Comparative Study of Hamlet's Soliloquies

Comparative Study of Hamlet's Soliloquies

Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson you will be able to identify the differences between the three versions of Hamlet's soliloquy. At the end of the lesson you will be able to understand the context in which the soliloquies were written and how they reflect the evolution of Shakespeare's writing style. At the end of the lesson you will be able to analyze the themes and language used in the soliloquies and discuss their impact on the play's interpretation. At the end of the lesson you will be able to evaluate the significance of the textual variations on the play's meaning and character development.

What do you already know about Hamlet's soliloquies?

Differences between Versions

Bad Quarto (1603), Good Quarto (1604-5), First Folio (1623). Textual variations influence interpretation of Hamlet's character and the overall meaning of the play.

Contextual Background

Evolution of Shakespeare's writing style as reflected in the soliloquies. Historical context of the three versions.

Thematic Analysis

Themes of life, death, uncertainty. Impact of soliloquies on play's interpretation.

Language and Textual Variations

Impact of wording, punctuation, and structure. Influence on character development.

Significance of Soliloquies

Impact on play's meaning and character development.

Summary and Recap

Recap of the key points covered in the lesson.

Definitions

Bad Quarto: The earliest and considered less accurate version of Shakespeare's plays, characterized by its differences from later, more polished versions. Good Quarto: A version of Shakespeare's plays thought to be more accurate than the Bad Quarto, but not as refined as the First Folio. First Folio: The first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays published in 1623, regarded as the most authoritative and complete version. Soliloquy: A speech in which a character in a play speaks their thoughts aloud, often when they are alone, revealing their innermost thoughts to the audience. Textual variations: Differences in the texts of written works, which may include changes in wording, punctuation, and structure.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.