Skip to Main Content

Lesson 6

We will view two performances of the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy and engage in a class discussion on how the actors’ interpretation of the soliloquy shapes our interpretation of the character of Hamlet.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I analyze multiple performances of the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy, evaluating how each performance interprets the source text?

Texts

Core

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

Optional

  • Digital Access
    • Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1, Paapa Essiedu performance, Simon Godwin (Director), Royal Shakespeare Company, 2017
    • “To Be or Not to Be,” soliloquy from Hamlet, Andrew Scott performance, Robert Icke (Director), Almedia, 2017
    • “To Be or Not to Be,” soliloquy from Hamlet, Kenneth Branagh performance, Kenneth Branagh (Director), Sony Pictures, 1996
    • “To Be or Not to Be,” soliloquy from Hamlet, Maxine Peake performance, Sarah Frankcom (Director), Royal Exchange, 2014
    • “To Be or Not to Be,” soliloquy from Hamlet, Mel Gibson performance, Franco Zeffirelli (Director), Warner Brothers, 1990

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: View

We will view and analyze a film clip of an actor performing the “To Be Or Not To Be” soliloquy.

As you view the first film clip, pay attention to the following details:

  • setting

  • facial expressions

  • body language

  • body movement

  • props (if present)

  • inner conflict

Take notes on your "To Be or Not to Be" Jigsaw Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 2: Discuss

We will discuss the film clip with a partner and draft a response to the following question: how do the Director and the actor choices affect your interpretation of the character Hamlet?

With a partner, discuss the film clip. Use your takeaways from the discussion to draft a response to the following question on your "To Be or Not to Be" Jigsaw Note-Taking Tool:

  1. How do the director and actor choices affect your interpretation of the character Hamlet?

Activity 3: View – Write

We will view and analyze a second film clip of another actor performing the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy.

As you view the second film clip, pay attention to the following details:

  • setting

  • facial expressions

  • body language

  • body movement

  • props (if present)

  • inner conflict

Take notes on your "To Be or Not to Be" Jigsaw Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 4: Discuss

We will discuss the second film clip with a partner and draft a response to the following question: how do the Director and actor choices affect your interpretation of the character Hamlet?

With a partner, discuss the film clip. Use your takeaways from the discussion to draft a response to the following question on your "To Be or Not to Be" Jigsaw Note-Taking Tool:

  1. How do the director and actor choices affect your interpretation of the character Hamlet?

Activity 5: Discuss

We will engage in a class discussion on the interpretation of the character of Hamlet in each scene.

As a class, discuss the following questions:

  1. Is each director’s and actor’s interpretation of the soliloquy justifiable? Why or why not?

  2. Do the director and the actor choices in each clip transform your understanding of the character Hamlet? How so?

During the discussion, make sure to do the following:

  • Listen attentively to the speaker’s main points and support points.

  • Support your ideas with specific textual evidence from the play and details from the film clip.

  • Elaborate and clarify your ideas when asked.

  • Select and commit to using one of the following norms for an academic discussion:

    • Ask your peers questions if something needs to be clarified or elaborated on.

    • Build on your peers’ ideas.

    • Respectfully challenge your peers’ ideas.

Capture any new insights on the psychology of Hamlet on your Psychological Lens Note-Taking Tool.

Activity 6: Read

For homework, we will read lines 96–203 from Act 3, Scene 1.

For homework, read Lines 96-203 from Act 3, Scene 1 and examine Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia and how it informs Claudius’s and Polonius’s views of Hamlet’s madness.

Respond to the following questions in your Learning Log. Be sure to cite textual evidence to support your answers.

  1. How does Hamlet feel about Ophelia?

  2. What does Hamlet command Ophelia to do? Why?

  3. How does Ophelia react to Hamlet’s words?

  4. How does witnessing the scene affect Claudius’s understanding of Hamlet’s madness?

  5. How does witnessing the scene affect Polonius’s understanding of Hamlet’s madness?

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.