Hamlet

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Hamlet

Planning

lesson 1	Overview: story, characters
lesson 2	Theme: revenge, character motives and context
lesson 3	Lenses: changing perspectives on the same old story
lesson 4	Modern times: reinterpretations, why this old stuff?

Lesson 1: overview of plot and characters

Use the student file in Classroom

Look at the list of Characters. Without knowing anything about them, try to make a character map.

tip: use this character map later on to collect information 

Discussion

Betray                                                    Love

Hate                                                      Support

Help

Look at the words above: how do you expect these to describe character relations?

Using the summary, complete worksheet 1 to complete your plot overview

Lesson 2: Revenge

Lesson 2: Revenge

Lesson goals

- Genre: revenge tragedy

- Learn how to look at characters

- motives and choices

Revenge Tragedies

Use Google to find out what a revenge tragedy is and see how Hamlet ticks the boxes

Use Worksheet 2

Finished? Go back to notes from lesson 1 and find out how each character interacts with the different elements of revenge tragedy

revenge

Hamlet is not the only one who has to deal with revenge. 

We will now look into the different ways you can avenge death and kill royalty

"Project murder"

If you want to kill someone, you've got to be smart about it. List your options, but also know the situation well enough to see limitations. 

In 5 groups, look into your assigned character

Fortinbras, Ophelia, Laertes, Gertrude, Hamlet

lesson 3: lenses

Lesson goals:

Learn how to look at a story in different ways

Lenses

Light bends when you look through a lens, and a coloured lens may make the world look very different. 

Lenses are a tool to look at a story in different lights

HAMLET I have heard of your paintings too, well enough; God

has given you one face, and you make yourselves

another: you jig, you amble, and you lisp, and

nick-name God's creatures, and make your wantonness

your ignorance. Go to, I'll no more on't; it hath

made me mad. I say, we will have no more marriages:

those that are married already, all but one, shall

live; the rest shall keep as they are. To a

nunnery, go.

OPHELIA O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown! 150

The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword;

The expectancy and rose of the fair state,

The glass of fashion and the mould of form,

The observed of all observers, quite, quite down!

types of lenses

feminism

power (this is a court after all…, but also power that family relations bring with them)

social positions/obligations

mental health

spaces (locations/rooms, what do they add or mean)

archetypes

motifs and symbolism