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Section 1: Overview

Critical Lenses

We will be introduced to four literary lenses: archetypal, political, psychological, and feminist. We will read Act 1 of Hamlet, analyzing the main characters and emerging themes through each of the four critical lenses to explore the following questions:

  • How does Hamlet embody or challenge the archetypes of the tragedy genre?

  • How does the desire for power shape the motivations and actions of characters in the play?

  • What does the play reveal about gender roles during the time period?

  • What is Hamlet’s mental state, and what factors contribute to it?

  • Lesson 1:

    We will learn about the unit’s topic and Central Question by reviewing the Unit Overview. We will discuss the Culminating Task and determine what we need to know and do to succeed on the Culminating Task. We will be introduced to key features of the archetypal criticism lens, and we will read a brief introduction to the tragedy genre and its archetypes in preparation for reading the play Hamlet. We will use a range of strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words in the text.

  • Lesson 2:

    We will interact with our newly acquired vocabulary in different language exercises to establish our understanding of their meaning. We will return to the introductory text to establish our understanding of the features of the tragedy genre. We will also read Act 1, Scene 1 of Hamlet and explore how the use of figurative language contributes to the mood of the play.

  • 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 4:

    We will continue to analyze the character of Claudius through a political lens. We will be introduced to the character of Hamlet and psychological literary criticism through reading the remaining lines of Act 1, Scene 2.

  • Lesson 5:

    We will be introduced to the feminist lens and the character of Ophelia, as we read Act 1, Scene 3. We will participate in Part 1 of a jigsaw activity to analyze how gender roles are portrayed in the scene.

  • Lesson 6:

    We will continue our jigsaw and present our feminist analysis of selected lines in Act 1, Scene 3 to our home group. We will also read Act 1, Scene 4 and the beginning of Act 1, Scene 5.

  • Lesson 7:

    We will explore Hamlet’s interaction with the Ghost through three different literary lenses: feminist, political, and psychological.

  • Lesson 8:

    We will discuss Act 1, Scene 5 of Hamlet and prepare for the Section 1 Diagnostic by analyzing a model response.

  • Lesson 9:

    We will draft a written response to a prompt of our choosing.

  • Lesson 10:

    We will revise and strengthen our draft response to the Section Diagnostic.

  • Lesson 11:

    We will review feedback on the Section Diagnostic. We will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

  • Lesson 12:

    We will commence an Independent Reading Program in which we choose texts to read independently as we progress through the unit. We will learn how to choose texts, what activities we may complete, about the final task, and about any materials we will use as we read our independent reading texts. We will begin by reading our texts, using tools to help us take notes and analyze important textual elements.