The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
Shakespeare Week 2014
Hamlet (1992, PG) 100 mins
(part of The Animated Tales of Shakespeare collection)
Enrichment Focus
Key Stage Target
Curriculum Links
✓KS1 ✓KS2 ✓KS3
✓Literacy ✓Art ✓Music ✓Drama
(c) BBC Wales
This pack is designed to help pupils engage with and understand Shakespearean texts in new ways. By
using a series of short 30-minute films as a starting point, pupils will explore the stories and learn about
key themes. Film will be used as a tool to encourage critical and creative thinking and will help pupils to
understand some of the symbols and motifs used in Shakespeare’s plays
Why this film?
Wonderful animated versions of twelve Shakespeare plays (Hamlet, The Tempest, Macbeth, A
Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Richard III, The Taming of the Shrew, As You Like It, Julius
Caesar, The Winter's Tale, Othello and Romeo and Juliet). Each play has a different animation style to fit
the story, and trimmed down to a tidy half hour, and is the perfect way to start to get to know the work
of Britain's greatest writer.
What the critics think
“I was looking forward to watching this film because I have read lots of Shakespeare's books (short
editions) and I wanted to compare the film and the books together. I did not expect the film to be that
good”.
Into Film clubs member Mall aged 10
Running a film club in your school can enrich the curriculum and allow young people to explore a wide
variety of issues, experience cultures beyond their own, and develop their creativity, communication
skills and confidence. After watching a film students are encouraged to comment during a postscreening discussion before writing reviews on the website (which has a real audience of other young
people) where they can analyse the film and develop their literacy and critical skills. Above all, students
and teachers can enjoy the shared experience of watching and discussing a film together.
Set up a free Into Film club and enjoy free access to thousands of films and education resources for
learning through film and about film. To join or for information visit www.intofilm.org, email
[email protected] or call 0207 288 4520.
The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
Shakespeare Week 2014
(c) BBC Wales
Before the film:
Hamlet is a tragedy. Do you know what a tragedy is? What might happen in a tragedy?
Guide to using the resource
Page One – Initial reactions to the film
Once pupils have viewed the film they can complete the first page of the resource. This could
then be discussed and debated as a whole class, with pupils discussing what they enjoyed
about the film and how they could improve it if they were the director.
Follow On Activity:
Pupils could write a review of the film and either upload it directly to the Into Film clubs website
or send in a postcard review (free postcards are available from Into Film)
Page Two – Introducing the 3 C’s and the 3 S’s
This pack approaches understanding film though the 3 C’s and the 3 S’s. These six elements are
used to explore and interrogate film text in detail enabling students to find a ‘’route in” to
Shakespeare. We begin by looking at story, character and setting, and then go on to encourage
pupils to look more closely at how the filmmakers have achieved deeper meaning through
sound, colour and camera.
Story
The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
Story is another word for the narrative of a film, it provides the framework and structure. This pack begins by
encouraging pupils to understand the key events in the story and rewrite them in their own words. Ask can you
Can you retell the story of Hamlet in your own words? What are the key parts of the story?
The story begins on a dark, stormy night with a narrator introducing us to the King, Queen and Prince of Denmark.
Hamlet sees the ghost of his father who tells him that his brother Claudius murdered him. Hamlet also suspects that
his mother Gertrude had a part to play in his father’s murder and is determined to avenge his father. He begins to
appear as if his grief has made him mad.
Ophelia loves Hamlet but is warned by her brother of the dangers of loving the Prince. Her father, Polonius, is also
worried about the relationship and tells Ophelia not to see Hamlet. Hamlet tells Ophelia that he does not love her and
to go to a nunnery which further convinces the King and Queen of his madness. To expose the truth of his father’s
murder Hamlet has the idea to get Gertrude and Claudius to watch a play of a king being poisoned by his brother and
wife. Hamlet is convinced that their reactions mean they are guilty and goes to his mother’s room to confront her. He
believes that she was unfaithful to her husband with Claudius and helped to plot to murder him. Hearing a sound from
behind the curtain, Hamlet stabs Polonius with his sword believing it to be Claudius listening.
Claudius is frightened that Hamlet will try and kill him and dispatches Hamlet to England where he plans to have him
killed. After the death of her father Ophelia is driven to madness and drowns in the river. Her brother Laertes returns
from France determines to avenge his father and sister by killing Hamlet. Hamlet escapes the King’s spies and returns
to Denmark to find out that Ophelia is dead. He tells Laertes that he did love Ophelia but Laertes is still intent on
revenge.
Claudius concocts a plan to use Laertes to kill Hamlet. He sets up a fencing match between them and gives Laertes a
poisoned sword to fight with. He also prepares a cup of poisoned wine in case Hamlet wins the fight.
The sword fighting begins. Hamlet scores the first hit, but declines to drink from the king’s proffered goblet. Instead,
Gertrude takes a drink from it and is swiftly killed by the poison. Laertes succeeds in wounding Hamlet, though Hamlet
does not die of the poison immediately. First, Laertes is cut by his own sword’s blade, and, after revealing to Hamlet
that Claudius is responsible for the queen’s death, he dies from the blade’s poison. Hamlet then stabs Claudius through
with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink down the rest of the poisoned wine. Claudius dies, and Hamlet dies
immediately after achieving his revenge.
What parts of the story are tragic?
• The murder of the King
• The death of Ophelia’s father Polonuis
• Ophelia going mad and drowning
• The realisation that Hamlet loved Ophelia
• The death of Hamlet’s mother
• The death of Hamlet and Laertes
• The death of Claudius
Follow On Questions
• What might have happened before the story began?
• What could happen after the end of the story?
• Does this story remind you or any other stories/films? E.g. The Lion King has elements of the story
taken from Hamlet. For example, Simba’s father was murdered by his uncle and the kingdom is in
jeopardy.
Character
The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
Compelling characters in difficult situations create the backbone for most stories. Pupils need to think
about the different types of characters and decide who the main characters are and how their
relationships and conflicts drive the story. This pack is designed to help pupils to think about at how the
usual convention of ‘hero overcoming villain’ is challenged in a tragedy.
Do you think there is a villain in the story? If so, who would it be and why?
It could be said that there are a few villains in the story. We are never sure whether Gertrude has anything to do
with her first husband’s murder and she seems to be more concerned with her own power and safety than that
of her son.
However, the obvious villainous character would be Claudius, who murders his brother to gain access to the
throne. He also uses Laertes’ anger and grief for his father and sister to get rid of Hamlet by setting up an uneven
fight with a poisoned sword. As a back up plan, he also prepares a goblet of poisoned wine to give to Hamlet if
he does not die in the fight. This inadvertently leads to the death of his wife, Queen Gertrude.
Do you think there is a hero in the story? If so, who would it be and why?
When we are first introduced to Hamlet we have the expectation that he will be the hero of the story and avenge
the death of his father by exposing Claudius as the murderer. However, his pretence of madness and accidental
killing of Polonius leads to the death of his love Ophelia. He also kills Laertes.
Follow On Questions
Teachers could follow this activity up with questions such as:
•
•
•
•
•
Who are the main characters? How can you tell?
Who is telling the story?
Which character interests you the most? Why?
Do you like any of the characters? Why?
What would happen if one of the main characters was taken away?
Follow Up Activities
•
Literacy/English - Pupils work in groups to mind map the characteristics of the main characters.
•
Art - Pupils create their own drawings of the main characters, thinking about how they could use
cartoon style drawing to bring out the key characteristics
•
Music – Pupils could create musical motifs for the main characters
•
Drama – Pupils could be hot seated as the main characters, and the rest of the class could ask
them questions.
Setting
The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
A setting provides the backdrop for a film and can establish the when and where of the story. Settings
can be historical and geographical and can give us an idea of the characters’ lives. Most films have a
main setting and minor settings, which can be interiors or exteriors and can be filmed on location or in
specially built sets, or which may, on occasion, be drawn backgrounds. Talking about setting can
encourage imaginative thinking about why certain settings have been chosen, what is shown and
hidden and how a change of setting could change the mood of the scene.
Where is Hamlet set?
Hamlet is set in Denmark, and the action in the animation mostly takes part in a castle, which is usually portrayed as
dark and shadowy. The beginning of the animation is reminiscent of a horror film where we are shown the dark
silhouette of the castle with dark clouds partially covering the full moon in the background. The weather is stormy
and the sea crashes against the castle. This immediately makes the audience feel apprehensive and gives the
audience a clue that all may not be well in the castle.
Setting One (time code: 00:06:06)
This part of the castle is old and ruined giving the sense of past history. It looks cold, unwelcoming and dangerous.
This scene is set at night and the only light is from the moon that comes through the holes in the roof and casts
dark shadows throughout the building. Again this is reminiscent of horror films when old, abandoned buildings are
often the setting for something unpleasant or scary.
Setting Two (time code: 00:03:10)
When we first meet Ophelia, she is in an elegant room with large windows that let the daylight stream in. The rays
of light make her white dress stand out and the sky behind looks blue and calm. This is in direct contrast to the
locations that Hamlet has been in which are dark and gloomy and sets her up as a pure, innocent character.
Setting Three (time code: 00:20:04)
This is one of the rare times the location moves outside the castle. The setting is a graveyard, (again there is
reference to the horror genre), and the sky is dark and grey, almost like the sea from earlier scenes and there are
black birds flying above. This dark atmosphere adds to the feeling of grief when we realise that this is the location of
Ophelia’s funeral.
Follow On Questions:
• How can the setting affect the characters and how they might behave?
• Do you think the same story could have happened in a different place?
• How do you think the story might have changed if it was placed in a different setting?
• Were there any places mentioned in the story that you didn’t see? Why do you think this was?
Follow Up Activity
•
Pupils could look at images of different locations and talk about where and when they might be.
This could be used as a starter activity for creative writing where the pupils could think about the
types of stories that could take place in the locations and write a story based on this.
Sound
The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
The soundtrack of a film can have several elements which all combine to contribute the overall mood
and storytelling. There are sounds within the film itself, for example, the sounds the characters would
hear, such as characters’ speech and the sound of movements, wind noise, vehicles etc. There are also
sounds that are layered onto the soundtrack to create added drama such as music and narration.
Silence can also be used to create suspense or emphasis or allow a pause for thought. Allowing pupils
to listen to the soundtrack without the visuals will allow them to concentrate on the different elements
of sound and how they are adding to the storytelling.
Play time code of clip: 00:05:00 – 00:07:12
Play the clip without letting the pupils see the animation and use page 5 of the resource to answer the
following questions:
What sounds can you hear?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Clock chiming
Wind
Clock ticking
Actors
Distorted voice of ghost – with an echo
Music
How do the actors sound?
The characters sound scared and hesitant. Hamlet sounds distressed and confused.
The ghost of his father’s voice is strange and unworldly sounding and has an echo that makes it
sound like it is coming from all directions which is disorientating.
How do the music and sounds make you feel? Why?
The combination of the eerie noise of the wind, with the clock ticking and distortion of the ghost’s
voice, all give the feeling of something weird and otherworldly. The music is in a minor key and adds
to the feeling of unease. The sound of stress in Hamlet’s voice also makes the audience empathise
with the character and adds to the overall atmosphere of fear.
Follow Up Activity:
•
Pupils could use audio editing software such as Audacity or Garageband to create their own
soundtrack for a short clip from the film. They could record their own voices either as actors or a
narrator and add appropriate music and sound effects.
Colour
The Animated Tales of Shakespeare: Hamlet
Colour contributes to the look of the film and can convey mood and atmosphere. It can also be used to
add meaning for example, the use of red to represent blood and death. Visual contrast can be used to
make characters and objects stand out, again to add significance and meaning in the scene. Colour can
also be used to show time, for example night is often shown with blue tones.
Why do you think red is used so much in the film?
The use of red emphasises the themes of death and murder in the story. As we discover that Claudius has
murdered his brother to get the throne, his clothes and surroundings become redder. (The other dominant
colour is gold representing his greed for the crown). When Hamlet visits Queen Gertrude’s room to confront her
we see a golden candlestick and cup and everything else has a red glow. Both Gertrude’s and Polonius’s clothes
are tinged with red warning us of further death. When Hamlet enters there is red all around him. This becomes
significant when he stabs Polonius who is hiding behind the curtain, whom he mistakes for Claudius. The scene
ends with a shot of an almost entirely red tapestry showing dogs devouring a deer. Red also dominates in the
fight scene between Hamlet and Laertes. The whole scene has a red tinge and the poisoned wine is red and looks
like blood. There is also the red of actual blood when the poisoned sword cuts Hamlet and when he kills
Claudius.
We also see lots of blues and greys. Why do you think this is?
When we first meet Hamlet we discover that his father is dead and he is grieving. We are taken from the colour
and laughter of the King and Queen and their entourage to Hamlet standing alone at a window with the grey
light of the moon on him. He is drawn in grey/blues and black with no other colours and this lets the audience
feel his grief. When we see a vision of the ghost of Hamlet’s father in Queen Gertrude’s room there is a stark
contrast between the red background of the room and the blue glow of the ghost. This makes the ghost stand
out and look cold, dead and otherworldly. When Ophelia walks to her death, the only colour we see is her
yellow hair. The building she goes through is blue/grey and cold and parts of it seem almost like a crumbling
church, as if she is at her own funeral. The building turns into an exterior archway made of trees, the shape of
the arch echoing the building before. Instead of healthy greens and browns, the trees and plants are also grey
and death-like warning us of grief and suffering. Grey and blue tones are also prominent in the graveyard and
at Ophelia’s funeral, again intensifying the feeling of death and grief.
When we first meet Ophelia she seems to be in direct contrast to Hamlet who is found in dark and grey
shadowy areas. Rays of sun light her yellow hair and white dress and she seems almost angelic in front of the
church-like windows with the calm blue sky behind. This immediately sets Ophelia’s character up as
innocent. Could she even be Hamlet’s saviour? As the story progresses Ophelia remains in white and when
she walks to her death the white of her dress seems to be like a halo surrounding her. At her funeral, the pure
white glow of her dress has diminished to a colder grey, but she still stands out among the darkness of the
mourners with the grey of her surroundings representing that her innocence and purity has sustained death.
You may notice there are a few references to birds in this film. The white bird represents Ophelia’s death and
her flight to the spirit world. The bird flies towards the light, which could suggest that Ophelia is at peace with
Why do you think Ophelia is always dressed in white? What is the meaning of the white bird
Follow On Activities
•
•
•
Pupils record themselves reviewing the film
Pupils think about how they could advertise the film and create a film poster promoting it
Pupils explore some of the conventions of scary films and create a film trailer using film-editing
software such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.