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Section 2: Overview

Madness

We will read Acts 2 and 3 of Hamlet and analyze the character of Hamlet through a psychological lens to examine the conflict between Hamlet’s outward actions and behaviors and his inner thoughts and how this conflict contributes to his mental state and actions.

We will explore the following questions:

  • Is Hamlet’s madness real or feigned?

  • If Hamlet’s madness is genuine, what has caused such madness to arise in him?

  • If Hamlet is feigning his madness, why would he do this?

  • What intended effects do Hamlet’s words and actions have on the other characters? What unintended effects might they have?

We will also compare excerpts from two critical essays and analyze how each author has interpreted the character Hamlet through the psychological lens, yet arriving at different conclusions.

  • Lesson 1:

    We will draft a claim that analyzes the play through a psychological lens and respond to the following questions: What is Hamlet’s mental state and what factors contribute to it? What lines from the scene support this interpretation?

  • 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 3:

    We will read the end of Act 2, Scene 2 and participate in Part 1 of a gallery walk to examine how characters view Hamlet’s madness.

  • Lesson 4:

    We will continue our gallery walk activity to deepen our understanding of how characters view Hamlet’s madness.

  • Lesson 5:

    We will read Act 3, Scene 1 and examine Hamlet’s famous soliloquy.

  • 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 7:

    We will view a performance of Hamlet’s famous “Get Thee to a Nunnery” scene from Act 3 and engage in a class discussion that examines the scene through a feminist lens.

  • Lesson 8:

    We will view a film adaptation of Act 3, Scene 2 and examine how Shakespeare’s play within a play furthers Hamlet’s actions.

  • Lesson 9:

    We will analyze selected lines from Act 3, Scene 3 through a political lens. We will also read the beginning of Act 3, Scene 4.

  • Lesson 10:

    We will analyze Act 3, Scene 4 through a feminist lens. We will also participate in an anticipatory discussion about the real or feigned madness of Hamlet.

  • Lesson 11:

    We will examine the claims in the essay “Depressive Illness Delayed Hamlet’s Revenge.” We will also use a range of strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words in the text.

  • Lesson 12:

    We will examine the claims in the literary essay “The Sanity of Hamlet” by Tenney L. Davis and prepare for the next lesson’s Section Diagnostic.

  • Lesson 13:

    We will engage in a philosophical chairs class discussion that addresses two critical perspectives and responds to the following questions:

    1. Which perspective represents a more justifiable interpretation of Hamlet’s mental state in Hamlet? Why?

    2. Which perspective represents a more justifiable interpretation of Hamlet’s mental state? Why not?

    3. If neither perspective presents a justifiable interpretation, why not?

    4. What lines from the play support your interpretation?

  • Lesson 14:

    We will review the teacher’s feedback on our Section Diagnostic and will use the feedback to make revisions to our work.

  • Lesson 15:

    We will share the understanding we have gained through our independent reading and continue reading our texts.