Hamlet: A classic

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 3

Today's class

How was your weekend? 

Homework check: ex. 1 + 7 on p. 11 

Literature: Shakespeare's Hamlet! 

Hamlet: a classic

pre-listening

LOOK at the cartoon. 

Have the students look at the cartoon and then answer the following three questions.

What caught your attention?

If necessary, you can zoom into the image.

What does the skull look like?

If necessary, you can zoom into the image.

Why is the man wearing old-fashioned clothes?

If necessary, you can zoom into the image.

Ask “Why is the man wearing old-fashioned clothes?” Link it to Hamlet/Shakespeare (To be or not to be, the clothes) – explain what the function of a cartoon is. Don’t forget to comment that Hamlet was such an important play in the 17th century that it is still used nowadays. The same happens to other plays of Shakespeare. You might mention Romeo and Juliet. 

TIP for higher levels: (if you want to dive deeper into the original story you could explain the scene with the gravediggers and Yorick, but this may be too much for the intended audience.)

Who was

William Shakespeare?

If there is time, before you switch slides you could ask the students if they know anything about Shakespeare. 

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)

William Shakespeare ( 1564 – 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's greatest dramatist. He is often called England's national poet. 

His extant works consist of some 39 plays 154 sonnets, three long narrative poems, and a few other verses, some of uncertain authorship. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. He remains arguably the most influential writer in the English language, and his works continue to be studied and reinterpreted.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616)

1. He was born in Stratford-upon-Avond (England) 

2. He was married and had 3 children

3. Began his successful career in London as an actor, writer and part-owner of a playing company

4. There is not much information about Shakespeare's private life. 

listening

Instructions:

Watch the video that is on the next slide.

As you watch, write down 

the names of the characters.

When the students are done watching, ask them to name all of the characters. 

https:

Link to the Hamlet video

Wie was een karakter in het filmpje?

Laertes

Hamlet

Romeo

Julius

Ophelia

Sybil

Gertrude

Polonius

Horace

Claudius

Horatio

Garfunkel

This slide is for students doing the LessonUp individually. Change the settings to use in a class presentation.

Put the story in the correct order

•  In the next slide, put the paragraphs in the correct order. 

3. Hamlet now acts very strangely. He is mean and angry, and he upsets his girlfriend, Ophelia. ‘Go away! Leave me alone!’

‘Oh, he is so mean!’ Ophelia cries.

angry

boos

3

2. Claudius is very worried about Hamlet now and makes a plan with Ophelia’s brother, Laertes. ‘You will fight him and we will put poison on the sword and in his drink too.’ Laertes and Hamlet fight. Laertes cuts Hamlet, but in the fight Hamlet takes Laertes’ sword and cuts him with it too!

3. Many years ago in Denmark there was a prince called Hamlet. One day Hamlet’s father, the king, dies suddenly and Hamlet is very sad.

After this, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, gets married again very quickly. She marries her husband’s brother, Claudius, and Claudius is now the king!

‘Aargh! How could you do this to me!’ Hamlet shouts.

4. ‘Here, Hamlet, drink this.’ ‘No, thank you, Mother. I’m not thirsty.’

‘No, don’t!’ ‘It was him! He poisoned us all!’ Finally, Hamlet knows he must stop Claudius. ‘Aargh! Have this and this!’ All the royal family are now poisoned and Hamlet tells his friend that there must be a new king. ‘Goodbye, my prince’ says Horatio.

5. One day a group of actors come to the castle and Hamlet makes a plan. He asks the actors to change their play. The new play will show a king poisoned like Hamlet’s father. ‘With this play I will catch the king.’ When Claudius watches the play he looks very worried and runs away. Hamlet sees him and he knows the truth. 

6. One night Hamlet’s friend, Horatio, tells him that there is a ghost in the castle. It is the ghost of Hamlet’s father! ‘Claudius killed me with poison! Hamlet, you must punish Claudius for me!’ Hamlet is confused. He doesn’t know if he believes the ghost and he doesn’t know what to do. 

Once the parts are in order, check for understanding.

(suggest possible HW assignment)

angry

boos

confused

in de war

ghost

spook

to kill

vermoorden

mean

gemeen

to marry

trouwen

play

toneelstuk

poison

vergif

to punish

straffen

sad

verdrietig

strangely

vreemd

sword

zwaard

thirsty

dorstig

truth

waarheid

upset

overstuur/boos

worried

bezorgd

Hamlet now acts very strangely. He is mean and angry, and he upsets his girlfriend, Ophelia. ‘Go away! Leave me alone!’

‘Oh, he is so mean!’ Ophelia cries.

 Claudius is very worried about Hamlet now and makes a plan with Ophelia’s brother, Laertes. ‘You will fight him and we will put poison on the sword and in his drink too.’ Laertes and Hamlet fight. Laertes cuts Hamlet, but in the fight Hamlet takes Laertes’ sword and cuts him with it too!

Many years ago in Denmark there was a prince called Hamlet. One day Hamlet’s father, the king, dies suddenly and Hamlet is very sad.

After this, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, gets married again very quickly. She marries her husband’s brother, Claudius, and Claudius is now the king!

‘Aargh! How could you do this to me!’ Hamlet shouts.

‘Here, Hamlet, drink this.’ ‘No, thank you, Mother. I’m not thirsty.’

‘No, don’t!’ ‘It was him! He poisoned us all!’ Finally, Hamlet knows he must stop Claudius. ‘Aargh! Have this and this!’ All the royal family are now poisoned and Hamlet tells his friend that there must be a new king. ‘Goodbye, my prince’ says Horatio.

One day a group of actors come to the castle and Hamlet makes a plan. He asks the actors to change their play. The new play will show a king poisoned like Hamlet’s father. ‘With this play I will catch the king.’ When Claudius watches the play he looks very worried and runs away. Hamlet sees him and he knows the truth. 

One night Hamlet’s friend, Horatio, tells him that there is a ghost in the castle. It is the ghost of Hamlet’s father! ‘Claudius killed me with poison! Hamlet, you must punish Claudius for me!’ Hamlet is confused. He doesn’t know if he believes the ghost and he doesn’t know what to do. 

Once the parts are in order, check that the students understand the content of each box.

[This could also be done as a homework assignment--write each box or the entire story in your own words].

post-listening

Why care about Hamlet?

Three Reasons!

Drie redenen over Hamlet te zorgen

SO? WHO CARES?

..and?

Teacher says: 

We used Hamlet--a short version--to practice reading and listening because it is very important to English and international culture. Why do you think people still care about Hamlet?

Why is Hamlet still popular nowadays?

Good advice.

#1

Teacher says:

Shakespeare includes some advice in the original play. What do you think of the advice he gives?

Tell the students that the following slides are polls and that they will give their opinion on whether they think the advice is good or not.

Listen to many people.
Talk with only a few people.

👍

👎

🤷‍♀️

Teacher asks:

Do you agree? Disagree? 

Don't borrow money from a friend.

👍

👎

🤷‍♀️

Think before you speak.

👍

👎

🤷‍♀️

Buy good clothes that aren't trendy.

👍

👎

🤷‍♀️

Be yourself.
Don't worry about what other people think.

👍

👎

🤷‍♀️

It's a 

great story.

(and we love great stories)

#2

Teacher says:

Another reason to care about Hamlet is because it is a great story, and who doesn't love a great story?

What series, movies, or
books do you like?

Teacher says:

What stories do you like? Think about movies, books, series, comics.

Why do you like them?

Teacher says:

What are some of the reasons you like those stories? Do they have good characters? Are they funny? Is their lots of action?

Hamlet has all of those!

Teacher says:

Hamlet has interesting characters, humour, emotions, and a good plot including a ghost and a mystery!

Shakespeare is 

an influencer.

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/a-history-of-the-influencer-from-shakespeare-to-instagram

(Even after 450 years!)

#3

Teacher says:

Even after 450 years, Shakespeare's work -- especially Hamlet-- is still being performed.

Hamlet is one of the most popular plays of all time

#2 meest gefilmde verhaal ter wereld

elke minuut van iedere dag wordt Hamlet opgevoerd

vertaald naar minstens 75 talen, inclusief Klingon

Teacher reads either the slide or the following translation: 

Check out these statistics:

• It has been estimated that every minute of every day, Hamlet is performed
• It is the 2nd most filmed story (1st is Cinderella)
• It has been translated to at least 75 languages, including Klingon

Hamlet is everywhere!

Teacher says:

You can see Hamlet references everywhere in pop-culture: from Donald Duck, to the Lion King; from the Simpsons, to Sesame Street, to Sons of Anarchy.

**on the next slide, play video for 30 seconds through about 2:15**

Teacher says:

Does anyone recognize this famous line?

Play 1:45 - 2:15

Teacher says:

It is also used very often in comics. 

If there is time, you could ask the students why they think the line gets used so often.

And this skull.

Teacher says:

This skull is also very famous. In the original play, Hamlet talks about the meaning of life while he holds the skull of someone he once knew.

Why care about Hamlet?

#1: Get some good advice

#2: It's a good story

#3: Its influence on culture!

Teacher says:

So: Why do we still care about hamlet?

[read the slide.]

closing

What do you remember?

• Who was Shakespeare?
• Why is Shakespeare / Hamlet still important?
• What are the most important points of Hamlet?

The bulletpoints will appear one at a time so that you can ask the students for verbal answers to each question.

The End