Finley students explored the language of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” during a three-day workshop led by Dr. Valerie Clayman Pye, an assistant professor of dance and theater at Manhattanville College.

The workshop, titled “Exploring Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ Through Practice,” introduced students to Shakespearean language through a series of practical exercises that helped to demystify the structure and complexity of Shakespeare’s verse while fostering a deep understanding of how the language functions in performance. During the sessions, students learned about iambic pentameter. They were also asked to stand and read text from the first two acts of “Macbeth,” which they have been studying in class, while Dr. Pye provided insight to the author’s meaning.

“We are looking at Shakespeare’s words through an actor’s perspective to gain better understanding of the text,” Dr. Pye said. “By exploring [‘Macbeth’] physically, the students are able to tap into the text and hear and understand things that are sometimes missed in reading.”