The competition is open to any sixth form student of English literature.
Competition details
Shakespeare study at both post-16 and degree level often involves paying close attention to screen productions and this year’s Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize encourages just such a performance approach.
2021 Essay Requirements
The competition for has two options:
Option 1
Write a close comparative analysis of between 1200 and 1500 words, focussing on one scene from a Shakespeare tragedy and the equivalent scene in of these named film or television versions:
Hamlet (dir. Michael Almereyda, 2000)
Othello (dir. Oliver Parker, 1995)
King Lear (dir. David Eyre, 2018)
Before submitting your piece, please ensure that:
- It is in the form of a Word Document, headed with your name and school
- It is sent as soft copy, accompanied by a coversheet signed by your teacher
- It focuses on one sequence only from one of the films named above
- It specifies timings for the chosen sequence
- It is written entirely in your own words
- It references any quotations from secondary sources (e.g. critics / reviewers)
- It provides act and scene references for quotations from the Shakespeare text
- It is no more than 1500 words (please write the word count at the foot of your work)
Option 2
Write a review of between 1000 and 1200 words, crafted with a sixth-form reader in mind, exploring in what ways a Shakespeare film adaptation of your choice throws interpretive light on the source play. The chosen film must have a screenplay which was originally written in English.
Before submitting your piece, please ensure that:
-
- It is in the form of a Word Document, headed with your name and school
- It is sent as soft copy, accompanied by a coversheet signed by your teacher.
- It focuses on one film adaptation of your choice
- It gives details of the title of your chosen film, as well as its director and release date
- It is written entirely in your own words
- It references any quotations from secondary sources (e.g. critics / reviewers)
- It provides act and scene references for quotations from the Shakespeare text
- It is no more than 1200 words (please write the word count at the foot of your work)
What the judges are looking for:
-
- Original, creative thinking
- A clear, straightforward writing style
- A clear structure, which enables the reader to follow the main ideas easily.
Entries along with the coversheet should be emailed to:
Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize Competition, awards@englishassociation.ac.uk
Closing date for entries: 1 September.
Prizes Awarded…
2019 Competition
The winner of the 2019 Betty Haigh Shakespeare prize is Niamh Bradshaw, a student of Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, Horncastle. Niamh received a copy of The Oxford Handbook of Shakespeare edited by Arthur F. Kinney (2012)
2018 Competition
The prize will not be awarded in 2018.
2017 Competition
There was no winning entry in the 2017 competition but one submission was Highly Commended: Cassandra Somers-Joce of Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, York.
2016 Competition
The prize will not be awarded in 2016.
2015 Competition
The winner was Hanako Lowry of King Edward VI Handsworth School for Girls. Hanako received a copy of Catherine M.S. Alexander’s The Treasures of William Shakespeare: The Life, the Works, the Performances, generously donated by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Carlton Books. The winning essay will appear in the Spring or Summer 2016 issue of the Association’s Newsletter.
2014 Competition
The winner was Emma Cavell of St Paul’s Girls’ School in London. Emma received a copy of Catherine M.S. Alexander’s The Treasures of William Shakespeare: The Life, the Works, the Performances, generously donated by the Royal Shakespeare Company and Carlton Books, and the winning essay appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of the Association’s Newsletter.
John Maier of King’s College School, Wimbledon was Highly Commended for an excellent essay.
2013 Competition
The winner was Alastair Curtis of Quinton House School, Northampton. Alastair received a copy of The Norton Shakespeare International Student Edition and his winning essay appeared in the spring issue of the Association’s Newsletter.
2012 Competition
The winner was Anna McCully-Stewart of Sacred Heart School, Newcastle. Anna received a copy of The Norton Shakespeare International Student Edition and her winning essay appeared in the summer issue of the Association’s Newsletter.
Will Bordell (Merchant Taylors’ School) and Eleanor Warr (King’s School, Canterbury) were highly commended.
2011 Competition
The winner was Anna McCully-Stewart of Sacred Heart School, Newcastle. Anna received a copy of The Norton Shakespeare International Student Edition and her winning essay appeared in the summer issue of the Association’s Newsletter.
Will Bordell (Merchant Taylors’ School) and Eleanor Warr (King’s School, Canterbury) were highly commended.
2010 Competition
The winning entrant in the 2009 competition was Charlotte Salkind of City of London School for Girls who received a copy of The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Charlotte’s essay was published in the Summer 2009 issue of the English Association’s Newsletter.
2009 Competition
The winning entrant in the 2009 competition was Charlotte Salkind of City of London School for Girls who received a copy of The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare. Charlotte’s essay was published in the Summer 2009 issue of the English Association’s Newsletter.
2008 Competition
The winning entrant in the 2008 competition was John Haidar of Bablake School who received a copy of Shakespeare’s Complete Works, edited by Stanley Wells and Gary Taylor, kindly donated by Oxford University Press. John’s essay was published in the Summer 2008 issue of the English Association Newsletter.
2007 Competition
The winning entrant in the 2007 competition was Alexandra Hedges of Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls who received a signed copy of Michael Wood’s In Search of Shakespeare. Alexandra’s essay, ‘How far and in what way do you see As You Like It as a comedy?’, was published in the Summer 2007 issue of the English Association Newsletter.
Catherine Lough, also of Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls, was Highly Commended.
2006 Competition
The prize was not awarded in 2006
2005 Competition
The winner of the 2005 competition was George Reynolds of Eton College for his essay ‘Villainy in Titus Andronicus, Othello and King Lear’. George won a copy of the Essential Shakespeare Handbook, kindly donated by Dorling Kindersley, and his essay appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of the English Association Newsletter.
The judges were particularly impressed by the high standard of entries this year. The following entrants were Highly Commended: Catherine Doyle, Tormead School; Ciara Foster, Rugby School; Lucy Kellett, Eastbourne College
2004 Competition
The winner of the 2004 competition was Rebecca Campbell of Watford Grammar School for Girls, for her essay ‘Compare Enobarbus’s description of Cleopatra’s first meeting with Antony (‘When she first met’ … ‘for what his eyes eat only’: 2.2.191-231) with Plutarch’s account in the Life of Marcus Aurelius. John Wilders comments that “in this passage Shakespeare follows Plutarch in closer detail than anywhere else in the play.”
Rebecca won a copy of the Essential Shakespeare Handbook, kindly donated by Dorling Kindersley, and her essay appeared in the Summer 2004 issue of the English Association Newsletter.
2003 Competition
The winner of the 2003 competition was Leon Pickering of Norwich School, for his essay ‘Why should the tragedy of King Lear contain so much comedy?’
Leon received a copy of The Riverside Shakespeare, kindly donated by Houghton Mifflin, and his essay appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2003 issue of the English Association Newsletter.
2002 Competition
The winner of the 2002 competition was Olivia Potter of Newcastle-under-Lyme School, for her essay “Crowd Scenes in Shakespeare’s Plays”.
Olivia won a copy of the Riverside Anthology of Literature and her essay appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of the English Association Newsletter.
2001 Competition
The winner of the 2001 competition was Henry Gardener of Alton College in Hampshire for his essay ‘Compare and contrast the attitudes and behaviour of Hector and Ulysses in Troilus and Cressida. Why does Shakespeare choose to portray them in this way?’.
Henry won a copy of The Norton Shakespeare and his essay was published in the English Association Newsletter.
2000 Competition
The winner was Wendy Hanson of Newcastle-under-Lyme School in Staffordshire for her essay ‘”Priming the audience”: the second scenes of Shakespeare’s comedies.
1999 Competition
The 1999 competition was won by James Rogan of St Paul’s School, London, for ‘The Darker Elements of Shakespeare’s Early Comedies.’ James won a copy of The Riverside Shakespeare.
1997 Competition
The winner of the inaugural competition was Xana Jones of Newport Free Grammar School for her essay ‘What are the implications for form and meaning of those moments in King Lear, dramatic and linguistic, where Shakespeare explores the limitations of language?’
Xana received a cheque for £25.00.
