The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare
To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man. |
The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. |
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Assignments
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ABSENT AND NEED A COPY OF THE PLAY TO READ? (Refer to the calendar for reading assignments.)
Look up unfamiliar words. |
Files & Resources
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Character Map
Sir John Everett Millais' Ophelia
After you have read Act 3: Do not look up outside information about this painting, but take a few moments to "read" and study it before reading Act 4. Pay attention to the focus question below. We will discuss your "readings" of the painting in class.
Focus Question: How does Millais capture Shakespeare's characterization of Ophelia?
Focus Question: How does Millais capture Shakespeare's characterization of Ophelia?
Optional activities
- Act 1, scene 1: Reading for mood, tone, and imagery
- Simple Advice: Be more specific (Hamlet writing activity)
- Polonius' Advice to Laertes: Close reading activity
- To be, or not to be - Close reading activity
- Hamlet: Significant Scenes and Comparing Scenes from Literature to Film: Once the film is over, you need to choose ONE scene from your notes to develop into a "mini-essay" - 2-3 paragraphs. Answer the following prompt in your response: Discuss a scene that is essential to an audience's understanding of Hamlet by analyzing how Franco Zeffirelli interprets the source text from Shakespeare. What significant elements did he maintain, change, or omit? Was his interpretation of the source text effective? How and why? In order to answer this question, you must first name the scene (make sure to state the title and author of the play), BRIEFLY describe the scene and explain why it is essential to an audience's understanding of the play, then discuss the Zeffirelli interpretation (offering significant examples). Make sure to spell the director's name correctly. Practice EFFECTIVE, COLLEGE-LEVEL WRITING. Incorporate everything we have discussed to this point. Make me proud. Move my soul. Bring a typed completed draft the block after we finish viewing the film.