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Lesson 3

We will continue to explore the excerpted passage from Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet, this time through an archetypal lens. We will also read the beginning of Act 1, Scene 2 and be introduced to the character of Claudius. We will analyze his lines through a political lens.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I evaluate the effects of figurative language in Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet?

  • Can I analyze the structure of Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet and recognize how it embodies features of the tragedy genre?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Simon and Schuster, 2003

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Discuss

We will work in groups to review our answers to the guiding homework questions about lines 124–137 of Act 1, Scene 1.

In groups, discuss at least one word or phrase that you added to your Vocabulary Journal. Then, discuss your responses to the guiding homework questions about Lines 124-137.

  1. How does the historical allusion to Rome and Julius Caesar connect to the situation in Denmark?

  2. What imagery is present in the lines? Which lines have the strongest imagery? What mood is created with the imagery?

  3. What effect does the use of personification have on the reader’s understanding of the situation in Denmark? What lines support this?

  4. What impact does Shakespeare’s word choice have on the meaning of this scene?

Revise your annotations and notes in your Learning Log based on the group discussion.

Activity 2: Read – Discuss – Write

We will reread lines 124–137 again, this time through an archetypal lens.

Reread Lines 124-137 again, this time through an archetypal lens.

Discuss the following questions as a class:

  1. What feature of the tragedy genre is foreshadowed by these lines?

  2. Which lines provide the strongest evidence for this interpretation?

  3. How would you describe the structure of the beginning of Act 1, Scene 1?

  4. How does the scene with the ghost contribute to the story's aesthetic impact?

  5. Is the decision to start the story with the ghost scene interesting? Why or why not?

Write down your notes on your Archetypal Lens Note-Taking Tool.

Note: With plays, instead of citing textual evidence by page numbers, you cite text by act, scene, and line numbers (e.g., 1.1.124-137).

It is important to keep accurate line citations so that you can easily track textual evidence to support your claims in the Section Diagnostics and Culminating Task.

Activity 3: Write

We will be introduced to key features of the political literary criticism lens.

On your Political Lens Note-Taking Tool, write down the following notes in the Political Lens Notes cell:

  • The political lens examines the power structure of society.

  • Shakespearean scholar Rex Gibson argues that "political perspectives assert that every aspect of human life is rooted in politics and power."

  • One subset of political criticism, Marxist theory, focuses on who has the power and money in society and who does not, and the impacts of this dichotomy.

  • By examining power and its distribution, you can better understand the society represented in a text.

  • By examining the political perspective, you can better understand the motivations and actions of the characters.

Activity 4: Read – Discuss

We will be introduced with the character claudius as we read lines 1–41 of Act 1, Scene 2.

As you read Lines 1-41 of Act 1, Scene 2, use the following questions to guide your thoughts:

  1. Who is Claudius in relation to the dead king of Denmark?

  2. Whom has Claudius married?

  3. What actions does Claudius take in response to the threat made by young Fortinbras of Norway?

After reading and annotating the passage, discuss the questions as a class. Write down your notes in your Learning Log.

Activity 5: Read

For homework, we will reread lines 1–41 of Act 1, Scene 2, this time through a political lens.

For homework, reread Lines 1-41 of Act 1, Scene 2, this time through a political lens.

Use the following questions to guide your notes on the Political Lens Note-Taking Tool.

  1. Why would Claudius marry his dead brother’s wife?

  2. What reaction might this hasty marriage during the mourning period create for the members of the royal family? What reaction might the citizens of Denmark have to this hasty marriage during the mourning period?

  3. What does Claudius’s reaction to Young Fortinbras reveal about Claudius’s perception of his own power?

As you read for homework, write down new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal. If necessary, revisit the Vocabulary in Context Tool to assist you with words or phrases you struggle with.