Hamlet: Character Analysis Josefino Rivera, Jr. Literature and Personal Choice 26 February 2009 Josefino Rivera, Jr. Literature and Personal Choice 26 February 2009

New Dates Today, 2/26: Model Character Analysis essay and Scene Work time HW: Outline and 1 paragraph Friday, 2/27: DUE: Outlines and 1 paragraph Scene Work time HW: Memorize scene and brainstorm possible senior thesis topics Monday& Tuesday, 3/2-3: DUE: Scenes Hamlet Festival (with food?) HW: Group/self evaluations Thursday, 3/5: DUE: Character Analysis Papers into turnitin.com + hard copy. I will make sure they match up. DUE: 3 possible senior thesis topics Today, 2/26: Model Character Analysis essay and Scene Work time HW: Outline and 1 paragraph Friday, 2/27: DUE: Outlines and 1 paragraph Scene Work time HW: Memorize scene and brainstorm possible senior thesis topics Monday& Tuesday, 3/2-3: DUE: Scenes Hamlet Festival (with food?) HW: Group/self evaluations Thursday, 3/5: DUE: Character Analysis Papers into turnitin.com + hard copy. I will make sure they match up. DUE: 3 possible senior thesis topics

Make-Up Seminar If you were absent or would like to improve your Socratic Seminar grade, I will have a make-up seminar on Tuesday, 3/3 during 7th (or after school if someone has a 7th period)

Debrief Seminar First seminar: Outside group:Strengths and improvements Second seminar: Recap discussion Outside group: strengths and improvements New understanding based on discussion First seminar: Outside group:Strengths and improvements Second seminar: Recap discussion Outside group: strengths and improvements New understanding based on discussion

Card Sort Please read the summary of an important event in Hamlet. Then arrange yourselves in chronological order around the room (the front door is 1.1 and organized clock-wise from there) Please read the summary of an important event in Hamlet. Then arrange yourselves in chronological order around the room (the front door is 1.1 and organized clock-wise from there)

Seating Chart You will have the option to write this paper in pairs (if you wish). Please sit next to the person you will write your paper with. N.B. You will not have class time to write these papers. If you choose to write this paper on your own, please sit next to someone who is focusing on the same character as you. 1-2: Claudius 3-4: Gertrude 5-6: Laeretes 7-8: Ophelia You will have the option to write this paper in pairs (if you wish). Please sit next to the person you will write your paper with. N.B. You will not have class time to write these papers. If you choose to write this paper on your own, please sit next to someone who is focusing on the same character as you. 1-2: Claudius 3-4: Gertrude 5-6: Laeretes 7-8: Ophelia

Scene Notation ASSummaryAS 12King Claudius pronounces his marriage to Gertrude. Both C and G tell H to cast his nightly color off. H wishes suicide wasnt sinful. He curses the incestuous sheets of his mother but chooses to stay silent. Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo tell Hamlet they have seen Hamlet, Sr.s ghost 22Gertrude and Claudius invite Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch over Hamlet. Polonius tells C and G of Hs madness due to O. P plots to send O to talk to H while C and P spy to confirm. H banters with P. R&G follow H, and H finds out they were sent for. The actors come. H asks them to tell the story of Priam. H is mad at himself because he lacks the emotions the actor does. Decides to put on a play. 14Hamlet sees the Ghost and breaks away from his friends to talk to it privately. 23Hamlet questions revenge or die, but fears death. H tells O to go to a convent. C and P heard and confirm H is mad. 15Ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius, and Hamlet must avenge his death but leave Gertrude alone. His friends find him, and Hamlet makes them swear that they didnt see anything 32H advises actors and say that plays are mirror to reality. H instructs Horatio to watch C. Mousetrap scene. Claudius leaves. H tells Hor that C surely did it. R&G say G calls for H. H says words will be as sharp as daggers. 21Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet came to see her and acted crazy--pale, clothes disheveled. He stared at her, nodded three times, and left. Polonius believes it is because he is love-crazy. They leave to tell Claudius. 33C instructs R&G that he will send them with H to go to England. P says H is going to see G, and P will eavesdrop. C confesses murder to God. H hears and wants to kill C, but chooses to wait because C is praying.

Scene Notation ASSummaryAS 34H confronts G. G thinks H is going to hurt her and yells. P yells behind the tapestry. H kills him. H and G discuss Gs behavior. G understands H for the first time and asks what she should do. Ghost enters and reminds H to avenge his death. G cant see Ghost and thinks H is hallucinating. H tells G not to sleep with C or tell C that H has been faking madness. C knows hes going to England. 44H meets Captain of Norwegian army. H is amazed at the armys willingness to fight for nothing, when Hamlet has something to fight for but cant. H finishes by saying that if his thoughts arent for revenge, then theyre meaningless. 41G tells C that H killed P. Sends R&G to find the body of P from H. 45O Is mad. Laertes returns and C and G say that H killed P. 42R&G confront P. But H wont tell R&G where the body is. But H will go with H to see C instead. 46In a letter, H instructs Hor to give C two letters and follow the sailor who will bring Hor to H. R&G are going to England still. 43R brings H to C. H tells C that P is in heaven (then reveals true location). H accepts fate to go to England. C explains that he has instructed England to kill H. 47C receives Hs letter. C and L plot Hs death through fencing match. C says L needs proof that he is his fathers son.

Scene Notation ASSummaryAS 51H discusses with Hor and Gravedigger that we are the same in death. H sees funeral procession for O. H confronts L. C reminds L of plot. 52H tells Hor about war in brains. Positives in being rash. H learned about plot of his death by C. Orders R&Gs death through letter. Osric tells H that C has made a wager that L can kill H in no more than 3 hits in 12 rounds. H accepts (rashly). H and L fight. G drinks poison. L hits H with poison sword. L and H switch swords and H hits L with poison sword. H hits C and makes him drink the poison as well. Fortinbras says H should be honored in his death.

Scene Notation In your pairs: Complete STEP 1 in the yellow packet. Be sure to focus only on your character. In your pairs: Complete STEP 1 in the yellow packet. Be sure to focus only on your character.

Guiding Questions 1. What was your first reaction to your character? What led you to this? Hamlet was wronged, and everyone that seemed to be important didn t seem to care. He is somber and confused. He talks about what he can do, but only seems to enjoy the words because he does nothing. 1. What was your first reaction to your character? What led you to this? Hamlet was wronged, and everyone that seemed to be important didn t seem to care. He is somber and confused. He talks about what he can do, but only seems to enjoy the words because he does nothing. 2. Go back to the scenes from Step 1. What information did you learn about your character in those scenes? Throughout the play, Hamlet seems to find a reason to delay action. First, it was because he wanted to die instead. Then he wanted proof. Once he had proof, he couldn t kill Claudius because he was praying. Then he allowed himself to be sent to England. But oddly, he quickly accepted the duel.

Guiding Questions 3. How did the character affect Hamlet? How was the character affected by Hamlet? N/A 3. How did the character affect Hamlet? How was the character affected by Hamlet? N/A 4. What is the character s strongest personal quality? Provide evidence from the text. His ability to reflect (1.2 O, that this too, too sullied flesh ; 2.3 To be or not to be ; 3.2 mirror; 5.1 Yorick) Control of language (2.2 Banter with P; 3.2 Nunnery and Music Inaction (see #2) Playing mad (2.1 with Ophelia; 2.2 with Polonius; maybe 2.3 with O)

Guiding Questions 5. What happens to your character in Act V? Hamlet discussed death with the Gravedigger. He finds out about Ophelia s death and confronts Laertes. Then he accepts the challenge to duel. Hamlet kills Laertes by accident, Claudius on purpose, and then dies by Laertes s sword. He is honored at the end, though. 5. What happens to your character in Act V? Hamlet discussed death with the Gravedigger. He finds out about Ophelia s death and confronts Laertes. Then he accepts the challenge to duel. Hamlet kills Laertes by accident, Claudius on purpose, and then dies by Laertes s sword. He is honored at the end, though. 6. In the course of the play, did your character change? How? Hamlet consistently chose not to act. In acts 3 and 4, he made some indirect actions (Mousetrap and letters). In act 5 he finally acts, but he doesnt do what he originally set out to do-- avenge his fathers death.

Guiding Questions In Pairs: Please complete STEP 2--the Guiding Questions--in your yellow packet. In Pairs: Please complete STEP 2--the Guiding Questions--in your yellow packet.

Focused Prewriting Prompt: In a well-crafted essay, explain the purpose of your character in Shakespeare s Hamlet. In other words, what argument is Shakespeare making through your character? Be sure to include a description of your character, an analysis of the discrepancy between your character s literal text and the latent subtext, a discussion about the character s growth throughout the play, and a comparison of your character to Hamlet enigmatic inaction contemplativ e Inaction: To take him in the purging of his soul / When he is fit and seasoned for his passage? /No. Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent.

Focused Prewriting In Pairs: Please complete STEP 3--the Focused Prewriting bubbles. In Pairs: Please complete STEP 3--the Focused Prewriting bubbles.

Focused Prewriting In William Shakespeares Hamlet, arguably Shakespeares most complex play, Prince Hamlet, the enigmatic and contemplative son of King Hamlet is the melancholy protagonist of the play. He quickly learns that King Hamlet was, in fact, murdered by his very own brother, Claudius, who not only takes the throne but also takes his wife, Gertrude. As a promise to the Ghost of his dead father, Hamlet promises to avenge his fathers death and leave his mother to the gods. Pending thesis statement: Through Prince Hamlet, Shakespeare asserts that… While Prince Hamlet is mysterious and lugubrious, his most prominent characteristic is that he is plagued by inaction. Hamlets motive is explicit: by decree of his fathers Ghost, Hamlet is to avenge his father. During Hamlets encounter with his father, Hamlet, in disbelief, accepts the Ghosts command saying, Yea, from the table of my memory / Ill wipe away all trivial fond records, / All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past / That youth and observation copied there, / And thy commandment all alone shall live / Within the book and volume of my brain, / Unmixed with baser matter ( ). Without hesitation, Hamlet accepts his order. Not only is this command Hamlets priority, he vows to make it his only goal. He draws a metaphor between his brain and a volume of books, suggesting that he will erase any other thought or objective. (Perhaps that in itself is one of Hamlets flaws) Yet with such clear objectives, Hamlet does not follow through. In William Shakespeares Hamlet, arguably Shakespeares most complex play, Prince Hamlet, the enigmatic and contemplative son of King Hamlet is the melancholy protagonist of the play. He quickly learns that King Hamlet was, in fact, murdered by his very own brother, Claudius, who not only takes the throne but also takes his wife, Gertrude. As a promise to the Ghost of his dead father, Hamlet promises to avenge his fathers death and leave his mother to the gods. Pending thesis statement: Through Prince Hamlet, Shakespeare asserts that… While Prince Hamlet is mysterious and lugubrious, his most prominent characteristic is that he is plagued by inaction. Hamlets motive is explicit: by decree of his fathers Ghost, Hamlet is to avenge his father. During Hamlets encounter with his father, Hamlet, in disbelief, accepts the Ghosts command saying, Yea, from the table of my memory / Ill wipe away all trivial fond records, / All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past / That youth and observation copied there, / And thy commandment all alone shall live / Within the book and volume of my brain, / Unmixed with baser matter ( ). Without hesitation, Hamlet accepts his order. Not only is this command Hamlets priority, he vows to make it his only goal. He draws a metaphor between his brain and a volume of books, suggesting that he will erase any other thought or objective. (Perhaps that in itself is one of Hamlets flaws) Yet with such clear objectives, Hamlet does not follow through.

Outline Thesis: Pending Body: Hamlet is plagued by inaction. Text vs. Subtext Growth Comparison to (Hamlet) Conclusion Thesis: Pending Body: Hamlet is plagued by inaction. Text vs. Subtext Growth Comparison to (Hamlet) Conclusion

Outline Thesis: Pending Body: Hamlet is plagued by inaction. Get thee to a nunnery. Hamlet moves from inaction to indirect action to action. Hamlet and Laertes are foils: where Hamlet cannot act, Laertes does so rashly. Conclusion Thesis: Pending Body: Hamlet is plagued by inaction. Get thee to a nunnery. Hamlet moves from inaction to indirect action to action. Hamlet and Laertes are foils: where Hamlet cannot act, Laertes does so rashly. Conclusion

Outline Thesis: Through Prince Hamlet, Shakespeare asserts that both immoral action and inaction have similar consequences, suggesting that inaction is just as bad as immoral action if not worse. Body: Hamlet is plagued by inaction. Get thee to a nunnery. Hamlet moves from inaction to indirect action to action. Hamlet and Laertes are foils: where Hamlet cannot act, Laertes does so rashly. Conclusion: Connect to Nazi Germany? Thesis: Through Prince Hamlet, Shakespeare asserts that both immoral action and inaction have similar consequences, suggesting that inaction is just as bad as immoral action if not worse. Body: Hamlet is plagued by inaction. Get thee to a nunnery. Hamlet moves from inaction to indirect action to action. Hamlet and Laertes are foils: where Hamlet cannot act, Laertes does so rashly. Conclusion: Connect to Nazi Germany?

For Homework Please type a detailed outline that includes your claims and suggestions for evidence as well as your thesis statement. Also, complete the introductory paragraph that describes your character. Please type a detailed outline that includes your claims and suggestions for evidence as well as your thesis statement. Also, complete the introductory paragraph that describes your character.

Scene Work Time Please use the rubrics and the class feedback to improve your scenes.