabbles and dramatic dynamics that have captivated the public over the years, either fictional or rooted in history. Think: Succession, Empire, the Sackler family, Dynasty, the Vanderbilts, the British royal family, or The Crown. Consider the following questions:
- Why does the public develop such ravenous interest in families like these?
- Why does that intense fascination endure over time and throughout history?
Consider Goldman’s Eleanor of Aquitaine alongside perhaps the most famous woman in a dramatic text — Lady Macbeth.
- How does Lady Macbeth contrast or correlate with Eleanor of Aquitaine?
- What circumstances have driven these women to be the way they are?
- How do power and gender interact in both Macbeth and The Lion in Winter?
Consider gender more broadly.
- How does Goldman’s play both acknowledge and subvert the history of women as property?
- What message of gender politics is the audience left with?
This play is set at a real moment in history and with historical figures at its center. The action takes place over 900 years ago; the play itself was written almost 60 years ago. Consider the following questions:
- What makes this story endure?
- What makes it feel relevant in this day and age?
If you are familiar with the 1968 film starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn, consider the following questions:
- What differences between these productions stand out the most to you?
- In what ways does film as a medium lend itself to the telling of this story?
- In what ways does theatre accomplish something when telling this story that a film cannot?

This activity aligns with the following standards:
- Illinois Arts Learning Standards
  - Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
  - Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
  - Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
- Common Core State Standards
  - CCSS.ELA.W10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
  - CCSS.ELA.RL.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
  - CCSS.ELA.RL.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Posted on October 23, 2023 in Learning Guides, Productions