Hamlet

Hamlet: Maybe you've heard of it?

  • Course Length: 3 weeks
  • Course Type: Short Course
  • Category:
    • English
    • Literature
    • High School

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Without Hamlet, there'd be no Lion King. And for that, Shmoop is very, very thankful.

Wait, let's back up for a second.

Hamlet is Shakespeare's tragedy about a Danish prince, his dead father's ghost, his conniving uncle, and his conniving uncle-loving mother. Hamlet, its titular protagonist, spends the whole play trying to figure out whether "to be or not to be"—and also how to uncover the truth about his father's untimely death, deliver some cold justice, and take his rightful crown.

So what is it about this play that makes it so popular that it's name-checked in Clueless, a major plot device in Danny Devito comedic flops, and cribbed entirely for Disney storylines?

That's what this fifteen-lesson, standards-aligned course will focus on. Through lessons on close reading, critical lenses and literary theory, creative writing exercises, pop culture tracking, and some comprehension quizzes to boot, we'll get down to what makes the most famous Shakespearean play of all time…the most famous Shakespearean play of all time.

After all: Hamlet and his creator may be as long-deceased as Mufasa, but their legacy shall live on in those who take this course.


Unit Breakdown

1 Hamlet - Hamlet

You've heard it name-checked a bajillion times, so now it's finally time to read Hamlet, in all its monologue, mother-loving glory. Luckily, Shmoop's here through a variety of lessons and projects to make sure you don't end up with the educational equivalent of a poisoned sword in the heart.


Sample Lesson - Introduction

Lesson 1.01: Ghost Dad (Act 1, Scenes 1 – 3)

"It was a dark and stormy night."

ALT_TEXT
Warning: Here be ghosts!
(Source)

Though cliché, the line still packs a literary punch. Hamlet doesn't begin with those exact words, but beginning a story on a cold midnight with guards who are just a bit too jumpy certainly gives us the heebie jeebies.

Setting the right mood from the beginning of an event is super important to make events progress as planned— just ask the teenager who is frantically setting the table and taking out the trash before asking to borrow Dad's car.

Shakespeare knew what he was doing when he crafted these opening scenes. A revenge tragedy with a twist of ghost story totally needs a creep-tastic beginning.

In this lesson, we'll explore the exposition (set-up) of the play through a study of the battlement scenes—castles, ghosts, and revenge.

Don't worry, though. Shmoop's sure a revenge tragedy that starts with the ghost of a murdered king is nothing to worry about.


Sample Lesson - Reading

Reading 1.1.01: The Ghost and the Darkness

Today we're going to tackle the first three scenes in the play, Act 1, Scenes 1 – 3. If you don't do it now, it'll only haunt you later. Luckily for us, it's all available online.

If you need a bit of clarification, head over to the Shmoop summaries for these scenes here.

Here's a quick recap:

  • First, the guards spot a ghost. They know something's going on, but they can't see what. Horatio, the wisest of them, is only able to see that the ghost looks a lot like the recently departed King Hamlet, only super dead. 
  • Claudius and Gertrude think that Hamlet's grief is merely over-mourning for his father. Hamlet's actually considering suicide; his mom and uncle completely miss this in their inappropriate newlywed bliss.
  • Poor Ophelia gets an earful from both her brother and father, in which they basically tell her that Hamlet's playing her for sex. Really? Hamlet was just talking about killing himself, so we can safely say that he's not thinking about treating Ophelia to candlelight and Barry White
  • During all of this, Fortinbras talks about marching an army into Denmark. No one really seems to see him as a threat.

Everyone thinks they know what's going on with everyone else, but actually, no one knows anything. While a castle full of suspicious people doesn't seem like the safest place, it sure sounds like an awesome setting for a story. The best part? Get further engaged in all things Hamlet by watching our summary videos below.


Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.01a: The Battlements

Cold air, distant footsteps, misty midnight, and a strange specter? Enough to make even the bravest armed guard a bit jumpy.

Step 1

Before we jump ahead of ourselves, let's take a look at the basics. Shakespeare wrote in three basic genres: tragedies, comedies, and histories. Hamlet falls solidly in the tragedy category—more specifically, the revenge tragedy.

Take a look at Shmoop's genre section for Hamlet to get the gory details.

Step 2

Now that we've established the genre, head over to Shmoop's analysis of the setting for the play.

Setting is one of the more interesting aspects of the play. Shakespeare limits the locations to just the areas in and around the castle of Elsinore. Any action that takes place away from the main locale just isn't shown on stage. Instead, Billy S. uses messengers and gossips to report the action from other places back to the crowd at Elsinore.

So why is everyone all cooped up? Let's make an educated guess. In at least 150 words, explore a few reasons why Shakespeare might limit the action to the castle.

  • Why might Shakespeare have done this for practical play production reasons?
  • By keeping these conflicted people trapped in a cold, haunted castle, what kind of psychological impact does Shakespeare make for the characters?

Think about other movies or stories that take place in only one setting, like The Breakfast Club or...every horror movie ever. What's the benefit of one crowded, character-heavy spot?


Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.01b: Over Actor?

Imagine, for a moment, you're Hamlet. We know—it's a pretty horrific thought. We mean, his dad's dead and his dear old mom has just remarried his uncle. It's awkward and terrible and yucky in the extreme. No wonder our Hamlet's so torn up.

Still, we're thinking he could handle his problems in more constructive ways, instead of running around Elsinore like a moody lump on a crazy log (or is it a crazy lump on a moody log?).

If we were Hamlet's therapist (which is not a job we're clamoring for), we'd tell him to write a 300 – 400-word diary entry, explaining exactly how he feels about this whole dysfunctional family situation and everything that's happened in the play thus far. But since Hamlet's not around, we're asking you to do it.

If you need a little inspiration, consider things like:

  • what Hamlet thinks of other characters (who he likes, hates, and is disappointed in)
  • his father's death, suicide, and the news of the ghost. 
  • if Hamlet is smarter than other characters, and realizes how no one sees things correctly (particularly his mother and uncle). 
  • the crazy family drama that's already happened in just two scenes, and all the feelings it's making Hammy feel.

You might start out Hamlet's famous lines in his scene (and there are many here) and put them into your words, like we did here:

I can't believe that everyone is telling me to stop grieving. My dad's not been gone that long. Maybe Mom would realize this if she hadn't married a month after the funeral. A month!


Sample Lesson - Activity

Activity 1.01c: Bad Advice?

Hamlet's parents just don't understand. When they try telling him how to deal with his father's death, they don't exactly give him words of wisdom. "Get over it" isn't the best advice for a mourning son.

Yet, Hamlet isn't the only son who's told what to do by his father in the first few scenes. Laertes has to deal with the prattling Polonius.

So what is Polonius' advice? What are the "few precepts" he leaves his son? (1.3 58)

Write out five pieces of advice that Polonius leaves Laertes. For each:

  • List the quote in which Laertes gives his words of wisdom.
  • Explain the quote and what the advice exactly is in 1 – 2 sentences.

By our count, Polonius gives eight specific points of advice, but we're only asking you to find five. The man has a lot (a lot) to say, so finding some "gems" from him shouldn't be too hard.

  1. Advice 1

  2. Advice 2

  3. Advice 3

  4. Advice 4

  5. Advice 5


Sample Lesson - Activity

  1. In the first scene, who says that the ghost looks like Hamlet's father?

  2. Which of the following is not true of Fortinbras?

  3. What does Hamlet agree to do to please Gertrude and Claudius?

  4. After Horatio and the others tell Hamlet about the ghost, what does he ask them to do?

  5. "He may not, as unvalued persons do, / Carve for himself, for on his choice depends / The safety and health of this whole state[.]" Who says this, and about whom?

  6. Who is "He may not, as unvalued persons do, / Carve for himself...the safety and health of this whole state" told to>?

  7. What does Laertes lecture Ophelia not to do in Scene 3?

  8. Which of Hamlet's plans does Claudius say is "most retrograde to our desire"?