HAMLET
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
EDUCATION TOUR CURRICULUM GUIDE
CONTENTS
Welcome to Shakespeare Festival St. Louis.
This collection of resources was developed to
accompany our 2016 Education Tour production of
HAMLET. It contains information and activities you
can use in your classroom to prepare your students
for the performance, and to follow up with them
afterwards.
The goal of all Festival education programs “In the
Schools” is to deepen our community’s appreciation
for and connection to Shakespeare, providing only
the highest quality theatre education to inspire
people of all ages - to creatively engage, explore,
and delight in the works of William Shakespeare.
Shakespeare’s poetry and plays are a primary
element in any process of lifelong learning. In the
2014-15 season, more than 40,000 students in
area schools and community venues experienced
Shakespeare through the Festival’s education
programs. We welcome as many as 66,000
people annually to our mainstage production in
Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park.
Through the Festival’s education programs,
students are challenged and engaged while
enhancing their ability to read, watch, and perform
Shakespeare.
Thank you for bringing the Festival to your school!
JENNIFER WINTZER
Director of Community Engagement & Education
The Playwright.....................................................................2
Shakespeare Timeline..........................................................3
The Characters....................................................................4
ACTIVITY: Making the Front Page........................................4
Synopsis.............................................................................5
ACTIVITY: The Mousetrap....................................................6
THEMES: Loyalty, Morality, Family, & The Supernatural.......7
HAMLET on Film..................................................................8
ACTIVITY: Hide Your Truth.....................................................9
The Language....................................................................11
Style & Literary Devices.....................................................12
ACTIVITY: Sharpening the Speech......................................13
Pre- and Post-Show Questions..........................................14
HANDOUT: Hide Your Truth.................................................15
CURRICULUM GUIDE DESIGNED & COMPILED BY
Michael B. Perkins
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ST. LOUIS
5715 Elizabeth Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 531-9800 | SFSTL.com | @ShakesFestSTL
RICK DILDINE, Artistic & Executive Director—[email protected]
JENNIFER WINTZER,Dir. of Community Engagement & Education
[email protected]
MICHAEL B. PERKINS, Education & Community Programs Mgr.
[email protected]
CATIE GAINOR, Marketing Manager—[email protected]
2015 Education Tour: (left to right) Steve Isom*, Laura Sexauer, Adrianna Jones, Emily Clinger* (Tour Manager), Gerrad Taylor, Pete Winfrey in Antony and Cleopatra
(photo © J. David Levy)
Cover Page: Jim Butz* in Hamlet (photo © J. David Levy)
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 1
THE PLAYWRIGHT
William Shakespeare, the “Bard of Avon,” was baptized at Stratford-upon-Avon on April
26, 1564. Since no birth records were kept, tradition holds that he was born approximately
three days before baptism, and that he died on his birthday, but this is perhaps more romantic
myth than fact, as April 23 is St. George’s Day, named for the patron saint of England.
His parents were John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, a landed heiress. John was a glover
by trade, but also held the offices of alderman and later bailiff in Stratford (equivalent to a
present-day mayor). William was the third of eight children in the Shakespeare household,
three of whom died in childhood. We assume that Shakespeare went to the King’s New
School (now Edward VI Grammar School), presumably because of his father’s position as
bailiff. This would have meant that Shakespeare was exposed to the rudiments of Latin,
rhetoric, logic, and literature.
On November 27, 1582, 18 year-old William married 26
year-old Anne Hathaway. Their first daughter, Susanna,
was born six months later. Three years after Susanna, the
Shakespeares bore twins, Hamnet & Judith, but Hamnet
died in childhood at the age of 11, on August 11, 1596.
It’s unclear how the young Shakespeare first came to
London or to the stage. One theory holds that he was
arrested as a poacher and escaped to London to avoid
prosecution in Stratford; another holds that he joined a
company of traveling players called Lord Strange’s Men,
where he learned theatrical arts as an apprentice.
“SOUL OF THE AGE!
THE APPLAUSE! DELIGHT!
THE WONDER OF OUR STAGE!”
- Ben Jonson,
Eulogy for William Shakespeare
However, it is clear that between 1582 and 1592, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth
I, Shakespeare became involved in the London theatre scene as a principal actor and
playwright. By 1594, Shakespeare was listed as a shareholder in one of the most popular
acting companies in London: the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Led by Richard Burbage,
one of the most famous Elizabethan actors, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men performed at
the Rose Theatre, an outdoor stage on the banks of the Thames River. Around 1599, they
constructed the Globe Theatre, perhaps the most recognizable Elizabethan playhouse.
When King James I was crowned in 1603, he favored Shakespeare and the Chamberlain’s
Men so much that the company was renamed the King’s Men. In 1608, the King’s Men
leased the indoor Blackfriars Theatre in London, which served as their winter playhouse.
The Globe Theatre stood until 1613, when it burned down during a performance of Henry
VIII. Shakespeare retired to Stratford not long after, where he died on April 23, 1616, and
was buried at Holy Trinity Church two days later.
In the years since Shakespeare’s death, he has become one of the most celebrated writers
in history. His plays were not published until the 1623 First Folio, seven years after his
death, compiled by John Heminges and Henry Condell, former players in the King’s
Men. However, in the 1800s, his plays became so popular that many refused to believe
that a glovemaker’s son from Stratford (with no university training) had written them.
To this day some believe that Sir Francis Bacon was the true author of the plays; others
choose to believe Edward DeVere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the author. Still others would
prefer to believe Christopher Marlowe, a fellow playwright, penned the lines attributed
to Shakespeare. While speculation still runs rampant, what isn’t disputed is that William
Shakespeare was the “Soul of the Age.”
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 2
November 27, 1582
Shakespeare marries Anne Hathaway
May 26, 1583
Susanna Shakespeare’s Baptism
February 2, 1585
Hamnet & Judith Shakespeare’s Baptism
May 30, 1593
Death of Christopher Marlowe
August 11, 1596
Burial of Hamnet Shakespeare
October 20, 1596
John Shakespeare Granted Coat of Arms
May 4, 1597
Shakespeare Buys New Place in Stratford
1599
Opening of the Globe Theatre
February 8, 1601
Essex Rebellion against Elizabeth I
September 8, 1601
Burial of John Shakespeare
March 24, 1603
Death of Queen Elizabeth I
May 19, 1603
King James I creates The King’s Men
November 5, 1605
Gunpowder Plot to Destroy Parliament
June 5, 1607
Marriage of Susanna Shakespeare to Dr. John Hall
September 9, 1608
Burial of Mary (Arden) Shakespeare
1608
King’s Men buy Blackfriars Theatre
1609
Publication of Shakespeare’s Sonnets
June 29, 1613
Fire at the Globe Theatre
February 10, 1616
Marriage of Judith Shakespeare to Thomas Quiney
March 25, 1616
William Shakespeare Signs his Will
April 23, 1616
William Shakespeare Dies
April 25, 1616
Burial of William Shakespeare
November 1623
First Folio Published
by John Heminges & Henry Condell
SHAKESPEARE TIMELINE
November 17, 1558
Accession of Queen Elizabeth
April 26, 1564
William Shakespeare's Baptism
September 4, 1568
Election of John Shakespeare as Bailiff of Stratford
1589-90
HENRY VI, PARTS 1 - 3
1590-94
EDWARD III
1592-94
RICHARD III
THE TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA
THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
TITUS ANDRONICUS
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
1594-97
ROMEO AND JULIET
THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
1595
RICHARD II
LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST
1595-96
KING JOHN
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
1596
SIR THOMAS MORE
1596-97
HENRY IV, PART 1
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
1598
HENRY IV, PART 2
HENRY V
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
1599
AS YOU LIKE IT
JULIUS CAESAR
1600-03
HAMLET
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA
TWELFTH NIGHT
ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL
1604
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
OTHELLO
1605-06
KING LEAR
MACBETH
1607-08
CORIOLANUS
ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA
TIMON OF ATHENS
PERICLES
1609
SONNETS
CYMBELINE
1610-11
THE WINTER’S TALE
THE TEMPEST
1612-14
HENRY VIII
THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 3
THE CHARACTERS
Our touring adaptation of Hamlet does not include all the characters from the entire play, so we’ve listed the characters
who do appear, with the photos of the actors portraying them.
HAMLET—Prince of Denmark
CLAUDIUS—Hamlet’s uncle, now King of Denmark
GERTRUDE—Hamlet’s mother, Queen of Denmark
HORATIO—Hamlet’s trusted friend and fellow student
POLONIUS—Lord Chamberlain, right-hand to Claudius, and Ophelia’s father
OPHELIA—Polonius’ daughter and Hamlet’s girlfriend
LAERTES—Polonius’ son, studying abroad in France
PLAYER—A traveling actor who presents Hamlet’s version of “The Mousetrap”
GHOST—A spirit of Hamlet’s dead father
CAROLINE
Caroline
Amos
AMOS
(Hamlet)
AARON ORION
BAKER*
(Claudius / Polonius)
XAVIER BLEUEL
(Laertes / Player)
FAITH SERVANT
(Ophelia / Horatio)
LAURA SEXAUER
(Gertrude)
ACTIVITY: MAKING THE FRONT PAGE
Materials Needed: Tabloid-size paper (11x17), colored pencils or
crayons, magazine clippings (optional)
If Shakespeare’s plays happened in modern day, would they
make the cover of The New York Times or something seedier like
National Enquirer? In this activity, students will create the front
page of a newspaper or magazine (like the example pictured
here) using the criteria below:
• Using the synopsis, depict at least 3 major events from Hamlet
• Choose one thematic topic to tie all events together
(Example: Royals of Denmark)
• On the front cover, each event must include 1 illustration, 1
title, and 2-3 captions
• Name your tabloid or newspaper
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 4
SYNOPSIS
ACT 1
ACT 4
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.”
- Ghost (Act 1, Scene 5)
“When sorrows come, they come not single spies / But in battalions.”
- Claudius (Act 4, Scene 4)
Two months after the death of King Hamlet, his widow
Gertrude marries the king’s brother, Claudius, much to
Prince Hamlet’s displeasure. The prince’s friend Horatio
explains that he saw the ghost of Hamlet’s father, and
Hamlet goes with him when the Ghost reappears. The Ghost
then tells Hamlet that Claudius poisoned him to get the
crown. Hamlet swears Horatio to secrecy and vows revenge.
Meanwhile, the king’s adviser, Polonius, bids farewell to his
son, Laertes, and advises his daughter, Ophelia, to end her
relationship with Hamlet.
Claudius apprehends Hamlet and sends him to England
with secret orders for the English king to execute Hamlet.
In the wake of Polonius’ death, Ophelia descends into
madness and her brother Laertes returns from France,
seeking revenge. Horatio receives news that Hamlet has
escaped the ship bound for England and is returning to
Denmark. Claudius and Laertes find out, and prepare a duel
in which Laertes will use a poison sword and Claudius will
have Hamlet toast with a cup containing poisoned wine.
Gertrude appears to tell them Ophelia has drowned herself.
ACT 2
ACT 5
“The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”
- Hamlet (Act 2, Scene 2)
“Goodnight, sweet prince, / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!”
- Horatio (Act 5, Scene 2)
Hamlet begins behaving strangely, and Claudius, Gertrude,
and Polonius believe his love for Ophelia is the cause. They
hire Rosencrantz & Guildenstern, Hamlet’s schoolmates, to
find out, and along the way, the two men invite a troupe of
traveling players to the castle. Hamlet decides the best way
to prove Claudius’ guilt is to have the players perform the
murder of his father, and if Claudius reacts, Hamlet will know
the Ghost is telling the truth.
Hamlet returns and comes upon Ophelia’s funeral. Laertes
attacks him over Ophelia’s body, but the fight breaks up.
The next day, Hamlet and Laertes duel. Gertrude toasts
Hamlet with the wine, not knowing it’s been poisoned.
Laertes scratches Hamlet with the poison sword and in
the ensuing brawl, Laertes is scratched, too. With his dying
breath, Laertes accuses the king, then Gertrude dies, too.
Then Hamlet impales Claudius and makes him drink what’s
left of the wine. As Hamlet is the last to die, he implores
Horatio to tell his story. Fortinbras arrives from Norway,
conquering Denmark, and giving Hamlet a heroic funeral.
ACT 3
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”
- Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1)
As Hamlet contemplates taking his life, Ophelia confronts
him to end their relationship while Polonius and Claudius
watch unseen. Hamlet berates Ophelia, leaving her in
tears; Claudius and Polonius conclude love is not the cause
of Hamlet’s madness and plan to have Gertrude speak
to Hamlet. If that doesn’t work, he’ll be sent to England.
Later, when the players present their performance of “The
Mousetrap,” Claudius rises and flees. On his way to confront
his mother, Hamlet comes upon Claudius at prayer, but waits
to kill him until a more opportune moment. While Hamlet
argues with Gertrude, Polonius (who is hiding behind a
tapestry) calls for help, and Hamlet stabs him through the
arras, thinking he’s killed Claudius. Hamlet sees the Ghost
again (Gertrude does not), and he drags Polonius’ body to
hide it.
Khnemu Menu-Ra in Trippingly Hamlet (photo © J. David Levy)
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 5
ACTIVITY: THE MOUSETRAP
Education Tour Scenic Design by Margery & Peter Spack
Objective: To explore the ‘play within the play’ (“The Mousetrap”); its manner of delivery, and its relationship
to Hamlet as a whole. Students put themselves in the position of the players and explore the practical
requirements of putting on a play.
Materials Needed: Four (4) large pieces of paper or posterboard, permanent marker
Students sit in a circle. Ask:
•
Have you ever been in a play?
•
What was your experience of performing?
•
What did you do to prepare for the play?
Students should be familiar with the story of Hamlet. Now introduce the story of the ‘play within a play’.
The play is a kind of melodrama: this means that the plot and action are much more important than
the characters, and the emotions are broad, extreme and clearly drawn. Tell students the story of “The
Mousetrap” using large pieces of card or paper with one of the following plot points on each:
•
The King is old and dying.
•
The Queen promises never to marry again.
•
Gonzalo, the King’s nephew, poisons him in his sleep.
•
The Queen marries Gonzalo.
Split the class into groups. Explain that they are now going to perform a “dumb show” (like a silent movie)
of “The Mousetrap.” Each group will have a section of the story to work on and then the whole class will
perform it in sequence. Explain that, because they are in silence, the acting in silent movies must be big and
bold. Give each group one of the large cards with the plot point on it. Ask them to find a way of presenting
the card to the audience first: for example, they could dance on with it, they could scroll it horizontally across
the stage, and they could make a tableau with the card displayed at the center. Next, ask each group to act
out the plot point written on their card with five or six seconds of action. Remember, the action has to be
bold and over the top. This is no place for subtlety!
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 6
THEMES IN HAMLET
LOYALTY
“Give me that man / That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him / In my heart’s core, ay, in my heart of heart,/ As I do thee.” —Hamlet (3.2)
This theme encompasses not only characters’ loyalty to the nation of Denmark (or lack thereof ), but loyalty to each other as
friends, romantic partners, or family (which is discussed later). Polonius, the lord chamberlain, is fiercely loyal to the new King
Claudius, even at the expense of his daughter, Ophelia, when Claudius and Gertrude attempt to uncover the cause of Hamlet’s
strange behavior; Polonius suggests he and Claudius eavesdrop on Hamlet and Ophelia’s conversation (he employs this tactic
later in Hamlet’s confrontation with Gertrude, but is killed). Horatio, Hamlet’s closest friend, swears to conceal their encounter
with the Ghost so Hamlet can confirm the Ghost’s claims of Claudius’ murderous actions. Horatio clings tightly to Hamlet’s
side through the whole play and offers sound advice, even if Hamlet doesn’t always heed it.
MORALITY
“O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven...” —Claudius (3.3)
Is it the moral to kill someone because they killed someone else? That is one of many questions weighing heavily on Hamlet’s
mind over the course of the play. This moral quandary is central to the story. Even as Hamlet sees Claudius praying in remorse
for his crimes, the prince does not act, waiting instead until his uncle is in the midst of an immoral act to slay him. Not until
the last third of the play does Hamlet finally take action, only to accidentally kill Polonius, thinking it was Claudius.
“THE REST IS SILENCE.”—HAMLET (ACT 5, SCENE 2)
Hamlet, Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, 2010
FAMILY
“If thou didst ever thy dear father love— / Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” —Ghost (1.5)
Familial relationships could be considered the most prominent theme in Hamlet. Most of the principal characters are either
in Denmark’s royal family (Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude) or Polonius’ family (siblings Laertes and Ophelia), and as discussed
in the above paragraph, the loyalties of many of these characters hinge on their familial relationships. For example, both
Hamlet and Laertes are looking to avenge their respective fathers’ deaths. By contrast, Polonius chooses loyalty to the king
over his own family by commanding Ophelia to end her relationship with Hamlet, and Claudius’ motivations for murdering
his own brother are unclear but no less tragic.
THE SUPERNATURAL
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” —Hamlet (1.5)
The appearance of the Ghost in the first scene is the catalyst for the rest of the story unfolding. However, when the Ghost
reveals to Hamlet the circumstances of “his foul and most unnatural murder” (1.5), Hamlet spends much of the rest of the
play unsure whether the Ghost was actually his father’s spirit or the devil, who “hath power to assume a pleasing shape” (2.2).
When Hamlet confirms Claudius’ guilt, but has accidentally killed Polonius and is berating his mother, the Ghost again
appears, but this time to reassure and comfort his son. Unfortunately, only Hamlet can see the Ghost, and Gertrude believes
her son to be mad. The characters are also faithful believers in the afterlife, and in the full text, we see many references to
being prepared for death, such as the forgiveness of sins, last rites, etc.; because the Ghost was murdered and received none
of those rites, he remains to walk the earth as a spirit until his murder is avenged. Additionally, Polonius also receives a quick
funeral, Hamlet refrains from killing Claudius while he prays, and the Ghost begs Hamlet to step between his mother and
“her fighting soul” (3.4).
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 7
HAMLET ON FILM
Hamlet has been adapted to film several times, and we’ve selected the four most prominent versions.
Compare and contrast select scenes from the films using the table below and discuss.
1. Hamlet (1948) directed by and starring Laurence Olivier; won Best Picture and Best Actor Oscars.
This film version cut the character of Fortinbras to allow more time to spotlight the relationships of
the royal family. Filmed in black and white with a traditional castle setting that looks more like a
theatrical set than a real-life location, this production casts a mysterious spell.
1. Hamlet (1990) directed by Franco Zeffirelli; starring Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Ian Holm, and Helena
Bonham Carter. Zeffirelli presents a visually stunning and well-cast version of Hamlet, set within the
ominous walls of a Scandinavian castle, with Mel Gibson (one of the biggest film stars at the time) as
a likable and energetic Hamlet. Like Olivier, Zeffirelli recognized that for film, Shakespeare’s complex
story is helped by formidable cutting. His version also cut Fortinbras and rendered a dysfunctional royal
family with almost a contemporary feel.
1. Hamlet (1996) adapted by, directed by, and starring Kenneth Branagh, with Derek Jacobi, Kate
Winslet, Julie Christie, Charlton Heston, Rufus Sewell, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, and many
more. Branagh threw cinematic caution to the wind with a lavish adaptation. At over four hours
in length, this is the only film version of the entire text. Set in the Edwardian period within the
architectural grandeur of Blenheim Palace, this visually stunning film full of mirrors, courtly confetti
of gold and epic camera work shows how Shakespeare’s characters remain just as impressive as their
surroundings.
1. Hamlet (2009) directed by Gregory Doran; starring David Tennant and Patrick Stewart. This is a stage
production from the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) that was adapted to film. The setting was
contemporary using some elements of older eras; mirrors and security cameras also feature throughout;
Fortinbras was omitted, and Patrick Stewart’s Claudius willingly drinks the poisoned wine instead of
Hamlet killing him.
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 8
HAMLET ON FILM (cont’d)
PRODUCTION
Laurence Olivier
(1948)
Mel Gibson
(1990)
Kenneth Branagh
(1996)
Themes
Acting
Scenic Design/
Locations
Costume Design
Time Period
Text-to-Screen
Accuracy
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 9
David Tennant
(2009)
ACTIVITY: HIDE YOUR TRUTH
(comprised of 4 activities: Flag Tag, Pass The Mask, Reveal Tag, & Scene Reading)
Materials Needed: Handouts of Act 1, Scene 2 (p. 15)
To do these activities, you need a large open space like a hall or large classroom. Students should
wear comfortable clothes and flat, soft-soled shoes.
1. Play Flag Tag. Players wear a sock, a short scarf or a piece of fabric as a “flag” tied around their
upper arm/bicep. Players move around the room. The aim of the game is for individual players
to snatch as many other flags as they can at the same time as guarding their own flag. When
a player loses their flag, they’re ‘out’ and must move to the side of the room. Afterwards, ask
them: How does it feel to be constantly on guard?
2. Now play Pass the Mask. Ask players to form two lines facing each another about three feet
apart. Call them Line A and Line B. As the leader, you stand at the head of Line A and give
them an emotion or idea such as terror, contempt, jealousy, grief, guilt, suspicion and so on.
The first person in Line A makes a face - ‘the mask’ - which represents the idea you have given
them. They then use their whole body (as well as their face) to make the mask and direct this
image at the player standing across from them in the opposite line. This player in Line B now
makes his or her own version of this mask and passes it on to the next player in Line A, and
so on. When the mask has reached the end of the lines, ask all the players to work together
to create a single still-image (or statue) representing this mask, using their bodies as well as
their faces. Finally, with a clap from you as leader, ask the still-image to come to life, move
and make sound. Explore three or four of these emotions in this way.
3. Build on these ideas by playing Reveal Tag. Each player chooses a character from Hamlet
and creates two faces for that character: a ‘secret face’ showing a feeling the character is trying
to hide, and a ‘public face’. Ask the players to move around wearing their ‘public masks’. One
player is ‘it’ and tries to tag as many players as possible. When a player is tagged, they must
freeze and show their ‘secret face’ until another player (who is still ‘in’ the game) tags and
unfreezes them. Then they rejoin the game, resuming their public face. When the ‘It’ tires, a
new ‘It’ is appointed. Afterwards, ask them: How does it feel to have to move quickly between
these two personas? Is this like having to hide a secret?
4. Apply this work to the edited version of Act 1, Scene 2 (see handout on p. 15). This is a scene
full of subtext, thoughts unspoken and often running counter to the text. If they wish, players
can use a set and staging approach they developed for Activity 1. But simple staging will
do: for example, two chairs for thrones. The emphasis here in this exercise is on the contrast
between what’s said and what’s thought. Here’s how this game works: Cast the three roles
- Hamlet, Gertrude, Claudius. (At the start of the scene, Claudius can address the audience
rather than the court.) As the ‘actors’ run the scene, at any time any member of the audience
can call out, ‘Freeze!’
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 10
THE LANGUAGE
“The Elizabethans were an audience of listeners. They would say, ‘I’m going to
hear a play,’ not ‘I’m going to see a play.’ The Elizabethan audience would pick
up on words and their various meanings that we wouldn’t.”
- Marjorie Garber
Shakespearean Scholar
The Bard of Avon used at least 15,000 different words in his plays and poems (some theorize
close to 30,000), compared to the King James Bible, which used only 8,000. In addition, as
Michael Macrone, author of the book Brush Up Your Shakespeare! explains, it’s difficult to figure
out who first coined a word or phrase, but the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) credits
Shakespeare with coming up with over 500 original words.
You can find a great list of Shakespeare’s “Frequently Encountered Words” on the Shakespeare’s
Words website: http://www.shakespeareswords.com/FEW
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 11
STYLE & LITERARY DEVICES
Understanding the way Shakespeare structured his verse can be a great tool when trying to unlock more about a character’s
emotional state, mood, and intentions. Also, like a musical score, the structural choices Shakespeare made help the reader and/
or speaker to naturally feel the tempos and rhythms of the language. There was very little time to rehearse in Shakespeare’s
days, so this was a quick way for actors to get inside the minds and hearts of his characters.
Today we speak in what is called prose, “regular” speech that doesn’t have a specific pattern or rhythm to it. While Shakespeare
sometimes wrote in prose (Sections of Act 2, Scene 2, when Hamlet encounters Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern, are
in prose), 75% of Hamlet is written in a specific type of verse (or poetry), called blank verse. Blank verse is unrhymed iambic
pentameter—a line of ten syllables that has a rhythm like a heartbeat. The first syllable (or beat) is unstressed and the second is
stressed; this particular pair is called an “iamb.” Here’s a line of unrhymed iambic pentameter from Hamlet (note the marks of
scansion):
˘ / ˘
/
˘
/ ˘ /
˘
/
A lit - tle more than kin and less than kind.
While this is the basic structure of unrhymed iambic pentameter, Shakespeare loved to break his own “rules,” and did
so intentionally to indicate a heightened emotional state. For example, in one of the most famous lines ever written,
Shakespeare adds a syllable to the beginning of Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3, Scene 1, giving it what is called a “feminine
ending” (eleven beats instead of ten):
˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘ / ˘
/
˘
To be, or not to be, that is the quest-ion...
Some questions to consider when analyzing a line like this with students could be:
•
Why do you think Shakespeare chose to end the line with an unstressed syllable? (A “feminine ending?”) What does
that tells us about how Hamlet feels?
•
If iambic pentameter represents a normal heartbeat, how do you think Shakespeare’s language changes when a character
is terrified, excited, depressed, angry, etc. (Helpful hint: have students imagine what happens to their heartbeat when
they experience these emotions.)
LITERARY DEVICES IN HAMLET
SIMILE: a comparison of two different things that often
uses “like,” “than,” or “as.”
“Whiles, like a puff ’d and reckless libertine, / Himself the
primrose path of dalliance treads...” – Ophelia; 1.3
METAPHOR: a “condensed” comparison that expresses a
complex idea in a precise way.
“Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune...” – Hamlet; 3.1
ANTITHESIS: setting one idea against another.
“To be, or not to be, that is the question...” - Hamlet; 3.1
DRAMATIC IRONY: a kind of irony that occurs when
the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience
but not by the characters in the play.
“I am justly kill’d with mine own treachery.” – Laertes; 5.2
ALLITERATION: Repeated consonant sounds.
“Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you,
trippingly on the tongue” – Hamlet; 3.2
PERSONIFICATION: Giving human characteristics to
an abstract idea or something which is not human.
“None, my lord, but that the world’s grown honest.” –
Rosencrantz; 2.2
IMAGERY: Describing offstage action, encouraging
audiences to use their imagination.
“There with fantastic garlands did she come / Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples / That liberal
shepherds give a grosser name,/ But our cold maids do dead
men’s fingers call them:” – Gertrude; 4.6
FORESHADOWING: an indication of what is to come.
“What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord... / And
draw you into madness?” – Horatio; 1.4
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 12
ACTIVITY: SHARPENING THE SPEECH
SOLILOQUY: a speech delivered to the audience
instead of other characters, usually alone on stage, in
which the speaker explores their thoughts and feelings.
In this activity, students will explore the most
famous of Hamlet’s soliloquies from both a
scholarly and theatrical perspective. This soliloquy
can be found in Act 3, Scene 1 of Hamlet. It is also
available online here: http://goo.gl/2tAfku
HAMLET
To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep—
No more, and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to; ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep—
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause; there’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life:
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despis’d love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin; who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover’d country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of ?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.—Soft you now,
The fair Ophelia. Nymph, in thy orisons
Be all my sins rememb’red.
Independently, have students:
• Read the speech aloud.
• Circle any words or lines they don’t understand.
• Examine the action of the play leading up to
this speech.
Working in small groups of 3-4, have students
identify and discuss any words and lines that have
been circled.
Have each group member take turns reading the
speech to their peers:
• First Person—take a slight pause each time
they reach punctuation marks.
• Second Person—pace back
throughout the whole speech.
and
forth
• Third Person—stay completely still.
• Fourth Person—shout one line of the speech
while doing the rest in a whisper.
Discuss how these different vocal & physical choices
affect the speech’s meaning & rhythm.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
• In a couple sentences, describe what is
happening in the speech.
• What is Hamlet trying to work out in the
speech? What does he decide? What discoveries
does he make, if any?
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 13
Education Tour Costume Design by Felia Davenport
PRE-SHOW QUESTIONS
POST-SHOW QUESTIONS
• Have you ever had a really hard time
making an important decision? If yes, how
did you finally decide what to do?
• How were the four themes discussed
in this guide (loyalty, morality, family,
and the supernatural) referenced in the
performance?
• In the past, what has stopped you from
acting on correct (or incorrect) decisions
immediately?
• Who in this play thinks primarily and
who are persons of action?
• Someone you trust tells you something
bad about someone else you trust. How do
you know whom to believe?
• Characterize yourself as a “thinker” or a
“doer.” As such, which character in the
play are you most like and why?
• Have you ever pretended to be something
you’re not? If so, why?
• What did you learn from watching the
tragedy of Hamlet that you can apply
to how you interact with your family or
community?
• Is revenge ever justified?
• Name some traits that a great leader
should have.
• Describe a situation in which a politician
or a world leader made a decision based
on personal beliefs that had consequences
for the entire country (ie, starting a war).
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 14
HANDOUT: HIDE YOUR TRUTH
EXCERPT OF ACT 1, SCENE 2
Enter CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark, GERTRUDE
the Queen, and HAMLET.
KING
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our Queen,
Have we, as ‘twere with a defeated joy
Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son.
HAMLET
‘Seems, madam - nay it is, I know not ‘seems’.
‘Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
That can denote me truly. These indeed ‘seem.’
But I have that within which passes show,
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.
KING
‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature,
Hamlet,
To give these mourning duties to your father,
But you must know your father lost a father,
That father lost his; but to persever
In obstinate condolement is a course
Of impious stubbornness, ‘tis unmanly grief.
We pray you throw to earth
This unprevailing woe, and think of us
As of a father.
HAMLET
A little more than kin, and less than kind.
QUEEN
Let not thy mother lose her prayers, Hamlet.
I pray thee stay with us, go not to Wittenberg.
KING
How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
HAMLET
I shall in all my best obey you, madam.
HAMLET
Not so much, my lord, I am too much in the ‘son.’
KING
Why, ‘tis a loving and a fair reply.
Be as ourself in Denmark. Madam, come away.
QUEEN
Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off
And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.
Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust.
Thou knowst ‘tis common all that lives must die,
Passing through nature to eternity.
HAMLET
Ay, madam, it is common.
QUEEN
If it be
Why seems it so particular with thee?
HAMLET CURRICULUM GUIDE • PAGE 15