Discipline: English Language Arts

Grade Level: 11th

Shakespeare's Hamlet

Learning Context

In the Learning Experience, students will be asked to determine the consequences of revenge.
Students will read Hamlet by William Shakespeare, as well as the graphic novel of Shakespeare's
Hamlet by Adam Sexton and Tintin Pantoja. Students will determine a theme or central idea of these
texts and analyze, in detail, its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is
shaped and refined by specific details; and they will provide an objective summary of the text. Students
will also analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of the text, how they interact with other characters, and how they advance the plot or
develop the theme. Using the graphic novel, students will analyze the representation of a subject or a
key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.
Students will then use their knowledge of the text and central idea to create their own story revolving
around the theme through using various mediums. The final project will challenge students to think
beyond the spur of the moment decisions. Using a variety of media, (written, visual, and audio)
students will be able to interact with the text, other than simply reading aloud.

Standards

Standard 11-1 Reading: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves
matters uncertain.

Standard 11-3 Reading: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and
relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the
characters are introduced and developed).

Standard 11-7 Reading : Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or
live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the
source text.

Standard 11-3 Writing : Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its
significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.
• Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a
coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery,
suspense, growth, or resolution).
• Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture
of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
Standard 11-6 Writing: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or
information.
 Essential questions:
• What are some of the consequences of our actions concerning revenge?
• Can revenge be worth it in the end?

Assessment Plan
• Students will be engaged in class reading and discussion, and they will earn points for participation
in class.
◦ Checklist for participation:
▪ Did the student bring reading journal?
▪ Was the student prepared for the day's lesson? (ie: have homework completed, have books,
or any other material needed?)
▪ During reading: Stayed on task and kept the flow of the reading going from character to
character.
▪ During writing: Wrote for the majority of the 15 minutes allowed and didn't disturb others
when they finished.
▪ Contributed to classroom discussion.
• Students will write in a journal of topics picked by the teacher that relate to the reading every other
day.
• Students will have a project due at the end of the Learning Experience where they may work with
partners or by themselves, in which they must compare and contrast the various media used in the
telling of Hamlet.
• Students will present their projects to their peers and the teacher and be graded using a rubric:

Category Excellent Good Needs Unacceptable

Improvement
Reading Analyzed multiple Analyzed multiple Analyzed multiple Attempted to
interpretations of interpretations of interpretations of analyze multiple
Hamlet, evaluating Hamlet, and did Hamlet, and did interpretations
how each version some evaluating as little evaluation Hamlet, but did no
interprets the to how each how each version evaluation.
source text. version interprets interprets the
the source text. source text.
Analyzed how Began to analyze Analyzed how Did not analyze
complex how complex complex how characters,
characters, such as characters, such as characters, such as such as Hamlet,
Hamlet, Claudius, Hamlet, Claudius, Hamlet, Claudius, Claudius, and
and Ophelia and Ophelia and Ophelia Ophelia develop
develop over the develop over the develop over the over the course of
course of a text, course of a text, course of a text, a. text.
interact with other interact with other interact with other
characters, and characters, and characters.
advance the plot or advance the plot or
develop the theme. develop the theme.
Writing Used a variety of Used some Used a few Used few
writing techniques techniques to create techniques to techniques to
 to create an unique an unique create an create a retelling
interpretation of interpretation of interpretation of of Hamlet.
Hamlet. Hamlet. Hamlet.
Technology Used multiple Used some Used one type of Used no
modes of technology in technology in technology in
technology in creating and creating and creating and
creating and presenting project. presenting project. presenting project.
presenting project.

Student Work

N/A (Would be projects done from a previous class)

Procedure

Bell Ringers
• Have students to write down the essential question in the beginning of their reading journal and
answer it.
• At the beginning of each day, students will ask questions about things they did not understand in a
reading assignment, or if there were no assignments for the previous night, review what happened
in the play the day before.
• As students reach certain acts in the play, they will answer journal questions at the beginning of
class.
◦ Question 1 at Act 1 Scene 4
◦ Question 2 at Act 3 Scene 3
◦ Question 3 at Act 5 Scene 5

________________________________________________________
Day one:
The teacher will…
• Give a 10 minute direct, but brief, instruction on Shakespeare and his time period. It is assumed that
students will have already read some of his work and will only need a reminder. If it seems that
students do not remember, more time can be devoted to the author.
• Assign roles of which character students will read aloud in the following days. (auditory)
• Begin reading Hamlet.

Days 2-10
• Students will be reading Hamlet during these days. The time will vary according to class and
student ability to follow and discussions in class. Notes of what students find difficult and need
expansion on will vary according to class. The following actions will be taken as the play
progresses and change according to different classroom/student needs.
◦ Encourage and facilitate close reading, discussing:
▪ The impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story
or drama.
▪ The author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text.
 ▪ Using strong and thorough textual evidence to support discussions, (ie, line numbers and
passages) discuss what is happening in the text and why .

◦ Provide answers to questions about the text if students are unable to follow through.
◦ If needed, provide scene enactments for key acts in the play so students have a visual
understanding of what is occurring in a scene. (kinesthetic)
◦ If needed, provide movie clips of difficult scenes, so that students have a visual understanding
of a scene and discuss differences along with the readings. (visual)
◦ Do periodic checks of thumbs up/down and repetition of important information for students to
remember, such as characters and reiteration of what had happened the class day before.
• Roughly, on day 3, have students answer question:
▪ (Question 1 at Act 1 Scene 4) Is Hamlet crazy to be seeing his father's ghost? Do you think
it really was his ghost, or was he hallucinating from grief? Explain why or why not using
lines from the play.
• Roughly, on day 5, have students answer the question:
▪ (Question 2 at Act 3 Scene 3) Does the setting make a difference to the play? What would
have happened if this story had taken place in today's world? What if Hamlet had not seen
his father's ghost? What might have happened?
• Day 10, have students answer the question:
▪ (Question 3 at Act 5 Scene 5) How would Hamlet be different if he didn't try to avenge his
father, or if he had confronted his uncle/mother about his father's death instead of plotting to
trick it out into the open? What if the play had started with Hamlet's death and gone back to
tell it in flashbacks? What would you as the writer done to change the story?

Day 11
• Do a 10 minute introduction on what manga / graphic novels are, as well as their origin and use in
today's culture. Present the various types and have students share any experiences they have with
the medium.
• Group students into threes, trying to have different types of learners per group so that there is a
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic student in each.
• Give students a photocopied, or if available, hard copies of the manga version of Hamlet.
(Visual/kinesthetic)
• Give each group a specific scene on which to work. They will answer the following questions for
discussion in class:
• As you read the play, imagine that it is being preformed in front of you:
◦ What differences do you see when you read the play, compared to reading the graphic
novel?
• Are there any stage cues in the play that would lead the artist to design the storyboard that way?
◦ Did he take artistic liberties, and do they add or take away from the reading?
◦ Do the images make you feel a certain way. If so, why?
• Are there any lines missing. If so, were they important lines? Did it take away from the
authenticity of the reading?
• Do different panels make you feel a certain way? Why?
• Have each group share with the class their findings. Students will write down on the back of
their diagram what other students found in the different scenes. May go on to next day.

Days 12-13
• View various scenes from Hamlet (1991) directed by Franco Zeffirelli and Rosencrantz &
Guildenstern Are Dead directed by Tom Stoppard (audio/visual)
◦ Play with a play scene
◦ Discussion with Hamlet
As a class, discuss the artistic differences that the directors took with the play and why they might have
done so.
◦ Ask students if they would have done it that way. If not, how would they have done it. Use this
question to lead into what they might do for final projects.

The students will…

Days 1-10
• Read the play 'Hamlet' in class and participate in group discussions.
• Answer journal questions as given and keep a log of important information in their reading
journals.
▪ (Question 1 at Act 1 Scene 4) Is Hamlet crazy to be seeing his father's ghost? Do you think
it really was his ghost, or was he hallucinating from grief? Explain why or why not using
lines from the play.
▪ (Question 2 at Act 3 Scene 3) Does the setting make a difference to the play? What would
have happened if this story had taken place in today's world? What if Hamlet had not seen
his father's ghost? What might have happened?
▪ (Question 3 at Act 5 Scene 5) How would Hamlet be different if he didn't try to avenge his
father, or if he had confronted his uncle/mother about his father's death instead of plotting to
trick it out into the open? What if the play had started with Hamlet's death and gone back to
tell it in flashbacks? What would you as the writer done to change the story?
• Create a drama map for themselves to add to their reading journals as well as one for grading
purposes. Students will use all four maps from the following site as the play progresses:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/dramamap/

Day 11
• Create a journal entry in response to the day's question:
◦ Why view and/or read different interpretations of Hamlet? Why might they be different?
• Fill out worksheet:
Skit
As you watch the clip, I want you to think about the different techniques the directors
used in creating the One Minute Hamlet. If something made you feel a certain way, why
did it?

Hamlet is supposed to be a tragedy, but many parts of the clip are funny. Which parts,
and why are they funny?
Graphic Novel
As you read the play, imagine that it is being preformed in front of you:
What differences do you see when you read the play, compared to reading the graphic
novel?

Are there any stage cues in the play that would lead the artist to design the storyboard
that way?

Did he take artistic liberties, and do they add or take away from the reading?
 Do different panels make you feel a certain way? If so, why?

Are there any lines missing. If so, were they important lines? Did it take away from the
authenticity of the reading?

• Discuss with the rest of their class about their findings.

Day 12-13
• View various scenes from Hamlet (1991) directed by Franco Zeffirelli and Rosencrantz &
Guildenstern Are Dead directed by Tom Stoppard (audio/visual)
◦ Play within a play scene
◦ Discussion with Hamlet
• Start thinking about projects and partners with whom students might want to work.

Days 14-21
• Plan and execute a written project. Students will be required to write a script before moving on to
their physical presentation.
• Scripts must contain either their interpretation of Hamlet or their own story based on the theme of
revenge: and they can be done in a group or as an individual.
• If students choose to work in a group, they will have to grade both their performance in the group
as well as their group members performance using the following:

◦ Rating: 1 “Not at all”, 2 “A little”, 3 “Most of the time”, 4 “All of the time”
Group member #1(2,3, etc) _________________
▪ Did this group member participate in project discussions? (1) (2) (3) (4)
▪ Did this group member contribute to the project? (1) (2) (3) (4)
▪ Anything about this group member's participation that you think I need to know about:
• Some ideas for the physical presentation are:
◦ Digital Storyboard or Comic
◦ Skit
◦ Animation (using ALICE or Storytelling ALICE)
◦ Any idea they can come up with, but have to run by the teacher first.
• Rubric for script:

Category 5 4 3 2
Content Engages and Orients the reading Slightly Disorienting
orients the reader by setting out a disorienting, but throughout the
by setting out a problem, situation, recovers partway narrative.
problem, situation, or observation and through narrative.
or observation and its significance.
its significance.
Creates a smooth Creates a Creates a choppy Experiences or
progression of progression of progression of events jump
experiences or experiences or experiences or around and do not
 events. events. events. connect.
Techniques Uses narrative Uses some Uses a few Uses little narrative
techniques, such as narrative narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, techniques, such as techniques, such as dialogue, to
description, dialogue, pacing, dialogue, and explain
reflection, and description, and description to experiences,
multiple plot lines, reflection, to explain events, and/or
to develop explain experiences, characters.
experiences, experiences, events, and/or
events, and/or events, and/or characters.
characters. characters.
Uses precise words Uses phrases, Uses phrases and Uses phrases in an
and phrases, showing details, showing details to attempt to convey
showing details, and sensory convey some some picture of the
and sensory language to convey picture of the experiences,
language to convey a picture of the experiences, events, setting,
a vivid picture of experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
events, setting, and/or characters.
and/or characters.
Spelling and There are no There is one There are 2-3 The final draft has
Punctuation spelling or spelling or spelling and more than 3
punctuation errors punctuation error punctuation errors spelling and
in the final draft. in the final draft. in the final draft. punctuation errors.
Organization The story is very The story is pretty The story is a little Ideas and scenes
well organized. well organized. hard to follow. The seem to be
One idea or scene One idea or scene transitions are randomly arranged.
follows another in may seem out of sometimes not
a logical sequence place. Clear clear.
with clear transitions are
transitions. used.

Resources

• Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Signet Classics, 1998. Print.

◦ Rendition of the classic Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It contains an overview of
Shakespeare's time period and dramatic criticism as well as a litany of other extras.
• Shakespeare, William, Adam Sexton, and Tintin Pantoja. Shakespeare's Hamlet:The Manga
Edition. John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2008. Print.
◦ The graphic novel version of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Done with the same language as in the
play. It contains some graphic images, such as the fight scenes, so parental consent/warning is
advised beforehand.
• Zeffirelli, Franco, Dir. Hamlet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli." Perf. Gibson, Mel. Warner Home Video:
1991, Film.
◦ 1991 film version of Shakespeare's Hamlet starring Mel Gibson. A bit graphic in nature, but can
stand up to the test of time. Earned two Academy Award nominations in 1991.
• Stoppard, Tom, Dir. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Dir. Tom Stoppard." Perf. Oldman,
Gary. Sony Pictures Home ENT/ Image: 1990, Film.
◦ A lighter look at Hamlet from the point of view of his friends. Some scenes are not student
appropriate and will not be viewed; however, key scenes such as the play within a play and
Hamlet's discussion with the two will be viewed.
• Software that will be available for students to use:
◦ Alice
◦ Scratch
◦ Muvizu
◦ Cam studios
◦ Jaycut
• As needed; tutorials created by the teacher for using different types of software.

Instructional/ Environmental Modifications

• Reading aloud as a class will encourage the auditory/verbal learning style.

• Reading from the text will encourage the visual/verbal learning style.
• Reading the Manga text will encourage the visual/ nonverbal learning style.
• Performing scenes from the play and creating projects will encourage the tactile/ kinesthetic
learning style.
• The classroom will be arranged to give space for physical performances as needed. Chairs and
desks can be moved aside, or arranged in a circle around the performers.
• Arrangements for students with special needs will be accommodated for according to their IEPs.
• Audio books will be provided for visually impaired students.
• Written instructions and, if possible, an ASL interpreter will be provided for auditory impaired
students.
• Special seating accommodations for wheelchair bound students will be discussed with the students,
according to their preference.

Time Required
• 40 minute blocks
• 4 ½ weeks to read, view, plan, and present projects

Reflection

This lesson not only covers a great deal of the Core Curriculum Standards, but it also supports
the variety of learning styles so that the majority of students are included in the learning process.
Shakespeare has become a burden to those who don't understand his work or feel as if they can't relate
to someone who died long before they were even born. My job as a teacher is to show students that
while Shakespeare can be intimidating, it can also be fun.