The BBC is giving young people the chance to unlock William Shakespeare via new online resources; thanks to a new series of short films created in partnership by BBC Learning and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

The films, produced as part of the BBC”s Shakespeare season and the World Shakespeare Festival, bring Shakespeare to life for a secondary school audience. They provide students and teachers with an insight into Shakespeare”s work, through world-class theatre productions and workshops with actors and directors.

Students will be able explore key scenes from RSC theatre productions of three of Shakespeare”s most widely studied and performed plays, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night”s Dream.

By visiting this portal students will be able to click through to explore three pivotal scenes from each play, each containing significant moments for character and plot development.

A series of 12 short films for each play is designed to help students develop their understanding of the language, character development and dramatic devices at the core of the GCSE English Shakespeare curriculum. The website will explore the interpretative choices that lie at the heart of all Shakespeare”s plays and also provide ideas for activities and discussion in the classroom.

Commenting, Rebecca Simor, Executive Producer BBC Learning, said: “Shakespeare Unlocked has enabled us to create rich content and resources for both students and teachers who want to delve deeper into these famous plays. By working with the RSC, we”ve been able to provide a fascinating insight into how actors and directors interpret material and bring it to life for audiences in ways that make the texts feel as relevant today as they were when they were written.”

Filming of the stage productions took place on the Royal Shakespeare Theatre stage in Stratford-upon-Avon, with workshops captured at the RSC”s Clore Learning Centre.