Literary Terms Directions: Write the definition of each literary term. 1. Dramatic irony 2. Verbal irony 3. Situational irony 4. Epithet
Literary Terms Directions: Use each literary term in a sentence that clearly shows that you understand its meaning. 1. Dramatic irony 2. Verbal irony 3. Situational irony 4. Epithet
Activity 3.5 Cast of Characters: A Close Reading Learning Target: Apply Historical Criticism to Hamlet. Historical Criticism suggests that we examine how a text is influenced by the context in which that work is created and set. With drama, the time period in which a drama is reimagined and performed adds another layer of interpretation of historical significance. For instance, producing Hamlet, a drama about indecision and revenge, set in Denmark, but written in Renaissance England, was an act of social, cultural, and historical significance. The Historical approach recognizes the significance of historical information in interpreting literature. This perspective assumes that texts both influence and are influenced by the times in which they were created. For example, an interpretation of Night by Elie Wiesel may be enhanced by an understanding of World War II. Likewise, an interpretation of The Crucible, which is set in seventeenth-century New England, may be enhanced by an understanding of political developments in the 1950s, when Arthur Miller wrote the play. Some common assumptions in the use of Historical Criticism are as follows: a. A text cannot be separated from its historical context, which is a web of social, cultural, personal, and political factors. b. An understanding of a text is enhanced by the study of cultural norms and of artifacts such as diaries, films, paintings, and letters in existence when the text was created. Historical performances of Hamlet give modern audiences a peek into the minds of people in generations past and inspire us to imagine how future generations might perform and receive this tragedy. 1. Examine the cast descriptions on the handout from the play Hamlet. What relationships exist between characters? 2. How do the character descriptions provide information about the organization of society in Denmark during the middle ages (1300-1499 AD)? 3. Which characters in the play do you assume will have power, and which will not? On what do you base these assumptions? 4. Read through the vocabulary list for Hamlet. Use it as a reference as you watch the play.
Hamlet Act 1 Learning Target: Analyze key quotations in a literary drama. 1. Write out translations of quotations 1-6 on the Famous Quotes from Hamlet handout. 2. Marcellus refers to the ghost as a dreaded sight, but Horatio, recognizing the King s armour, addresses him as illusion. What do these references suggest about Marcellus, Horatio, and the ghost? 3. On what basis does Laertes, warn his sister, Ophelia, not to spend so much time with Hamlet? What does her father, Polonius, have to say on the matter? 4. Hamlet refers to his uncle, the king, as a smiling, damned villian. What does this reference suggest about Hamlet and about Claudius? 5. Hamlet refers to Horatio and Marcellus as gentlemen. What does this reference suggest about Hamlet and about Horatio and Marcellus? 6. What has Claudius been accused of in Act 1? Who accuses him? Is there any evidence that he is guilty? Explain your answer. 7. Evaluate Marcellus and Horatio as characters. Do you think they did the right thing by telling Hamlet about what they saw? 8. What is the effect of Hamlet s speech at the end of the Act: So, gentlemen, With all my love I do commend me to you, And what so poor a man as Hamlet is May do to express his love and friending to you, God willing, shall not lack: Let us go together, And still your fingers on your lips, I pray. The time is out of joint; O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right! (1.5.181-88) 9. Make a prediction of what action(s) Hamlet will take in the next act based on what you know so far. 10. What does Act 1 reveal about the cultural beliefs and values of Denmark in the middle ages? Give specific references to the play.
Hamlet Act II Learning Target: Analyze key quotes in a literary drama. 1. Write out translations of quotations 7-13 on the Famous Quotes from Hamlet handout. 2. What is the tone of the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia? Why is he acting in such a strange way? 3. What is Hamlet chastising himself for in the following lines?...am I a coward, Who calls me villain, breaks my pate across, Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face, Tweaks me by the nose, gives me the lie i' the throat, As deep as to the lungs? who does me this? Ha! 'Swounds, I should take it: for it cannot be But I am pigeon-liver'd, and lack gall To make oppression bitter...(2.2.571-579). 4. How does Hamlet plan to determine whether his uncle, Claudius, is guilty of murdering his father? 5. What does Polonius believe is the cause of Hamlet s odd behaviour? 6. What does Claudius order Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do? Is he genuinely concerned about Hamlet, or might he have a secret motive? Explain.
Hamlet Act 3 Learning Target: Evaluate a character s motivation in a literary drama. 1. Write out translations of quotations 7-13 on the Famous Quotes from Hamlet handout. 2. What is Hamlet trying to decide when he recites this soliloquy? To be, or not to be, that is the question; Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. To die; to sleep, No more...(3.1.56-61) 3. Evaluate Hamlet s use of the play to determine Claudius guilt. Is his interpretation of Claudius reaction convincing evidence of the King s guilt? What does Hamlet do in order to make his interpretation more objective? 4. Why does Hamlet treat Ophelia so cruelly in this Act? Has he made a generalization about women based on his experience? Explain. 5. What do the actions of Claudius in Act III reveal about himself? Explain. 6. Why doesn t Hamlet simply stab Claudius when he finds him praying?
Hamlet Act 4 Learning Target: Use Archetypal Criticism to analyze Hamlet. 1. Write out translations of quotation 19 on the Famous Quotes from Hamlet handout. 2. Predict what is in the letters Hamlet asks Horatio to deliver to Claudius. 3. Archetypal criticism would suggest that an archetype, such as the fall of a corrupt king, is essential to our understanding of this Act. How does this critical perspective apply to this scene? 4. Feminist criticism would suggest that the male-female power relationships that come into play in this act are the most important influence on our understanding of it. How does this critical perspective apply to this scene? 5. Marxist criticism would suggest that we must examine the issues of class or social standing in order to fully understand this act. How does this critical perspective apply to this scene? 6. Reader Response criticism would suggest that what you bring to the act will determine its significance. How does this critical perspective apply to this act? 7. Cultural criticism would suggest that we must consider such issues as ethnicity, religious beliefs, social class, and so on to understand this act. How does this critical perspective apply to this act? 8. Historical criticism would suggest that the historical context plays a significant role in a modern reader s understanding of the act. How does this critical perspective apply to this act? 9. Which critical perspective do you think provides the most interesting lens for the act? Explain.
Hamlet Act 5 Learning Target: Analyze the motivations of characters in a literary drama. 1. In the text of Hamlet, the gravediggers wonder why Ophelia is being buried on sacred ground, even though suicide is considered a mortal sin. Why do you think she is being given a Christian burial? 2. Hamlet claims to have loved Ophelia even more than her brother, Laertes. Do you think this could be true? Explain. 3. What has happened to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? 4. When Hamlet hears that the king wants him to participate in a fencing match with Laertes, he is suspicious. Why does he agree to participate, despite his suspicion? 5. In your opinion, at the end of the play, has justice been served? Who or what is to blame for the tragic deaths of Polonius, Gertrude, Laertes, and Hamlet?
Historical Context of Hamlet Learning Target: Evaluate the choices a playwright makes not to adhere to an archetype. 1. Read the handout, Hamlet Historical Context Essay from SparkNotes. Choose three statements that capture the significant ideas in this essay. 2. According to the essay, how did Shakespeare change the plot of Hamlet so that it is different from the archetype? 3. According to the essay, why did Shakespeare change the plot in the way he did? 4. After reading the play, were you bothered by the ambiguities mention in paragraph 2, or do you like the play better with these changes?
Embedded Assessment 3.1 Writing an Argument Assignment Your assignment is to construct a five-paragraph argumentative essay that defends the critical lens that you feel provides modern society with the most compelling view of literature (choose from among Reader Response, Historical, Archetypal, Feminist, Marxist, or Cultural). You will support the claim with valid reasoning and with relevant and sufficient evidence from your reading and observations. Planning 1. How will you evaluate the different critical perspectives and select the one you believe works best? 2. What texts/films will you use to support your position? Choose at least three passages from three different texts/films to discuss in your essay. 3. Write a thesis statement for your essay. a. Template: Criticism provides modern society with the most compelling view of literature because (explain what makes this Criticism the most valuable or relevant to society today). 4. Write an outline for your essay. Drafting 1. Create an MLA format Works Cited page for your essay with at least three sources. 2. Make sure all the textual evidence you use in your essay is explained, documented in MLA style, and supports your thesis statement. 3. Make sure your quotations flow with the sentences around them and do not create sentence fragments. 4. Make sure your quotations are set off by quotation marks or block format for long quotations. 5. Consider any counterclaims that would be in opposition to your position. 6. Write a conclusion that follows naturally from your argument while avoiding unnecessary repetition. 7. Maintain a formal, academic tone throughout the essay. 8. Decide whether you want to use outside sources other than the text themselves. If so, document these sources in MLA style. Editing 1. Check your draft for correct documentation and grammar/spelling. 2. Have someone else read over your draft and correct any problems he or she finds before submitting your draft.