Arts In Education
2016-2017
Curriculum Guide
Season Logo by
Garritt VonEye, Artist
Paintbrush Elementary School
Tracey Lawrence, Art Teacher
Hamlet
The prince of Denmark returns
home from school to find his
family life in ruins—his father
dead, his mother remarried, and
his uncle (now step-father) ruling
the country. When his father’s
ghost appears with dire
announcements, Hamlet struggles to redefine his life
and find his way forward.
Hamlet
Overview/Synopsis:
“Events before the start of Hamlet set the stage for tragedy. When the king of Denmark, Prince
Hamlet’s father, suddenly dies, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, marries his uncle Claudius, who
becomes the new king.
A spirit who claims to be the ghost of Hamlet’s father describes his murder at the hands of
Claudius and demands that Hamlet avenge the killing. When the councilor Polonius learns
from his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet has visited her in an apparently distracted state,
Polonius attributes the prince’s condition to lovesickness, and he sets a trap for Hamlet using
Ophelia as bait.
To confirm Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet arranges for a play that mimics the murder; Claudius’s
reaction is that of a guilty man. Hamlet, now free to act, mistakenly kills Polonius, thinking he
is Claudius. Claudius sends Hamlet away as part of a deadly plot.
After Polonius’s death, Ophelia goes mad and later drowns. Hamlet, who has returned safely to
confront the king, agrees to a fencing match with Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, who secretly
poisons his own rapier. At the match, Claudius prepares poisoned wine for Hamlet, which
Gertrude unknowingly drinks; as she dies, she accuses Claudius, whom Hamlet kills. Then first
Laertes and then Hamlet die, both victims of Laertes’ rapier.”
Source: http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/html/Ham.html#characters
Dramatis Personae/ List of Characters:
THE GHOST
HAMLET, Prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet
and Queen Gertrude
QUEEN GERTRUDE, widow of King Hamlet, now married to Claudius
KING CLAUDIUS, brother to the late King Hamlet
OPHELIA
LAERTES, her brother
POLONIUS, father of Ophelia and Laertes, councillor to King Claudius
REYNALDO, servant to Polonius
HORATIO, Hamlet’s friend and confidant
courtiers at the Danish court
VOLTEMAND
CORNELIUS
ROSENCRANTZ
GUILDENSTERN
OSRIC
Danish soldiers
FRANCISCO
BARNARDO
MARCELLUS
FORTINBRAS, Prince of Norway
A Captain in Fortinbras’s army
Ambassadors to Denmark from England
Players who take the roles of Prologue, Player King, Player Queen, and Lucianus in The Murder of Gonzago
Two Messengers
Sailors
Gravedigger
Gravedigger’s companion
Doctor of Divinity
Attendants, Lords, Guards, Musicians, Laertes’s Followers, Soldiers, Officers
Full Electronic Text of the play:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamletscenes.html
http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/html/Ham.html
*Amazon Kindle allows free downloads of all of Shakespeare’s works as well
Curricular Activities:
Activity #1 - Students will research aspects of Elizabethan England and create a Prezi, PowerPoint or other form of visual
presentation to share their learning with the class. Topics may include researching a day in the life of an English peasant,
typical jobs, medicine, food, architecture, dress, customs, social classes, entertainment and politics of the day.
Standards: RI.9-10.1, W.9-10.6, W.9-10.7, W.9-10.9, SL.9-10.4, SL.9-10.5, SL.9-10.6, L.9-10.1, L.9-10.2
Activity #2- Students will work with a partner or small group, close read a select scene from Hamlet, and perform it in
front of the class. Students should take into consideration the motives, emotions, characteristics and interactions or
relationships associated with the chosen character(s). The class will provide specific verbal or written feedback regarding
the performance.
Standards: RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.7, L.9-10.4, L.9-10.5
Activity #3- YouTube or view a variety of performances of a select scene from Hamlet, such as the monologue with poor
Yorick’s skull, the “To be or not to be” soliloquy, or other relevant scene. Complete three column notes over each version.
Share and discuss as a class or small group. See the sample below:
Hamlet: Act 3, Scene 1: “To be or not to be” soliloquy
Source/Performance name
Observations
Response
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SjuZq-8PUw0
The actor in the video keeps
pausing at certain points during
the monologue.
The pauses help the audience
feel the emotions of the
character and relate to Hamlet’s
sadness and confusion.
In this scene the character is also
dressed appropriately for the
period.
This scene places the work in
modern times. The props include
a cell phone and sunglasses.
The costume choice shows…
Kenneth Branagh performance
Kenneth Branagh performance
http://www.another Hamlet
video…
In this version…
Standards: RL.9-10.7, L.9-10.3, L.9-10.4, L.9-10.5
Resources:
National Players Touring company (theatre troupe performing at CAM-PLEX): http://www.nationalplayers.org/#!hamlet/cnjf
Teacher handout http://www.calshakes.org/v4/media/teachers_guides/2012_Hamlet_TeachersGuide.pdf
Folgers Library: http://www.folgerdigitaltexts.org/html/Ham.html#characters
https://www.goodreads.com/ebooks/download/1420.Hamlet
*Amazon Kindle allows free downloads of all of Shakespeare’s works as well.