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Hamletby William Shakespeare

Calendar

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

11/6

Pre-Reading ¶ Responses

Begin Act I

11/7

Continue Act I

HW: Finish Reading Act I + do Act I ?s

“Relationships” Answers on Blog

11/8

Discuss Act I ?s

Begin Act II

11/9

Continue Act II

HW: Finish Reading Act II + do “Puns”

“Plotting” Answers on Blog

11/10

Discuss “Puns”

Do Act II ?s

HW: Read Act III

11/13

Do Act III ?s

do “Climax”

11/14

Discuss “Climax”

Begin Act IV

11/15

Continue Act IV

HW: Finish Act IV + do Act IV ?s

11/16

Discuss Act IV ?s

Begin Act V

11/17

Continue Act V

HW: Finish Act V

11/20

Do Act V ?s

11/21

Prepare for Exam

11/22

Exam

NO SCHOOL NO SCHOOL

Hamlet Scenes and Characters

Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 1

• Elsinore. A platform before the castle.

• (Barnardo; Francisco; Horatio; Marcellus; Ghost)


• Elsinore. A room of state in the castle.

• (Claudius; Gertrude; Polonius; Laertes; Hamlet;

Voltemand; Cornelius; Horatio; Marcellus; Barnardo)


• Elsinore. A room in Polonius’ house.

• (Laertes; Ophelia; Polonius)


• Elsinore. A platform before Elsinore castle.

• (Hamlet; Horatio; Marcellus; Ghost)


• Elsinore. Another part of the platform before Elsinore

castle.

• (Ghost; Hamlet; Horatio; Marcellus)


• Elsinore. A room in Polonius’ house.

• (Polonius; Reynaldo; Ophelia)Hamlet: Act 2, Scene 2

• Elsinore. A room in Elsinore castle.

• (King; Queen; Hamlet; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern;

Polonius; Voltemand; Cornelius; Attendants; First

Player (Player King); Player Queen; Player Prologue;

Player Lucianus)



• (King; Queen; Polonius; Ophelia; Rosencrantz;

Guildenstern; Lords; Hamlet)


• Elsinore. A hall in Elsinore castle.

• (Hamlet; Polonius; Guildenstern; Rosencrantz; Hora-

tio; King; Queen; Polonius; Ophelia; Rosencrantz;

Guildenstern; Lords; Guard; First Player (Player

King); Player Queen; Prologue; Lucianus)



• (King; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern; Polonius; Hamlet)


• Elsinore. The Queen’s room in Elsinore castle.

• (Queen Gertrude; Polonius; Hamlet; Ghost)



• (King; Queen; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern)


• Elsinore. Another room in Elsinore castle.

• (Hamlet; Rosencrantz; Guildenstern)



• (King; Attendants; Rosencrantz; Hamlet; Guilden-

stern)


• Near Elsinore. A plain in Denmark.

• (Fortinbras; Captain; Hamlet; Rosencrantz; Guilden-

stern)



• (Horatio; Queen Gertrude; Gentleman; Ophelia; King;

Messenger; Laertes; Laertes’s Followers)



• (Horatio; Gentleman; Sailors)



• (King; Laertes; Messenger; Queen)


• Elsinore. A churchyard.

• (First Clown; Second Clown; Hamlet; Horatio; King;

Queen; Laertes; Doctor of Divinity; Lords; Atten-

dants)


• Elsinore. A hall in Elsinore castle.

• (Hamlet; Horatio; Osric; Lord; King; Queen; Laertes;

Fortinbras; English Ambassadors; Attendants)

Pre-Reading

Hamlet Anticipatory Questions

1. How common do you believe the act of revenge is in everyday life? Write about specific inci-dents, including any in your own life, in history, or in the news.

2. Characterize yourself as a "thinker" or a “do-er." Would you like to be different? Why or why not? What are the strengths and weaknesses of your personal style?

3. To what extent do parents have the right to "spy on” or check up on their children? When is it appropriate, and when is it not? Is it more or less defensible to use technology to keep tabs on one’s children vs. enlisting the help of others to do so?

4. In Act III, scene one, King Claudius states "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” What evidence can you think of in history or contemporary news stories to support this state-ment? How does our society try to ensure that madness in “great ones” will be dealt with?

Major Motifs

❖ Revenge : Hamlet searches continuously for the answer to the question of whether or not he should avenge his father’s death. His concern with right and wrong in religious, moral, and politi-cal terms causes him much inner turmoil.

❖ Appearance vs. Reality : The play contains many situations in which surface appearance does not always match reality. Hamlet struggles to determine who his true friends are; the players in the acting troupe assume new identities; Claudius appears to be a true and just king and Gertrude his virtuous queen.

❖ Sanity vs. Insanity : In many ways this conflict is intertwined with the theme of appearance vs. reality. Hamlet’s sanity or insanity has baffled critics for years. Even the characters in the play discuss inconsistencies in Hamlet’s behavior, sometimes assuming he is really insane, and at other times being amazed by his clarity of thought.

❖ Decay and Corruption : Among the most powerful images of the play are those which reveal dis-integrating situations, both in personal terms for Prince Hamlet and in political terms for Den-mark. Look for imagery and language that supports this motif throughout the play.

HamletAct I

Relationships: How does Hamlet feel about the following characters?

King Hamlet

Claudius

Gertrude

Ophelia

Horatio

Act IAnalyzing Drama

1. Describe the mood Shakespeare creates in the opening scene of Hamlet, when the ghost first ap-pears. What specific diction and character actions create this mood?

2. Who is Polonius? What is his relationship to Claudius and to Hamlet? Explain his feelings about Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet and the reasons behind those feelings.

3. Based on Hamlet’s comments in Act I, what are his feelings toward his mother’s marriage? Why is Hamlet keeping these feelings to himself?

4. Do the events of Act I suggest that the ghost of Hamlet’s father is real or just a product of Ham-let’s imagination? Explain.

5. Based on Hamlet’s relationships with his mother, Claudius, and Horatio, make a prediction. Does it seem he will be successful in carrying out his father’s spirit’s wishes? Why or why not?

6. Does Hamlet appear to be someone who is grieving or someone who is insane? Explain.

Act II

Puns: In scene ii, Hamlet says to Polonius, “You are a fishmonger.” Hamlet continues to ridicule Polo-nius, but much of what he says is either hidden in double meanings or attributed to his “madness.” Search for details in Hamlet’s speech that have double meanings. Give three of these and explain.

Direct Quotes (cite correctly) Explanation of Double Meanings

Act II

Plotting: In this act, many characters develop secret plans to expose other characters’ motives and true feelings. Take notes as you read to track both the plans and their hoped-for effect(s).

Plan Desired Effect

Act IIAnalyzing Drama

1. Describe Hamlet’s behavior when he visits Ophelia in scene one. Do his actions provide evidence of insanity, or are they motivated by something else? Explain.

2. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Why have they been invited to the castle? What motives do they have for carrying out the king’s request?

3. Why is Hamlet bothered by the fact that one of the actors is able to read about the death of King Priam with such passion? How does Hamlet think he is different from the actor?

4. Is Hamlet’s hesitation in approaching his task of revenge a sign of cowardice, or is his thought-fulness admirable and/or understandable? Explain.

5. How does the mood of Act II compare to the mood of Act I? Give specific examples.

Act III

The climax, or crisis, is the decisive moment, or turning point, at which the rising action of the story has reached its peak and will necessarily turn into falling action. Thus, a climax is the point at which a conflict or crisis reaches its highest point of tension; this tension must be dealt with in a resolution or de-nouement (conclusion).

In order to find the climax, one must identify the major conflict in the work; next, one must look for the point at which the protagonist is either going to “win” or “lose” (in terms of the conflict). When does the reader know for sure what the outcome of the conflict will be? This is the “point of no return.” The climax usually involves an important event, decision, or discovery that effects in a decisive way the final outcome of the story.

Historically, in a five-act play, the climax tends to appear at the end of Act III. Where the climax lies in this play, however, has always been a subject of debate. Some possibilities include:

When Hamlet…

❖ definitely knows Claudius is guilty❖ stabs Polonius through the arras❖ resolves to commit himself fully to violent revenge❖ hesitates to kill Claudius while Claudius prays❖ kills Claudius (Act V)

Which of these would you call the climax? Why?

Act IIIAnalyzing Drama

1. Do Claudius and Polonius have the same reason for spying on Hamlet and Ophelia? Compare and contrast their goals.

2. What do you think of Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia? Can you explain it? Why does he treat her that way? Is it justified?

3. What do Hamlet and his mother discuss in her private chamber? What mixed feelings does Gertrude experience as she listens to her son?

4. Why is Hamlet able to kill Polonius so easily after he has been hesitant to act in other situations? What does this reveal about Hamlet’s state of mind?

5. In Act III, King Claudius reveals his guilt and shows he has a conscience. Does the play ask readers to feel differently about Claudius after hearing him express remorse? Why or why not?

Act IVAnalyzing Drama

1. Images of corruption, disease, and death throughout the play help convey the theme that a cor-rupt leader corrupts his country as well. List three instances of this imagery in Act IV.

2. Who is Fortinbras, and why is he entering Denmark? Also, according to Hamlet, Fortinbras is an admirable man. How does the sight of Fortinbras and his troops change Hamlet’s attitude?

3. How does Laertes respond to tragedy in this act? What do these responses reveal about him?

4. Compare and contrast Laertes with Hamlet.

5. Has Hamlet’s attitude toward his task of revenge changed in Act IV? Explain.

6. Describe Hamlet’s self-image. Re-read the soliloquy at the end of Act II, scene ii; then re-read the soliloquy at the end of Act IV, scene iv before answering!

7. Conflict: (Man vs. Man / Man vs. Self / Man vs. Society / Man vs. Nature). After finishing Act IV, try to list as many conflicts in the text as possible.

8. Tragic Flaw: a character defect that leads to the tragic hero’s suffering and downfall. After fin-ishing Act IV, try to identify Hamlet’s tragic flaw. Explain your reasoning.

Act VAnalyzing Drama

1. Why do both the gravediggers and the priest seem to scoff at Ophelia being given a Christian burial? Why is it that the church allowed the burial?

2. Who was Yorick, and what has become of him? What does Hamlet say about what became of Alexander and Caesar?

3. How does Hamlet seem to feel about Ophelia now that she is dead? How can readers interpret his change of attitude toward her?

4. What does Gertrude say as she bids Ophelia farewell? Is this surprising? What does it reveal about Gertrude’s character?

5. As Hamlet relates what he did to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and later, his feelings about killing Claudius, how has he seemingly moved away from his indecisiveness?

6. How well does Hamlet expect to do in the match? Why does he go ahead with it? How does this reflect the new attitude readers saw in Hamlet in Act V, scene i?

7. How does Laertes respond to Hamlet’s apology? How does his choosing of the swords help the audience realize he is being two-faced?

8. Why is it important that Horatio tell Hamlet’s story? What does he mean when he speaks of an-gels’ voices?

9. Why is it important Fortibras take over? Will he be a good king? Why or why not?

10. In Act I, Hamlet states, “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right.” Has he succeeded in setting things right? Why or why not?

REVENGE ESSAY

➢ Read the Bible Passages. (see blog)

➢ Think about the prompt: “What makes a revenge narrative so captivating?”

➢ Come up with three main reasons.

➢ Explain your reasoning fully and clearly, and support your body paragraphs with evidence from the text.

THE GRAVEDIGGERS ESSAY➢ Re-read Act V, scene i.

➢ Consider the prompt: “What is the purpose of Act V, scene i?”

➢ Think about where this scene provides comic relief and how/why it’s funny.

➢ Think about where this scene increases audience awareness of the seriousness of the play and how/why it does that.

➢ Think about where this scene provides a new perspective from which to view the events and characters of the play and how/why it does that.

➢ Develop three body paragraphs with evidence from the text to support your three claims; explain your reasoning fully and clearly.

Lines by Scene

Hamlet Act I Scene I 202 Hamlet Act I Scene II 288Hamlet Act I Scene III 146Hamlet Act I Scene IV 108Hamlet Act I Scene V 218

Act I: 962

Hamlet Act II Scene I 136Hamlet Act II Scene II 649

Act II: 785

Hamlet Act III Scene I 208Hamlet Act III Scene II 453Hamlet Act III Scene III 109Hamlet Act III Scene IV 246

Act III: 1016

Hamlet Act IV Scene I 52Hamlet Act IV Scene II 35Hamlet Act IV Scene III 80Hamlet Act IV Scene IV 75Hamlet Act IV Scene V 254Hamlet Act IV Scene VI 37Hamlet Act IV Scene VII 220

Act IV: 753

Hamlet Act V Scene I 322Hamlet Act V Scene II 474

Act V: 796

web viewdo act iii ?s. do “climax” 11/14 ... about what became of alexander and caesar?...

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