UnderstandingHamlet Theme-Acting Theme-Acting ... Not only does he go back and forth about what to...
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Quotes Thoughts 1) 1) 2) 2) 3) 3) 4) 4) 5) 5) Understanding Hamlet Theme - Acting Besides being a playwright and a business owner, William Shakespeare was an actor as well. In many of his plays, Shakespeare has different characters talking about actors, or “players” as they were often called then, and even making critiques of different acting styles. In Hamlet, Act 3, scene 2, Hamlet gives advice to his actors on how to give an effective performance. Obviously, he wants their performance to be so realistic and moving that Claudius’ reaction to them will reveal his guilt. Among other things, Hamlet advises the actor not to overact or to underdo the role, but to find balance. In many ways, almost all of the characters in the play are “actors,” in the sense that they are pretending to be something they are not. Hamlet pretends to be mad, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pretend to be Hamlet’s friend, Polonius pretends to be a loving father, and Gertrude and Claudius pretend to be innocent. Obviously, “The Mouse Trap” is not the only performance going on in the play, but the question is, which characters are actually good actors, and which ones are not? Find five quotes throughout the play that show a character pretending to be something that he or she is not. Write the quotes with the page numbers on the right. On the left, discuss what makes the character’s performance effective and believable or not.
Transcript of UnderstandingHamlet Theme-Acting Theme-Acting ... Not only does he go back and forth about what to...
Quotes Thoughts1) 1)
2) 2)
3) 3)
4) 4)
5) 5)
Understanding HamletTheme - ActingBesides being a playwright and a business owner, William Shakespeare was an actor as well. In many ofhis plays, Shakespeare has different characters talking about actors, or “players” as they were oftencalled then, and even making critiques of different acting styles. In Hamlet, Act 3, scene 2, Hamlet givesadvice to his actors on how to give an effective performance. Obviously, he wants their performance tobe so realistic and moving that Claudius’ reaction to them will reveal his guilt. Among other things,Hamlet advises the actor not to overact or to underdo the role, but to find balance. In many ways, almostall of the characters in the play are “actors,” in the sense that they are pretending to be something theyare not. Hamlet pretends to be mad, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern pretend to be Hamlet’s friend,Polonius pretends to be a loving father, and Gertrude and Claudius pretend to be innocent. Obviously,“The Mouse Trap” is not the only performance going on in the play, but the question is, which charactersare actually good actors, and which ones are not?Find five quotes throughout the play that show a character pretending to be something that he or she isnot. Write the quotes with the page numbers on the right. On the left, discuss what makes the character’sperformance effective and believable or not.
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Finally, write a one-sentence thesis statement that you could use to write aliterary analysis essay on this topic. Be sure to focus your thesis on the novel._________________________________________________________________
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Understanding HamletTheme - BetrayalOne of the major themes in Hamlet is betrayal. Hamlet feels as if he is betrayed at every turn, by the oneswho claim to love him most, just like his father was betrayed and killed by his wife and brother. Thismakes Hamlet feels as if he can’t trust anyone, even Ophelia, who loves him and tries to understand him,despite the interference of her father and brother. Before long, Hamlet becomes so paranoid that heexpects everyone to betray him, and becomes treacherous and deceitful himself, out of a sense of self-defense. Worse than that, he drives Ophelia to madness and depression with his suspicion and abuse ofher. His treatment of the woman who loves him is terrible, but the grief over his father’s death and theconstant betrayal from his friends and family members has Hamlet so confused, angry, and suspiciousthat even her kindnesses look like tricks to him. He even doubts the supernatural event of his father’sghost returning from the grave to plead with him to avenge his death. On the one hand, his suspicionhelps him in that it causes him to see that his life is in danger during his sea voyage, but it also causeshim to destroy one of the only two innocent people in the play.Find five quotes throughout the play that show a character betraying Hamlet. Write the quotes with thepage numbers on the right. On the left, explain how Hamlet responds to the betrayal in the quote.
Now
wri
te a
par
agra
ph th
at s
how
s ho
w a
ll of
this
bet
raya
l affe
cts
Ham
let’s
beha
vior
. In
wha
t way
s do
es h
e be
tray
oth
ers?
Is h
is d
ecep
tion
and
bet
raya
l of
othe
rs s
omeh
ow b
ette
r or
wor
se th
an th
e ot
her
char
acte
rs? 1
00 w
ords
min
.
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Finally, write a one-sentence thesis statement that you could use to write aliterary analysis essay on this topic. Be sure to focus your thesis on the novel._________________________________________________________________
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Understanding HamletCharacter - FoilIn the play, Hamlet’s overarching goal, based on the mandate from his father’s ghost, is to takevengeance on his murderous adulterous uncle, Claudius, and, to a lesser degree, on his mother Gertrude.However, despite the overwhelming circumstantial evidence for the crime, and his father’s miraculousvisit from the afterlife, Hamlet takes quite a long time to make up his mind about what to do about thesituation. Not only does he go back and forth about what to do, he even contemplates killing himselfinstead of his enemy, just to avoid taking action. On the other hand, Fortinbras is a constant threat to thekingdom of Denmark because of his desire to avenge his own father after a fair wager and fight with OldHamlet. Because of his passion for revenge, Fortinbras is a foil for Hamlet. A foil is a character whopoints out a trait in another character by having the opposite trait. So, in Hamlet, Fortinbras is a foil forHamlet, because his decisiveness, ambition, and vengeance, stand in stark contrast to Hamlet’sindecision, listlessness, and timidity. Without Fortinbras in the play, Hamlet’s negative traits would befar less obvious to the audience.Find five quotes throughout the play that show Hamlet thinking about vengeance. Write the quotes withthe page numbers on the right. On the left, describe Hamlet’s thoughts and feelings at that moment.
Now
wri
te a
par
agra
ph th
atco
mpa
res
Fort
inbr
as a
nd H
amle
t. H
ow a
re th
eydi
ffere
nt? I
s th
ere
anyt
hing
sim
ilar
abou
t the
m, b
esid
es th
eir
circ
umst
ance
s?W
hen
does
Ham
let a
ct m
ost l
ike
Fort
inbr
as? 1
00 w
ords
min
.
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Finally, write a one-sentence thesis statement that you could use to write aliterary analysis essay on this topic. Be sure to focus your thesis on the novel._________________________________________________________________
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Understanding HamletStructure - SoliloquyIn a novel, if an author wants the reader to know what a character’s thoughts and feelings, he or she canjust describe them at length, or even write them in the form of internal dialogue. If a filmmaker wants tolet the audience in on the character’s inner life, he or she can show a close-up on the face, and perhapseven a voice-over in which the character talks to the audience. In a play, however, none of thesemethods will work, and it is very difficult to make the audience aware of the complicated thoughts andfeelings inside of a characters mind and heart. This is why the soliloquy is so important to drama. Asoliloquy is a speech given by a character who is onstage alone, presumably talking to himself, to God, orto the audience. Through the soliloquy, we can learn what the character thinks or feels, without havingto guess. In Hamlet, the main character has many complex and conflicting emotions that cannot beconveyed only by facial expressions or body language, and cannot be spoken to other characters. Forthis reason, Hamlet’s soliloquys are extremely memorable, intimate, and moving speeches that let usconnect with Hamlet in his darkest times.Find five quotes from any of Hamlet’s soliloquys. Write the quotes with the page numbers on the right.On the left, explain what deep thoughts and emotions are revealed in the quote.
Now
wri
te a
par
agra
ph th
atan
alyz
es ju
st o
ne o
f Ham
let’s
sol
iloqu
ys. W
hat i
s th
em
ain
emot
ion
that
he
reve
als
in th
e sp
eech
? Why
is it
impo
rtan
t for
the
audi
ence
to k
now
this
?W
hat d
escr
ipti
ve o
r fig
urat
ive
lang
uage
doe
s Sh
akes
pear
e us
e to
get
the
poin
t acr
oss?
100
wor
ds m
in.
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Finally, write a one-sentence thesis statement that you could use to write aliterary analysis essay on this topic. Be sure to focus your thesis on the novel._________________________________________________________________
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