Henry’s language of persuasion | Session

10 – 30 minutes

1. Have everyone sitting on the floor with a little space around them.

2. Ask them to recall the previous session when they talk about their own experiences of being afraid and used their imagination to put themselves into the position of Henry’s “poor condemned English” troops waiting for a day that might be their last.

3. Give each person a section of the text that you have prepared, ask them to read it, asking you for clarification of any words they are uncertain about.

4. Get up and have the group walking slowly around the room reading their line(s) to themselves as they do so. Encourage them to learn it (not essential but desirable).

5. At a signal from you, and all at the same moment, have them speak their line(s) aloud. Get them to shout it, whisper it, and even sing it.

6. Come back into the circle and have the person who has the first line on your right hand and next to him or her, the person with the second, and so on around the circle until the person on your immediate left has the last line.

7. Read the lines aloud in sequence aiming only for clarity (not expression) and also to familiarize the participants with the order in which the lines are spoken

8. Repeat this two or three times until the group are confident of the order and hopefully when most of them can say their line(s) without needing to look at the text.

9. Have the group moving feely around the room at walking pace. Gradually increase the energy and speed at which people are moving to a point where movement is fast (but always safe).

10. At a signal from you the person who has the first line speaks it aloud and sets off the sequence. You will probably find that you have to match the energy of the movement with your own vocal energy as you challenge and cajole the group, prompting them if necessary, into making greater and greater efforts to speak the whole passage in sequence without pausing and with passion and energy. The exercise is (and should be) physically hard work – the thoughts of the students are as much on the physicality as they are on what the lines may or may not mean. When you are satisfied that the group can manage the whole speech in the correct sequence it is time to explore individual words and phrases in greater depth.

11. Have everyone come together in a tight circle (they will probably be out of breath) urge them to get in close, to stay focused (important) and to shut their eyes.

12. Tell them they are going to say the speech again, but this time it will be WHISPERED just loud enough for everyone in the group to hear the words.

13. Get the group to lie down in a circle on their stomachs facing into the centre. The speech is to be said again in sequence, but this time the person who begins (and everyone who follows) needs to use their eyes to look at the rest of the group whilst they speak their line(s). Everyone must try to use their piece of text to persuade the others. Encourage both speaking and listening.