Erasmus and Machiavelli Readers Theater Script | Historical Renaissance Series

This readers’ theater script, Erasmus and Machiavelli - Renaissance Minds, spans 11 scenes of the Renaissance, from 1511 Rotterdam to 1536 Basel and 1527 Florence. It follows Desiderius Erasmus as he crafts In Praise of Folly to reform the Church with wit and Niccolò Machiavelli as he writes The Prince to guide rulers with pragmatic power during his exile. With 8 speaking roles—including scholars, a monk, a Medici ruler, and historical voices like Thomas More—it’s designed for grades 7-12, with flexible casting for small or large groups.

What's included?

(a single PDF with links to Google Docs/Slides, if print format is preferred you can download from your Google Drive to word/pdf/ppt/etc)

1) Teacher's Guide & Answer Key

• Standards Alignment (CCSS Grades 7~12, CCRA)
• Teacher Tips
• Answer Keys for all worksheet sections
• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Format: Google Doc (9 pages)

2) Readers Theater Script

• ~8 Characters, 3200 words,
• Format: Google Doc (10 pages)

3) Script Worksheet

• 10 Vocabulary Words
• 10 Short-Answer Questions: Comprehension and recall questions based solely on the script.
• 5 Primary Source Questions
• Format: Google Slides (22 Slides)
• 10 Optional Domain Specific Questions
• 5 Science Related Questions
• 5 Social Studies: Renaissance Unit Related Questions
• Note: These questions are not on the Google Slides Worksheet but can be used for specific classroom needs

4) Primary Sources/Excerpts

• 1. Erasmus: The Education of a Christian Prince (1516)
• 2. Machiavelli: The Prince (1513, published 1532)
• 3. Machiavelli: Letter to Francesco Vettori (December 10, 1513)
• Primary Source Text, Google Doc Format (8 pages)

Will this work for my classroom?

Get a feel for this script, worksheet and teacher's guide by downloading this FREE Columbus and Magellan Reader's Theater Script