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Lesson 2

We will revisit the unit’s Central Question and read Act 2, Scene 1 and the beginning of Act 2, Scene 2 of Hamlet. We will also explore Hamlet’s madness.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I analyze the relationship among Ophelia, Hamlet, and Polonius through a feminist lens?

  • Can I analyze how Hamlet’s use of puns further develops his character?

Texts

Core

  • Multimedia
    • Hamlet: The Fully Dramatized Audio Edition, William Shakespeare, Folger Shakespeare Library, Simon and Schuster, 2014
  • Tradebook
    • Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Simon and Schuster, 2003

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • “A Brief History of Psychiatry,” Neel Burton, Psychology Today, 2012, 2017

Materials

Tools

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Write – Discuss

We will review the unit’s Central Question.

Step 1

Review the Central Question:

How many ways can the same text be read?

Respond to the following question in your Learning Log: If you were to provide an answer to the Central Question today, what would it be?

Step 2

With a partner, discuss the following question:

  1. Based on your current understanding of the literary criticisms, which lens are you currently considering composing a response to for the Culminating Task?

Review the Culminating Task Checklist for reference.

Activity 2: Read

We will read lines 1–83 from Act 2, Scene 1.

Read and annotate Lines 1-83 from Act 2, Scene 1. Use the following questions to guide your reading:

  1. What task does Lord Polonius assign Reynaldo?

  2. What is Polonius’s reasoning?

Activity 3: Read

We will read lines 84–133 from Act 2, Scene 1.

Read and annotate Lines 84-133 from Act 2, Scene 1. Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. According to Ophelia, how has Hamlet been acting lately?

  2. What does Polonius think is the cause?

Activity 4: Discuss

We will analyze Act 2, Scene 1 through psychological and feminist lenses.

In groups, discuss the following psychological lens questions:

  1. What does Ophelia’s description of Hamlet’s appearance and behavior suggest about his mental state?

  2. What does Polonius surmise is the reason for such behavior?

  3. Is there evidence to support Polonius’s theory? Why or why not?

In groups, discuss the following feminist lens questions:

  1. What impact does Hamlet’s behavior have on Ophelia’s mental state?

  2. How does Ophelia adhere to or defy the expectations of a dutiful daughter in this scene?

Capture notes from the discussion on your Psychological Lens Note-Taking Tool and Feminist Lens Note-Taking Tool. It is important that you take thorough notes on these tools, as you will use them when drafting a response to the Section Diagnostics and Culminating Task.

Activity 5: Read

We will read lines 1–186 from Act 2, Scene 2.

Read and annotate Lines 1-186 from Act 2, Scene 2.

Use the following questions to guide your annotations:

  1. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Why have Gertrude and Claudius summoned them to Elsinore?

  2. What news do the Norwegian ambassadors bring about young Fortinbras?

  3. What plan does Polonius devise in order to determine the cause of Hamlet’s madness?

Activity 6: Read

We will read lines 187–237.

Read and annotate Lines 187-237 of Act 2, Scene 2. Respond to the following question:

  1. What do you notice about Hamlet and Polonius’s dialogue?

Activity 7: Read

We will reread lines 187–237 more closely to examine Hamlet’s use of puns.

Write the definition of the word pun in your Vocabulary Journal.

  • pun - (n) a humorous use of words or phrases with multiple meanings

In this scene, Hamlet uses a variety of puns. As such, many of Hamlet’s lines can be interpreted two different ways. Examine the following example below:

HAMLET: Slanders, sir; for the satirical rogue says here that old men have gray beards, that their faces are wrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber and plum-tree gum, and that they have a plentiful lack of wit, together with most weak hams; (2.2.214-218)

One definition of the word wit is "mental sharpness." On one level, Hamlet is saying that some people claim that as people age, their mental powers dull. Another definition of the word wit is "a natural aptitude for using words in a quick and inventive way to create humor." Thus, on a second level, Hamlet is making fun of Polonius’s inability to recognize his clever use of puns.

Consult a dictionary to determine the multiple meanings of the following words:

  • honest

  • conception and conceive

  • matter

Reread the passage, and with a partner, write a sentence for each word that explains Hamlet’s insult of Polonius.

Respond to the following question:

  1. What is the impact of Hamlet’s puns on Polonius?