E8 Hamlet
Instructor: Ms. B. Wu
English Department
Murry Bergtraum High School
411 Pearl Street, New York
New York 10038

Index [ Online Resources about Shakespeare | Hamlet E-Text |About Logs | Overview and Introduction | The Various Interpretations | On Guard | Hamlet's Character | Polonius Advice | The Time Is Out of Joint | A Review of Act I | The Character of Polonius | The"Tedious Old Fool "| The Arrival of the Players | What a Rogue I Am | Review of Act II | Hamlet and Ophelia | Setting the Trap | The Queen's Closet | Review of Act III | "His Liberty Is Threats to All" | Ophelia's Madness | Review of Act IV |The Graveyard Scene | The Final Conflicts | Act V Review | Criticism on Hamlet | Imortant Notes FYI | Hamlet Final | Webfolio]


The following reading and writing activities are designed to meet the Language Arts Content Standards

Part I. General Descriptions of Reading & Writing Activities

  1. Pre-reading Activities
    1. Shakespearean tragic hero---Comment on the statement: " The hero's tragic trait is also his greatness. The passion which brings about his downfall springs from a force of character that raises him above persons of ordinary clay."-by Paul N. Siegel in Shakespearean Tragedy and the Elizabethan Compromise
    2. The Legend of Hamlet- Shakespeare's Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

      Internet Activity 1 : Click "The Legend" and "Hamlet, Prince of Denmark", and read the information on the pages. Write a report of 250-300 words about "The Sources Shakespeare Used in Writing Hamlet".

    3. Internet Activity 2 (Access to the Internet is necessary): Respond to the directors' various interpretations of the play Hamlet and to learn what to look for when watching a filmed version of a Shakespeare play. After watching Hamlet. In this activity students visit web sites to familiarize themselves with various interpretations of Hamlet and students write a short essay analyzing the director's interpretation of the play, using information from the net. Students will advance a judgment that demonstrates a comprehensive grasp of the film and the director's interpretation of the play, support key ideas through references to the film, demonstrate awareness of the director's use of filmic devices, and assess the impact of the nuances in the film. Visit the following websites :
    1. URL: http://www.hamlet.edmonton.ab.ca./index.htm--the Hamlet Homepage
    2. URL: http://www.jetlink.net/~massij/shakes/index.shtml-- General Advice on How to Watch a Shakespearean Film

4. Scene by Scene Summary


Activities during the Course of the study

    1. Letters, diaries, or news stories that might have been written by characters in the play or at the time of the play.
    2. Creation of missing scenes that did not take place on stage( Hamlet and Ophelia-the meeting of the two in which Hamlet seems deranged to Ophelia; Raynaldo and Laertes in Paris; Horaatio reports to Fortinbras and a cout assemblage about "how these things came about; Fortinbras and his uncle ; Hamlet and the pirates.)
    3. Studies of imaginary of other examples of poetic language
    4. Drawings or paintings of characters and scenes
    5. Problems of stage presentation of the ghost scene, the play with the play, and the final dual
    6. Controversial Questions
    7. Internet Activity 3- Stylistic Imitation of "To Be or Not to Be": Read a parody of "To Be or Not To Be" written in the voice of Prince Charles. Students write a modern version of the "To Be or Not To Be" soliloquy using the voice and point of view of a popular literary, television or film character, or a political figure. A model is provided below. In an analysis of their soliloquy, students will advance a judgment that demonstrates a comprehensive grasp of the passage, support key ideas through references to their version, demonstrate awareness of the use of poetic devices, and assess their impact.
    8. Internet Activity 4-Use Hamlet discussion forum to ask questions and share ideas about Shakespeare's Hamlet with students from around the world.

9. (STW Activity)William Shakespeare's character, Polonius, in the play, "Hamlet", gives, what is considered the most famous advice to Laertes, his son. Locate this famous speech. Polonius gave his son 9 pieces of his sage advice. See if you can put his advice into words that your friends would understand, as Shakespeare wrote in a very flowery language of the time. Try to create a few sentences of your own advice in Shakespeare's style.(See more detailed instructions)


  1. After-reading Activities
    1. Suggested topics for essays
    2. Reactions to theories of any of the critics
    1. How have scholars and other students interpreted the play Hamlet? Research of the conflicting interpretations--Have students report on J. Dover Wilson's What Happens in Hamlet, a controversial interpretation of the play, and "What Does Not Happen in Hamlet", an imaginary paper delivered at a meeting of a Modern Language Association following the publication of Wilson's book.
    2. In this activity you will imagine that Hamlet has been put on trial for murder and has pleaded insanity. You will choose to be an attorney for either the defense or prosecution. Write an attorney's closing argument establishing either Hamlet's sanity or insanity . They then present their arguments to the class. In their speeches, students will present a sustained and logical argument, use specific rhetorical devices to support assertions, clarify and defend positions with evidence that includes quotations, and address readers' concerns. Refer to the rubrics for persuasive writing .
    3. A study of mythological references in Hamlet
    4. Internet Activity 5:Write an essay comparing and contrasting paintings about Hamlet. Prepare a gallery of portraits of the main characters in the play based on your own interpretation. And then visit a wonderful web site Shakespeare Illustrated created by an English professor from Emory University which includes an extensive collection of 18th and 19th century paintings inspired by Shakespeare's plays. These paintings shown in exhibitions, inexpensive reproductions, book illustrations and postcards became advertisements for Shakespeare's plays. As you view artwork inspired by Hamlet , you will see that painters--like directors, performers, and critics--have their own interpretations of Shakespeare's plays.
    5. Make a list of the recurring imagery of disease, sickness, and corruption of the body in the play in terms of the atmosphere and society in which Hamlet finds himself. What relationship does insanity have to the imagery dealing with sickness and decay? Use the article on Disease and Poison as reference .
    6. Venn Diagram Comparing Characters: To help the reader better understand a character, writers sometimes use a literary devise called a foil. A foil is a character who contrasts strongly with another. The characters may face similar obstacles or situations but react differently. In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses Horatio, Laertes, and Fortinbras as foils for Hamlet. In this activity you will explore the different ways these young men react to similar situations.
    7. Internet Activity 6( New ELA Task I) :Read( or LISTER TO) the article Finding Practical Meaning on how an actor reads and interprets Shakespeare's play, and write an essay on "Does A Reader Have the Liberty to "Tamper with" or "Recreate" Characters of Other Writers?"
    8. Create a character shield to represent one of the characters in Hamlet. Each section of the shield should represent : A) The character's goals. B) The character's worst fear. C) The character's essential nature in symbolic form, preferably as an animal. D) Three words representing the character. E) Each section should contain a picture and a quote from the play. F) Attach a written explanation of the shield to the back.

      Part II. Lessons of Teaching the Play of Hamlet

      1. Overview and Introduction
      2. On Guard (Act I, Scene 1)
      3. Hamlet's Character (Act I, scene 2 )
      4. Polonius' Advice(Act I, scene 3 )
      5. The Time Is out of Joint (Act I, scene 4 , scene 5 )
      6. A Review of Act I
      7. The Character of Polonius( Act II, scene 1)
      8. The " Tedious Old Fool" (Act II, scene 2, lines 1-234 )
      9. The Arrival of the Players (Act II, scene 2, lines 235-end)
      10. Review of Act II
      11. Hamlet and Ophelia (Act III, scene 1)
      12. Setting and Trap( Act III, scene 2, scene 3 )
      13. The Queen's Closet(Act III, scene 4)
      14. Review of Act III
      15. "His Liberty Is Threats to All" (Act IV, scene 1 , scene 2, scene 3, scene 4 )
      16. Ophelia's Madness (Act IV, scene 5, scene 6, scene 7 )
      17. Review of Act IV
      18. The Graveyard Scene (Act V, scene 1)
      19. The Final Conflict(Act V, scene 2)

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