"Hamlet" and the Elizabethan Revenge Ethic in Text and Film. [Lesson Plan]

This lesson seeks to sensitize students to the complex nature of revenge as it is portrayed in William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark." In the lesson, students learn how Shakespeare's play interprets Elizabethan attitudes toward revenge, as reflected in t...

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Bibliographic Details
Format Web Resource
LanguageEnglish
Published For full text: http://edsitement 21.06.2002
Subjects
Class Activities
Classics (Literature)
Cultural Context
Curriculum Enrichment
Elizabethan Drama
English Literature
Hamlet
High Schools
Language Arts
Learning Activities
Lesson Plans
Revenge
Standards for the English Language Arts
Student Educational Objectives
Tragedy
Units of Study
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Summary:This lesson seeks to sensitize students to the complex nature of revenge as it is portrayed in William Shakespeare's "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark." In the lesson, students learn how Shakespeare's play interprets Elizabethan attitudes toward revenge, as reflected in the structure of the Elizabethan revenge tragedy, one of the most popular forms of drama of the Elizabethan era. Intended for high school students, the lesson: cites subject areas, time required, and skills developed; provides an introduction; poses a guiding question; presents learning objectives; gives tips for teachers preparing to teach the lesson; suggests (and delineates) five classroom activities; offers suggestions for extending the lesson; lists Web resources; and addresses standards alignment. It is noted that a second lesson, "Chusingura: Traditions of the Revenge Tragedy," builds on this lesson on Hamlet, paralleling this study with comparisons of Hamlet and the Elizabethan revenge ethic to the Japanese Bunraku/Kabuki play "Kanadehon Chushingura" and the Tokugawa revenge ethic. Two worksheets are attached. (NKA)