Hamlet
Performed somewhere between 1599-1602, William Shakespeare's tragic masterpiece, Hamlet, explores themes ranging from the transfer of power, to the thin line between sane and insane, and the very meaning of life and death itself.
Getting Started:
There is no substitute for reading the play, however, Shakespeare is meant to be performed. Start with the Thug Notes rundown of the play - insightful and entertaining, it provides an excellent breakdown of the characters, action and plot.
Here's another breakdown of Hamlet courtesy of Sparknotes Video:
We will watch the full length BBC production in class. Here is the link to PBS and the full video:
Writing Assignments:
Final Draft Prompts:
You will have a prompt for each of the five acts. Write one paragraph addressing the prompt that not only answers the call of the question but also supports your stance with textual support (quotes or specific examples from the play). This is not to exceed 8 sentences. The trick to Final Draft Prompts is brevity, learning to provide a thorough, thoughtful response while also learning the fine art of focus.
Once written, you will have your work peer edited - look for spelling/grammar errors but more importantly check to see if your partner answered the call of the question and adequately supported their claim.
Write a final draft and turn both rough and final for full credit.
Act 1:
Consider Polonius' Act I, Scene 3 advice to Laertes and Ophelia. Choose one specific truth and explain how it applies to life.
Act II:
Hamlet's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, this is largely blamed on what others perceive to be his attachment to Ophelia. Discuss Hamlet's state of mind, and what is truly driving his behavior in Act II.
Act III:
Choose any three lines from Hamlet's "To be or not to be..." speech - is this madness or clarity? What is the difference?
Act IV:
In what ways is Ophelia's grief/madness used as a pawn to further the political agenda of various characters?
Act V:
Discuss Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship. Does he truly love her? What explains his erratic behavior and his grief at her death?
You will have a prompt for each of the five acts. Write one paragraph addressing the prompt that not only answers the call of the question but also supports your stance with textual support (quotes or specific examples from the play). This is not to exceed 8 sentences. The trick to Final Draft Prompts is brevity, learning to provide a thorough, thoughtful response while also learning the fine art of focus.
Once written, you will have your work peer edited - look for spelling/grammar errors but more importantly check to see if your partner answered the call of the question and adequately supported their claim.
Write a final draft and turn both rough and final for full credit.
Act 1:
Consider Polonius' Act I, Scene 3 advice to Laertes and Ophelia. Choose one specific truth and explain how it applies to life.
Act II:
Hamlet's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, this is largely blamed on what others perceive to be his attachment to Ophelia. Discuss Hamlet's state of mind, and what is truly driving his behavior in Act II.
Act III:
Choose any three lines from Hamlet's "To be or not to be..." speech - is this madness or clarity? What is the difference?
Act IV:
In what ways is Ophelia's grief/madness used as a pawn to further the political agenda of various characters?
Act V:
Discuss Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship. Does he truly love her? What explains his erratic behavior and his grief at her death?
Scene Analysis:
Act I, Scene 3: Polonius' Advice
Analyze Polonius' Act I, Scene 3 advice which he gives to both Laertes and Ophelia. Choose a minimum of 10 pieces of advice, write the Shakespearean line and then translate it into plain language.
Act III, Scene 1: To Be or Not to Be
This is perhaps Shakespeare's most famous soliloquy, choose a minimum of 10 lines from this speech, write original text and then translate it into plain language.
Act I, Scene 3: Polonius' Advice
Analyze Polonius' Act I, Scene 3 advice which he gives to both Laertes and Ophelia. Choose a minimum of 10 pieces of advice, write the Shakespearean line and then translate it into plain language.
Act III, Scene 1: To Be or Not to Be
This is perhaps Shakespeare's most famous soliloquy, choose a minimum of 10 lines from this speech, write original text and then translate it into plain language.
Multi-Media Projects
Shadow Boxes:
Using a small shoe box sized container, you will create a snapshot of a scene of your choice from the play. Choose the scene that was most meaningful to you, impacted you the most or lingered longest in your memory after reading.
You have complete creative freedom in this endeavor. However you recreate your scene, you need to provide a brief (6-8 sentences) explanation as to what we the viewer is looking at. The Act and Scene should be clearly labeled in some obvious location on your project.
I have provided some examples of similar projects - you can use any materials you choose.