1

HAMLET

William Shakespeare's

Session Handout for the Leaving Cert ificate

2

William Shakespeare's

Session Handout for the Leaving Cert ificate

with inclusions from

Alison Kearney, Peadar Donohoe, Marcus Bale & Cal Duggan

Designed by Alison Kearney

HAMLET

2

3

Int roduct ion

Cyclone Rep, Ireland's Leading Shakespeare Theatre-in-Educat ion Company, aims to provide audiences with an excit ing and mult ifaceted theatrical experience that engages, entertains and educates. The company?s work is developed in response to teacher and student feedback. We care about what our audience thinks and endeavour to create theatre that meets their needs.

Shakespeare Session hallmarks, based on audience feedback, include:

- Abridged versions of the plays with interject ions that are engineered to maximise student interest and engagement.

- Shakespeare?s texts are housed within an original script with relatable modern characters, who aim to engage, entertain and educate learners on the plays? themes.

- Use of humour to aid understanding of the text.- Heightened physical performances to match Shakespeare?s heightened language- Breaking of the fourth wall through audience interact ion, quest ion and answer

sessions and/or part icipat ion. - Use of audio-visual information during the shows to support the discussion of

themes.- Download handouts of the themes discussed for teachers and students to use

before and after the show.

We want our audiences to be able to sit back and enjoy excellently crafted performances that help them understand why Shakespeare is the greatest playwright of them all. Hence, download resources for all our Shakespeare Sessions and "The Bullying Prevention Session" have been developed for post-show review to help students prepare for exams or as an aid in their schools? Bullying Prevention efforts. To aid this our educational resource for "The Hamlet Session" has been developed in collaboration with Alison Kearney, a secondary Drama and English teacher who trained in London at Shakespeare's Globe on interactive Shakespeare education practices.

We hope this handout will be an invaluable resource for teachers and students in preparat ion for the Leaving Cert ificate examinat ion in English.

On behalf of the company,

Peadar Donohoe

4

Contents

Director?s Note: The Evolut ion of "The Hamlet Session"..................................................... Page 5

Shakespeare's Sources.................................................................................................................... Page 6

Pre-Show Exercise: Hamlet 's Worst Case Scenario...........? ? ? ..................................? Page 8

Pre-Show Exercise: Four Corners.............................................................................................. Page 9

Theatre making today and in the t ime of Shakespeare:

Part 1? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ................................................................? Page 10

Part 2? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ................................................................? ? ? ? Page 11

Part 3? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ................................................................? ? Page 12

Shakespeare?s Contribut ion to the English Language? ? .........................................? ? Page 13

Preparing for Exams....................................................................................................................... Page 14

Character Sect ion:

The Plot? ? ? ? ? ....................................................................................................? ..? ? . Page 15

Theme Sect ion:

Introduct ion to the Theme Sect ion? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? .................................? ? ? Page 16

Appearance vs. Reality......................? ? ? ? ? .................................................? ? ? ? Page 16

Corrupt ion.....................? ....? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ....................................................? Page 17

Good vs. Evil and Hamlet?s Conscience.......................? .................................? ? ? Page 18

Madness?...................................................? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ...................................? ? . Page 19

Action vs. Inact ion...............? ? ? ? ? ....? ? ? ? ? ? ? ....................................................Page 21

Death/Mortality....................................? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? .................................................Page 22

The Role of Women....? ? ? ? ? ....? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ....................................................? Page 23

Use of Metaphor.................................................? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? .......................? ? . Page 25

Act ivit ies and Resources:

Classroom Act ivit ies 1: Interpretat ion? ? ? ? ...? ? .......,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,....................? Page 26

Classroom Act ivit ies 2: Hot Seat ing? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ............................? ? Page 28

Resources and References ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ............................? ? Page 29

5

Director?s Note: The Evolut ion of "The Hamlet Session"

Dear Reader,

In 2009 I began the first draft of "The Hamlet Session." It was culminat ion of several years of feedback from teachers and students about what they would like an experience of Shakespeare to be. I had found that Q&A sessions, interact ion between cast and audience, discussion of themes by characters and student part icipat ion were very effect ive ways to make Shakespeare accessible to young audiences. "The Hamlet Session" was the first play to put all these elements in the play itself. The response was overwhelming. Feedback was immediate: this was the approach that was needed. Instead of disengaged students walking away from a play and being more myst ified than ever, we were being told that our versions of Shakespeare?s work bridged the gap in understanding between text and performance and made it fun while doing so. We were asked by many teachers if we could duplicate this approach with the other Shakespeare curriculum plays.

However, as the success of the Shakespeare Sessions began to take on momentum, we not iced an emerging problem: learners with their heads down, busily scribbling notes instead of watching our shows. Shows that were crafted to be enjoyable and experienced ? not briefly observed as the students stressfully tried to keep up with the flow of information! Hence, the development of the resource packs which are available on our website for each of our shows. The resource pack is intended to refresh students? memories of the themes discussed by the actors in order to aid their exam studies. This appears to be working. We have now received numerous accolades from students and teachers that the Cyclone approach to Shakespeare coupled with the resource packs aids understanding of Shakespeare?s plays, comprehension of themes and facilitates to achieve higher scores in their leaving cert results:

"Really focused on exam themes - made it fun and accessible for students." - Rebecca Hanratty, Teacher, Co. Kildare

"Excellent, entertaining, engaging and interact ive performance. Great exam focus as well". -Maebh Kennelly, Teacher, Co. Cork

"An excellent revision resource to JC students that not only demonstrated the plot but addressed some exams quest ions." -Claire Cullen, Teacher, Co. Meath

We hope the current version of "The Hamlet Session" and this accompanying resource pack will facilitate engaged and enjoyable learning more than ever as it is the culminat ion of over a decade's worth of feedback. I bid you adieu!

Peadar DonohoeWriter and Director of "The Hamlet Session"

5

6

Shakespeare's Sources

Main inspirat ions

Except for "A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Love's Labour's Lost," and "The Tempest;" which are wholly original stories, Shakespeare did not craft many original plots (Mabillard, 2000). Primarily, he sourced his plots and characters from historical accounts and classical texts. As we mention in our "Hamlet Session," the main source for "Hamlet" was ?Amleth?, a story writ ten by XIIth century Danish scholar Saxo Grammaticus (Elton, 1984). This was a very primit ive version of "Hamlet" as you can see in this synopsis of the play:

Other inspirat ions

There is evidence of other versions of "Hamlet" being staged in Shakespeare?s day. For example, Thomas Kyd?s "Hamlet" pre-dates Shakespeare?s "Hamlet" by approximately 10 years (Freeman, 1967). However, what makes Shakespeare?s play different is that his "Hamlet" is not just a simple revenge tragedy but a work of poet ic art that has spoken to generat ions for more than 400 years. Shakespeare?s "Hamlet" asks the big quest ions such as: What?s the point of it all? Should one solider on in difficult t imes or simply give up? Why should we fight for just ice if all we are is dust in the end?

Also, it is important to note that "Hamlet" was a revenge tragedy ? the most popular genre of Shakespeare?s t ime; it was the Star Wars of his day. Shakespeare was a business man and he saw the potent ial of "Hamlet" garnering good box office to support his theatre company and make a good living for himself. In craft ing his version of "Hamlet," Shakespeare created a blockbuster that has all the ingredients of a great revenge drama:

- Betrayal- Scenes of madness- Revenge delayed- Violence and Death

6

Amleth, son of Horwendil, ruled Jut land joint ly with his brother Fengo. Fengo murders his brother, takes control of the Kingdom and marries Horwendil?s widow Gerutha. The young Amleth, fears that Fengo might try to murder him too, so he pretends to be stupid and therefore harmless. The masquerade works. Amleth is allowed to grow up unharmed. However, Fengo begins to suspect Amleth is act ing and uses a beautiful maiden in an attempt to trick Amleth into confessing his ruse. This fails. Then a friend of Fengo spies on Amleth when he is in private conversat ion with his mother Gerutha. He conceals himself under a bunch of straw. Amleth, suspect ing he is being spied upon, plays mad, jumps onto the straw and tells Gerutha that he feels a lump. He drives his sword into the spot, then drags the spy from his hiding place, cuts his body into morsels, boils them in water, and flings the remains through the mouth of an open sewer for the pigs to eat. Now desperate, Fengo sends Amleth to England guarded by two servants bearing Amleth?s death warrant. Amleth gets hold of the warrant while they are asleep and changes the name from his to those of the two servants who are slaughtered in his stead. Amleth marries the King of England?s daughter and later, st ill thirst ing to revenge his father?s death, returns to Jut land. He arrives in the middle of a party and kills the drunken Fengo.

- A graveyard scene- A ghost- Bucket loads of blood

7

Shakespeare's Sources Cont inued

Taken together these ingredients made for a memorable performance that have helped make Shakespeare?s "Hamlet" the success story it is to this very day. However, which version of Shakespeare?s "Hamlet" are you watching?

Versions of Shakespeare?s "Hamlet" that influenced our product ion:

"Hamlet" was published in two different quarto edit ions during Shakespeare's life as well as in the First Folio, the "complete works" edit ion that appeared within a decade of his death (Bate, 2008; Egan, 2010; Hibbard, 1998). These edit ions are known among scholars as Q1 (the first quarto, 1603), Q2 (the second quarto, 1604) and F1 (the first folio, 1623).

Almost all modern edit ions of Hamlet combine passages from Q2 and F1, largely ignoring the first printed version of the play. Scholars have surmised that this Q1 version, often referred to as "the bad quarto," was a faulty version copied from the memory of an actor or a group of actors who performed the play. The sequence of the play?s act ion, the length of speeches and many more details are significant ly reduced and/or different in Q1 than they are in either Q2 or F1. For example, Q1 is only about 2200 lines long, compared with almost 4000 lines in the Q2 and F1 edit ions. In recent years, however, scholars have argued that Q1 is not necessarily an inferior text, but is rather a performing version of the play. Q1 has a much more dramatic plot than that found in the later edit ions, and cuts much superfluous dialogue.

Cyclone Rep?s Version

In "The Hamlet Session" a lot is owed stylist ically to Q1. The brevity of the adaptat ion is meant to accommodate a fast-paced performance that is appealing to our young audience. Such an adaptat ion also allows for inclusion of theme discussions along with an extended Q&A session with the audience. However, the beauty of language in Cyclone Rep's version is more scholarly than that of Q1. Hence, the influence of Q2 and F1 is felt especially when it comes to Hamlet 's famous soliloquies.

Luke Barry as Hamlet and Marcus Bale as Claudius in our 2015/17 product ion of "The Hamlet Session".

7

8

Pre-Show Exercise: Hamlet 's Worst Case Scenario

All of the situat ions described below will happen in the play. Just like an actor does, we want you to try and put yourself in the character?s shoes. From the list below, choose what you think is the Worst Case Scenario (WCS) that could happen to you if you were a character in the play.

Using the numbers 1-10, label with 1 being the least worst and 10 being the absolute worst.

After watching the play revisit your Worst Case Scenario list and ask yourself if you would change the Worst Case Scenario order in any way from that which you wrote before the show.

8

- Your mother marries your uncle short ly after your father?s death (Act 1 Sc.2)

- Seeing your father?s ghost (Act 1 Sc.4)

- Suspect ing a close relat ive murdered your father (Act 1 Sc.4)

- Somebody acts strangely because they are in love with you (Act 2 Sc.1)

- Two friends are clearly lying to you (Act 2 Sc.2)

- You think your girlfriend or boyfriend is trying to manipulate you for their own gain (Act 3 Sc.1)

- You believe someone you care for deeply has gone mad (Act 3 Sc.1)

- You kill your girlfriend's dad by mistake (Act 3 Sc.4)

- You realise your girlfriend died mainly due to your fault (Act 5 Sc 1)

- You realise that the skull you are looking at is an old friend (Act 5 Sc.1)

Pre-Show WCS Post Show WCS

9

Pre-Show Exercise: Four Corners

The purpose of this act ivity is to get students discussing major themes and events within the play and to use evidence from the text to defend their stance. In doing so, students will have to debate with their peers and think crit ically about Hamlet 's choices before attending the performance.

On four different pieces of paper, write the following in large, easy-to-read letters: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree. Hang each piece of paper in a different corner of the room.

Read out the statements below to your class. After each statement is read, have the students move to the corner of the room with the sign that illustrates their react ion to that statement (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree). Encourage students to choose one corner of the room and not to stand in the middle.

Once students choose a corner, give each group thirty seconds to a minute to just ify their answer. Then ask for a volunteer to share the group's thoughts with the class. After each group has shared, give students the opportunity to debate for as long as you wish. Encourage students to use evidence from the play to support their ideas. When discussion begins to dwindle, read out the next statement and have the students move corners to repeat the process for each statement in the list below.

"Hamlet" Four Corners Statements:

- Ghosts and spirits exist . - Gertrude marries Claudius for selfish reasons.- Madness is easy to ident ify in others. - Revenge can be a just cause for violence or murder.- Hamlet is pretending to be mad throughout the whole play

9

Strongly Agree Agree

Disagree Strongly Disagree

10

Theatre Making Today and in the Time of Shakespeare

Part 1: Let?s Look At What Makes Theatre:

Look at the drawing of two people below. Imagine they are actors doing a performance of "Hamlet". What are the 10 things that would need to be added to the picture below to make it about two actors performing a piece of theatre nowadays?

If you are finding it difficult , think about Cyclone Rep's "The Hamlet Session" show. How did you see them? How did you hear them? What were they wearing? What were they holding? Who told them where to stand?

Character A Character B

Create a script for the Character A and Character B to say to each other:

A: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

B: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

B: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

B: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

B: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

10

11

Part 2: Now Let?s Look at Theatre in Shakespeare?s Time

Look at Arend van Buchell's drawing of the Swan Theatre below. This is the closest example of what Shakespeare's theatre, The Globe, may have looked like. Review your list from Part 1.

Consider what you would need to do to adapt a modern day product ion for a performance that takes place on a stage in the 1500s (like the one below). Write your ideas below.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11

Fun Fact : Each Theatre would raise a coloured flag to let audiences know what show was playing i.e., black for a tragedy, white for a comedy and red for a history play.

12

Part 3: ?All the world?s a stage,? or is it?

Here are a few reminders of how some pract ical elements of theatre in the 1500s and 1600s affected Shakespeare's writ ing of plays and verse.

There was a lot of competit ion among the theatres of the t ime and they struggled to keep afloat. So, all theatres needed to keep turning over good, popular and topical plays.

Theatres would present up to eleven performances of ten different plays in a two week period.

To stop competing theatres from stealing popular scripts or plagiarism, actors, who were not part of ?The King?s Men? (Shakespeare?s act ing troupe), only got their lines on the day of the performance. Even then, the hired actors only received their lines on a roll and not the whole script. This device of putt ing lines on a roll is said to be where the use of the word role (to describe a character part) originates from.

Iambic Pentameter

In "Hamlet," characters speak in iambic pentameter,blank verse or prose.

Iambic pentameter is a type of rhymed verse formed by a pattern (meter) of five (penta) sect ions or 'feet ' (Iambs) composed of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.

The rhythm and meter of the lines tell the actors where to put emphasis when speaking.

The emphasis in a character's dialogue and/or monologue also gives the actor clues to the character's mindset.

Iambic pentameter is a formal way of speaking that Shakespeare reserves for important characters or for those who are of noble birth. Characters of a lower social status just speak in ?prose? which is just ordinary speech with no accented rhythm.  

In 'Hamlet ', Shakespeare toys with iambic pentameter and uses it to help us quest ion Hamlet 's sanity. At t imes, his meter seems regular. However, he also strays from the rhythm. Is it an indicat ion that he is just emotionally torn or is it a sign that his mental state is unraveling?

12

Try it yourself:

"Thus WAS I, SLEEPing BY a BROther?s HAND,Of LIFE, of CROWN, of QUEEN at ONCE disPATCHED," ( Act 1 Sc. 5 Line 74-75)

Try it yourself:

?To BEor NOT to BE, that IS the QUEStion.? ( Act 3 Sc. 1 Line 57)

13

Shakespeare?s Contribut ion to the English Language

The Oxford English Dict ionary credits William Shakespeare with introducing nearly 3,000 words into the English language. It doesn?t mean that he created all of them but that their earliest documented appearance was in his work. Below are lists of words and phrases from Shakespeare?s plays that are popularly used today.

13

Words Phrases

Accommodation Amazement Apostrophe Assassinat ion BloodyBump Courtship Crit ic    Crit ical Dwindle Exposure Gloomy  Hurry Invulnerable Laughable Lonely Majest ic Misplaced Monumental Mult itudinous Obscene Pious Premeditated Radiance RoadSanct imonious Suspicious

All that glisters is not gold As dead as a doornail Break the iceCatch a coldClothes make the man Disgraceful conductEaten out of house and home ElbowroomFair play          Foregone conclusion Heart of gold HeartsickHot-blooded Housekeeping In a pickleIn st itchesIn the twinkling of an eye It?s Greek to me LacklusterLaughing stock LeapfrogLong-hairedMethod in his madness Mind?s eyeMum?s the word Naked truthNeither a borrower nor a lender be Neither here nor thereSend him packing Set your teeth on edge Sorry sightTo be or not to beTo thine own self be true Too much of a good thingVanish into thin airWear one?s heart on one?s sleeve

14

Preparing for Exams

It is impossible to say what the exam quest ions will be exact ly. However, one thing doesn?t change and that?s the ability to discuss characters and themes. You must be able to discuss the following as it relates to characters (O?Connor, 2011):

HAMLET:

- his state of mind (most ly revealed in soliloquies)- his ?madness?- his delay (procrast inat ion)- his integrity (is he a good man?) / strengths and weaknesses- is he a tragic hero or an ant i-hero?- his relat ionship with Claudius (the struggle between them)- his relat ionship with women (Gertrude & Ophelia) and treatment of them

CLAUDIUS: Is he a good king? A villain? Or an admirable villain?

GERTRUDE: Is she a good woman/mother despite her flaws? Or is does she represent a negat ive portrayal of women in a patriarchal world?

OPHELIA: Is she an innocent vict im/unwit t ing pawn or a weak and foolish girl? Once again, is this a negat ive portrayal of women?

You will find that in discussing these characters they are t ight ly intertwined with the themes. In craft ing your response to an exam quest ion you have to ask yourself which themes affect each character? And what scene(s) highlight this theme? You should also refer to other characters who are affected by the same theme. For example, Laertes and Hamlet 's approach to revenge are almost opposite: Laertes is a hot-headed man of act ion who leaps before looking whereas Hamlet could be argued to be an overly reflect ive soul who thinks too much.

In the following sect ions the plot and main themes of the play will be discussed and quest ions will be asked. Discussing the quest ions in class prior to reading the answers would be a good strategy as this will help embed the themes in your mind. Remember always to support your answer with references and quotat ions.

14

15

The Plot

- Right at the start of the play Hamlet meets his father's ghost.- The ghost tells Hamlet that he didn't die of natural causes; he was actually murdered by his

brother Claudius.- Hamlet spends the majority of the play struggling with his conscience about whether or not he

should 'do his duty' and avenge his father's death by killing Claudius.- Hamlet, possibly driven slight ly mad by this struggle with his conscience, breaks off his

relat ionship with Ophelia. Also accidentally kills her father. The combinat ion of these act ions drives Ophelia into madness and she ends up drowning in a stream.

- These two deaths enrage Laertes who, also seeking revenge, decides to kill Hamlet.- Claudius and Laertes plot together to kill Hamlet in a fencing match by arming Laertes with a

poison t ipped sword. As a backup plan, Claudius plans to offer Hamlet during the match a cup of poisoned wine.

- In the fencing match Claudius, Laertes and Hamlet are stabbed with the poisoned sword.- Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup that was intended for Hamlet.- By the end of the play four major characters are killed: Gertrude, Claudius, Laertes and Hamlet.

They all die within the last 100 lines.

Notes:

- Prologue: Before the play starts old King Hamlet, The King of Denmark, has killed King Fort inbras, the King of Norway. Prince Fort inbras has managed to escape and is out to get revenge. But now King Hamlet has been killed in suspicious circumstances. Hence, the state of Denmark is preparing for war in a very turbulent t ime.

Question: If Prince Hamlet?s father was king then why didn?t Hamlet simply succeed him and assume the crown as rightful heir?

- Rights of Succession in Denmark: Up unt il 1660 Denmark had an elect ive monarchy. In an elect ive monarchy, court officials, noblemen in high standing, selected the new king by vote. The son of a king was, to be sure, the prime candidate for the royal chair, and usually he won it . But the vot ing nobles had the right to reject him in favour of another candidate. And that was precisely what happened in fict ional Elsinore. The nobles approved the king?s brother, Claudius over Hamlet. Why? We don't know exact ly but we can make an educated guess. Hamlet was away at university in Wittenberg when his father died suspiciously and suddenly. It would have taken some t ime for word of his father?s death to get to him and then it would have taken more t ime for Hamlet to take the journey home. Claudius, an experienced polit ician, most likely lobbied the nobles with promises and bribes so that he would be elected instead of Hamlet. Also there is the possibility that Hamlet might have been considered too young, impetuous, and inexperienced to rule.

Question: Why doesn?t Hamlet simply take his revenge and kill Claudius?

- The Immortal Soul: Hamlet fears that the ?ghost? of his father may not be his father at all but a demon come to tempt him to commit the crime of regicide. Therefore, if it is a demon that tricks Hamlet into killing an ?innocent? Claudius, then the demon can claim Hamlet?s soul for hell and eternal damnation. Hence, Hamlet must find evidence as to whether Claudius is the murderer or not. Finding such evidence will mean that Hamlet will be carrying out just ice and not murder.

15

16

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Int roduct ion to the Themes Sect ion

When it comes to preparing for the exam, it is important to be able to answer quest ions on the themes. This sect ion is designed to help you to frame your response to thematic quest ions you may be asked, support ing it with points and quotat ions.

The themes covered in The 'Hamlet ' Session include:

- Appearance versus Reality- Corrupt ion- Mad/Not mad- Revenge delayed: Act ion/Inact ion- Hamlet?s Conscience: Good vs. Evil- Death/Mortality- The Role of Women

In Cyclone Rep's show the actors often break-out of their characters to discuss the themes. These break-out scenes will be referenced in the following themes discussions. Don't worry if you haven't seen "The 'Hamlet Session" yet as they are easy enough to follow.

Theme 1: Appearance vs. Reality

The predominant theme of Appearance versus Reality runs throughout the play with many characters "putt ing on a mask" to hide their t rue motivat ions.

Q: In "The Hamlet Session" the actors break out of the play to discuss the theme of Appearance vs. Reality. Do you remember which characters were listed as wearing false masks of truth and honesty?

A: In his search to find out the real murderer Hamlet tries to uncover the true natures of Claudius, Polonius, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. They all wear false masks of truth and honesty but in reality they are all corrupt liars who make it difficult for Hamlet to uncover the truth.

It can be argued that in his search to try to see through these false masks Hamlet ends up wearing a mask himself. After all, he says to Horat io and Marcellus in Act 1, Sc.5:

"But come: Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself,As I perchance hereafter shall think meetTo put an ant ic disposit ion on..." (Act 1, Sc.5)

The 'ant ic disposit ion' Hamlet mentions in this sect ion refers to his plan: He'll pretend to be mad so that Claudius won't suspect he is actually trying to gain evidence to see who murdered his father. We could say that this 'ant ic disposit ion' is in itself like a mask.

Q: If Hamlet wears a 'mask' and is hiding his true motives how is he any different from all the other corrupt characters?

A: Hamlet hides his true motives from the other characters but not from the audience. He shares his thoughts and feelings with us honest ly in his soliloquies. Sharing his vulnerability this way reveals his humanity and so the audience comes to trust and root for him.

16

17

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 1: Appearance vs. Reality Cont inued

Q: Can you think of any other characters in the play that wear false masks? What about Gertrude and Ophelia? Discuss.

Q: Which character does not wear a false mask, never alters their appearance and is trusted by Hamlet throughout?

The theme of Appearance vs. Reality is closely connected to the theme of Corrupt ion which is also rife throughout the play.

David Peare as King Hamlet 's Ghost, from "The Hamlet Session."

Theme 2: Corrupt ion

Corrupt ion is not only a major theme in "Hamlet" but also doubles as a dominant motif. A motif is recurring idea in an art ist ic work and is epitomised in this famous quote from the play:

This quote from Act 1, Sc. 4, said by the guard Marcellus, crit icises the state of affairs in Denmark which include: the apparit ion of the ghost, the suspicious death of King Hamlet, the quick assumption to the throne by Claudius and the hasty marriage of Hamlet?s mother to her brother-in-law. Following the Old Testament writ ings, in Shakespeare?s day marriage between in-laws would have been considered incestuous. Hence, this would be perceived as further evidence of the corrupt state of Denmark. But as far as corrupt ion goes, this is only the start of things.

Shakespeare weaves the motif of corrupt ion into every scene to illustrate the corrupt state of Denmark and Hamlet 's all-consuming pessimism. Images of ulcers, pleurisy, full body pustules, apoplexy, and madness parallel the sins of drunkenness, espionage, war, adultery, and murder, to reinforce the central idea that Denmark is dying. To Hamlet the very air he breathes is:

"a foul and pest ilent congregat ion of vapours" (Act 2 Sc.2)

Hamlet himself is a vict im of a deep melancholy that results in fits of mania. This mania leads Hamlet to mistakenly kill Polonius (believing him to be Claudius) in a fit of rage in Act 3 Sc. 4. This could be considered the turning point where Hamlet himself becomes corrupted. Having killed Polonius wrongfully, Hamlet may feel that he has nothing left to lose as his soul would be damned for the murder. Hence, this may explain the trap he later lays for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern when he has their heads chopped off instead of his.

Q: This is not the Hamlet that we knew at the start of the play. Why has he changed? Discuss.

A: The good soul that we saw in Act 1, who simply wanted just ice for his father?s murder, is now ready to commit acts that are evil in nature. What has happened to Hamlet?s conscience?

17

18

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 3: Good vs. Evil and Hamlet?s Conscience

In the current version of "The Hamlet Session" we have congruent ly aligned costume, audio-visuals, props to the style of war t ime 1940s. You will not ice that almost everything is either black or white or shades of grey. This was to t ie into the themes of Good vs. Evil and Hamlet?s conscience.

For example, at the start of the play we see Hamlet mainly in white to represent him as the hero. However, as the play evolves, and Hamlet 's conscience debates about what is right and wrong, the white costume pieces are replaced by grey. This signifies that he has changed his purist and innocent values and has become an ant i-hero (e.g. Having Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?s heads cut off instead of his own seems to trouble him very lit t le).

In tandem with this we see Hamlet?s enemy, Claudius, who starts out in black to signify him as the villain, don grey when he is in the chapel confessing his sin of murder; begging forgiveness from the heavens. Hence, the lines between Good and Evil become blurred as Hamlet?s conscience erodes and Claudius comes to prey upon him.

Q: What is the turning point for Hamlet when he forgoes his efforts to be a ?good? man? Discuss.

Hamlet strives to be good in the midst of attempting to deal with evil forces. When he quest ions in Act 3, Sc. 1:

"Whether ?t is nobler in the mind to sufferthe slings and arrows of outrageous fortuneOr to take arms against a sea of troubles,And, by opposing, end them? " (Act 2, Sc. 1)

He is reflect ing on his circumstances: The king, his uncle, he suspects of treachery, his mother, he accuses of weakness and folly, his lover, Ophelia, betrays him as she spies for her father Polonius. And yet, it can be argued that Hamlet 's love for Ophelia was so strong that he pushes her away when he says:

"Get thee to a nunnery " (Act 3 Sc. 1)

And yet, it can be argued that Hamlet?s love for Ophelia was so strong that he pushes her away.

He tries to do the right by Ophelia in telling her to go to a nunnery before he exacts his desired revenge as things will go crazy at the cast le. Here again, we can see his conscience at work trying to keep one he loves safe. However, Hamlet?s conscience may be his Achilles? heel. His constant tug of war of morality trying to do the right thing in the midst of so much evil is the cause of his revenge delayed. He plainly seeks revenge for his father?s murder while he seeks to serve just ice by attempting to gain evidence. However, it could be argued Hamlet focuses too much on his conscience, too much on the conscience of some (Claudius), and not enough on others (Ophelia). His obsession with conscience is what propels and delays the play. In other words, Hamlet 's conscience paradoxically calls for revenge but makes him delay that same revenge.

Tragically, it is Hamlet?s pushing Ophelia away that in part of the cause that drives her into madness. It can be argued that this inadvertent outcome is the start of Hamlet?s descent into evil and corrupt ion (see theme of Corrupt ion) and, potent ially his own madness.

18

19

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 4: Madness?

In Cyclone Rep's "The Hamlet Session" the actors argue over Hamlet?s frame of mind: Is he mad? Depressed? Or a mastermind who simply pretends to be crazy? These are important discussions because choosing to play Hamlet mad or pretending would make for very different interpretat ions of the plays.

For example, the argument for Hamlet as a mastermind who pretends to be mad is supported textually when he says to Horat io and Marcellus in Act 1, Scene 5 that he will be putt ing on an ?ant ic disposit ion?. As our actors explain in "The Hamlet Session" he does this to buy himself some t ime to find out if Claudius is actually the murderer. The idea behind this is basically that if people, especially Claudius, think he?s crazy then he won't pose a threat. He also let?s onto Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act 2, Scene 2 that ?I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.? One of the interpretat ions of this metaphor implies that he plays mad as it suits him but that he really knows what?s going on (see more about this metaphor in the sect ion on the Use of Metaphor).

On the other hand, it could be argued that Hamlet?s long delayed revenge drives him over the edge. This situat ion puts him in a frame of mind where he commits acts that are out of character, and can be considered mad, such as: being extremely cruel to Ophelia, murdering her father Polonius ? albeit by accident ? but showing very lit t le remorse for the act, and then having the heads of his two school chums ? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - chopped off. Also it 's interest ing to note that in Act 3 Sc. 4, the scene at the Queen's closet, Hamlet sees the ghost of his father but Gertrude does not. Are these examples of madness? Or are they of someone who has lost reason for a period of t ime? Near the end of the play Hamlet apologises to Laertes for his spate of madness:

"If Hamlet from himself be ta'en away,And when he's not himself does wrong Laertes,Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it .Who does it , then? His madness" (Act 5 Sc. 2)

Or is Hamlet saying that he committed terrible acts because was suffering from depression? Melancholy? Lots of symptoms of depression back then might have been misconstrued as madness.

The argument for all three states of being or an overlapping of them is possible. In the end it is down to how the play is interpreted by the Director and actors. The choice to play Hamlet mad, as a mastermind or depressed may be a big reason why "Hamlet" is arguably Shakespeare?s greatest play. It allows every new product ion to make inspired choices. And in the same way as each product ion has to make choices when it comes to their interpretat ion, so do you, have to choose, based on your views, which interpretat ion you pick when analysing and writ ing about this play. At the end of the day, please remember that whichever you chose, is always necessary to support your view with quotes from the text.

19

20

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 4: Madness? Cont inued

20

Leah Wood as Ophelia and Angela Newman as Gertrude in our 2018/19 product ion of "The Hamlet Session."

Angela Newman as Gertrude in our 2018/19 product ion of "The Hamlet Session."

21

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 5: Act ion vs. Inact ion

Q: Why doesn?t Hamlet kill Claudius in the church when he has the chance? Discuss.

Discussion: In Shakespeare?s day, people were obsessed with life after death - what happens to the soul when one dies. Hence, Hamlet is tortured with the sinful implicat ions of revenge: to act or not to act (?To be or not to be?). The vengeful world Hamlet inhabits demands that he seeks it . Even the ghost tells him:

"Revenge my most foul and unnatural murder" (Act 1, Sc. 5)

But Hamlet is not even sure that this is the spirit of his father. It could be a demon come to tempt him. The turning point in the play is when Hamlet witnesses Claudius? react ion to the play within the play (?The Mousetrap?). It?s then that he?s convinced.

Q: So, why not kill Claudius there and then? Discuss.

There are a number of reasons why Hamlet cannot kill Claudius in the moment:

1. The king is always under guard, so it would be difficult for Hamlet to find the right moment.2. Hamlet is always being watched by the king?s spies.3. Most important ly of all, Hamlet will not kill the king while the king is praying for forgiveness in

the chapel because if he did so the spirit of the king would go straight to heaven and what Hamlet wants is for the king to go to hell.

To highlight Hamlet?s inability to take act ion, Shakespeare includes other characters that are capable of taking revenge:

- Fort inbras goes to great lengths to seek his revenge and ult imately succeeds in conquering Denmark.

- Laertes has no problem in seeking the revenge for his father?s death as he tells King Claudius he will:

"cut his throat i' th' church" (Act 4 Sc.7)

Failing that Laertes tells the king that he will dab a deadly poison on his sword that:

"So mortal that, but dip a knife in it ,Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare,Collected from all simples that have virtueUnder the moon, can save the thing from deathThat is but scratched withal. " (Act 4, Sc.7)

21

22

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 5: Act ion vs. Inact ion Cont inued

Hamlet delays any act ion unt il the end of the play. Even then, he acts only because circumstances force his hand. Ironically, it is Hamlet 's lack of act ion that ult imately leads to his doom. Furthermore, even though Hamlet does eventually get his much desired revenge, it is only because Claudius' plan to kill him backfires. Unfortunately, the only way Hamlet get to act is when he does so mindlessly. An example of this is when he mistakenly kills Polonius in Act 4 Sc.3. Much of this delay to revenge can be attributed to Hamlet 's conscience and his concern with doing the right thing (see theme of Good vs. Evil and Hamlet 's Conscience).

Note: Laertes st irs up a rebellion quite easily. This could be because Claudius is not a well-liked king. In fact, there are a lot of quest ions about Claudius:

How did he assume the throne so quickly and why did Gertrude marry him so hast ily? Wouldn't the marriage between Claudius and Gertrude be seen as incestuous, a mortal sin in the eyes of God and the church? Were Claudius and Gertrude having an affair and plotted the murder of King Hamlet together? Such core doubts about the royal family make it very easy for Laertes to foment rebellion. Compared to Hamlet, he is clearly a man of act ion who wastes lit t le t ime.

Theme 6: Death/Mortality

In "The Hamlet Session" this theme of Death/Mortality is discussed in Act 5 Sc.1. In this scene Hamlet is handed Yorick?s skull by one of the gravediggers and this triggers this ruminat ion about his childhood playmate.

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horat io: a fellowof infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hathborne me on his back a thousand t imes; and now, howabhorred in my imaginat ion it is! my gorge rims atit . Here hung those lips that I have kissed I knownot how oft . Where be your gibes now? yourgambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment,that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not onenow, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen? " (Act 1, Sc. 5)

The ever-present nature of Death is something that weighs heavily on Hamlet?s soul. In the famous ?To be or not to be? monologue? from Act 3 Sc.1 Hamlet speaks of:

"The undiscovered country from whose bournNo traveller returns, puzzles the willAnd makes us rather bear those ills we haveThan fly to others that we know not of?The undiscovered country is the afterlife. What will we find there, if anything?" (Act 3, Sc. 1)

22

23

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 6: Death/Mortality Cont inued

Q: Discuss your views on death and the possibility of an afterlife with a classmate. Have our views on this topicchanged since Shakespeare?s day? How?

For Hamlet there is no escape from these thoughts. Death and its consequences are featured right throughout the play ? triggered first by the unnatural death of Hamlet?s father. Indeed, Hamlet is fascinated by death. From his ideat ion of suicide, its consequences, the possibility of a life hereafter, to the revealing of his obsession when quest ioned by Claudius on the whereabouts of Polonius? body in Act 4 Sc. 3:

"He?s at supper ? Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. A certain convocat ion of polit ic worms are e'en at him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet. We fat all creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for maggots. Your fat king and your lean beggar is but variable service?two dishes, but to one table. That?s the end." (Act 4 , Sc. 3)

In other words: We eat Life and in Death we are Eaten. The frailty of human existence haunts Hamlet throughout the play.

Theme 7: The Role of Women

Do you think that the presence of only two female characters says something about the role of women in the play? What could this suggest? Prior to reading the analysis on this theme below, discuss the following:

Q: Does Queen Gertrude love her son Hamlet or not? Discuss.

Gert rude

Who is Gertrude? We never really get to know her. Shakespeare does not give her a soliloquy for her to share her innermost thoughts and feelings with the audience. However, we can discuss some aspects of her character. Did she ever love King Hamlet? It 's quite possible that her love for her first husband was genuine but it is also quite likely she didn't get to see much of him. Monarchs at that t ime, like King Hamlet were often away on war campaigns which would have left the queen with an awful lot of t ime on her hands. You could say one of the ways to use that t ime could have been to strike up a relat ionship with Claudius. Addit ionally, the ghost of King Hamlet tells us that Claudius:

"Won to his Shameful lust, the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen" (Act 1,Sc.5).

23

Angela Newman as Horatio, Luke Barry as Hamlet, and Marcus Bale as Gravedigger in Cyclone Rep?s 2015/17 production of "The Hamlet Session".

24

"Hamlet" Themes Sect ion

Theme 7: The Role of Women Cont inued

This could mean that Gertrude was having an affair before King Hamlet was killed. Was she lovesick and became an unwit t ing pawn in Claudius' quest for power? How unwit t ing was she? By marrying Claudius, she gets to retain power and all the rights and privileges of a queen. But what about Hamlet? Marrying Claudius means that she can act as a buffer between Claudius and Hamlet, thus, keeping her son alive. This view of her character portrays her as a good mother trying to make the best out of a troubling situat ion.

Ophelia

Ophelia can be seen as vict im and pawn of the polit ical machinery. She is controlled by the Lord Chamberlain, her bossy father Polonius. Even her brother Laertes seeks to control her sexuality, telling her to keep her chast ity while he hypocrit ically enjoys himself. All in all, Ophelia appears to be very obedient. She lets her father Polonius use her as bait in a spy trap for Hamlet. In Ophelia's mind, this is just a way to try and help Hamlet. For if she can get Hamlet to confess his love for her, the reason of his madness would be discovered and hense a solut ion could be arranged to bring them together so they can live happily ever after. However, the plans fails terribly and later Ophelia is driven mad when her father is killed by the man she loves.

Q: Based on the discussion of Ophelia and Gert rude above, what sort of world do you think they inhabit?

A: The world of the play is a patriarchal one. To survive women have very few choices. Either like Ophelia they are passive and do what men tell them to do ? like stay at home and clean, or go to a nunnery, or like Gertrude they might be in a posit ion to rest some power within the polit ical status quo. This way she maintains power and yet also protects her son Hamlet.

Luke Barry as Hamlet and Angela Newman as Ophelia in Cyclone Rep?s 2015/17 product ion of "The Hamlet Session".

24

Hamlet is at his most agitated when talking to either female character. Although he cares for both, he's suspicious, as well. In the case of his mother, Gertrude, Hamlet feels she remarried too quickly and that her remarriage means she didn't love her first husband. With regards to Ophelia, Hamlet figures out that she is a pawn of Claudius, and Polonius. Considering that he once was wooing her, he must feel a strong sense of betrayal.

Another important considerat ion is that In Shakespeare?s day all the women?s parts were played by boys as there was a law against women playing on stage in England (Stretton, 2005). Pre-pubescent boys were used for their unbroken voices which was an accepted pract ice. However, one could imagine this presented difficult ies. For example, it might have been be very hard to take romantic scenes seriously. Thankfully, there are no romantic scenes in Hamlet but one could picture that audiences giggled a lot during Romeo and Juliet .

25

Use of Metaphor

A discussion of meaning of Hamlet?s metaphorical use of the ?Hawk? and ?Handsaw?.

?I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.? (Act 2 Sc. 2)

Here Hamlet is saying that he is only ?mad? at certain calculated t imes, and the rest of the t ime he knows what is what. This is a use of metaphor where two dissimilar things are compared having something in common: Madness with north-north-west. Comparing madness with north/northwest is straightforward in poet ical terms but the hawk with the handsaw comparison is pretty tricky. In a straight forward manner Hamlet is saying that he knows the difference between a hawk and a handsaw and is able to dist inguish things and assess them for their t rue nature. But on the poet ical level it has at least two possible interpretat ions:

Hamlet could be making a contrast. He says he knows Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have not come to help like a handsaw which would help to cut to the heart of the matter ? the truth, but that they?re hawks, dangerous birds of prey and he has to watch out.

Another possibility might be a bird hunt ing metaphor, a subject Shakespeare uses t ime and again in his plays. In Shakespeare?s England the word for a heron was ?hernsa?, ?handsa? and ?heronsaw? in different dialects. The word ?handsaw? is most likely a corrupt ion of these terms. To understand the sense of the metaphor, we should understand a few facts about birds and bird-hunt ing:

- Given that birds usually fly with the wind, when the wind is southerly, the bird flies in that direct ion and the hunter?s back is to the sun.

- Therefore the huntar can easily tell the difference between the various birds and would know a hawk from a handsaw (heron).

- When the wind is north-north-west, (which occurs about ten o'clock in the morning) the hunter's eye, the bird, and the sun, would be in a direct line, and with the sun thus in his eye he would not at all be able to dist inguish a hawk from a handsaw.

So Hamlet is thus saying that although circumstances are not the best, he can st ill dist inguish the difference between what is and what is not. In other words, he is not mad.

25

26

Classroom Act ivit ies - Act ive Teaching Opt ions

Classroom Act ivit ies 1: Interpretat ion

Aim: To explore character performance interpretat ions

Time: One class period

As discussed previously how Hamlet?s state of mind is interpreted can have a massive knock on effect on how the play or a part icular scene is done. This scene is from Act 2, Sc.2 where Polonius checks on Hamlet?s state of mind. Try this exercise in class and see if you can come up with your own interpretat ions.

Inst ruct ions:

- Organise a playing space in the classroom or use a hall or gym- Make a list of emotions and states of being from class suggest ions - Assign to one person the character of Hamlet and another to the part of Polonius - Have a third person referee by assigning states of being for Hamlet and Polonius at the start of

the scene- Then scene is paused at a couple of points and new emotions assigned for each character- Further suggest ions can be used as Animals, Accents, TV & Movie styles- Find the text of the scene in the next page

Version 2: Divide the class in groups of 3 students. Have them generate a list of emotions and states of being. Have everyone play simultaneously for approximately 10 minutes. Have volunteers perform for the class. Below are some suggested words you can use. Some are plausible and some are just for fun.

26

27

Classroom Act ivit ies - Act ive Teaching Opt ions

Classroom Act ivit ies 1: Interpretat ion Cont inued

LORD POLONIUS

How does my good Lord Hamlet?

HAMLET

Have you a daughter?

LORD POLONIUS

I have, my lord.

HAMLET

Let her not walk i' the sun: conception is ablessing: but not as your daughter may conceive.Friend, look to 't .

LORD POLONIUS

[Aside] How say you by that? St ill harping on mydaughter: What do you read, my lord?

HAMLET

Words, words, words.

LORD POLONIUS

What is the matter, my lord?

HAMLET

Between who?

LORD POLONIUS

I mean, the matter that you read, my lord.

HAMLET

Slanders, sir: for the sat irical rogue says herethat old men have grey beards, that their faces arewrinkled, their eyes purging thick amber andplum-tree gum and that they have a plent iful lack ofwit , together with most weak hams: all which, sir,though I most powerfully and potent ly believe, yetI hold it not honesty to have it thus set down, foryourself, sir, should be old as I am, if like a crabyou could go backward..

LORD POLONIUS

I will most humbly take my leave of you.

27

HAMLET

You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I willmore willingly part withal: except my life, exceptmy life, except my life.

LORD POLONIUS

Farewell, my lord.

Marcus Bale as Hamlet, Leah Wood as Horat io and Kieran O'Leary as Marcellus in our 2018/19 product ion of "The Hamlet Session,"

28

Classroom Act ivit ies - Act ive Teaching Opt ions

Classroom Act ivit ies 2: Hot Seat ing

Aim: To explore a character?s of frame of mind

Time: One class period

Hot Seat ing is a role-play exercise where one can explore a character?s state of mind. For example, in Cyclone Rep?s "The Hamlet Session" both Gertrude and Ophelia were hot-seated as if they were in court and the actors played the prosecut ion while the audience was the jury. You can do this for almost any character in the play such as Hamlet, Claudius, Ophelia, Laertes and even The Ghost! There are several versions of this exercise as described below:

Version 1: Corrupt or not? Prosecut ion and Defence. In groups of 3s, have the students play the roles of witness, prosecut ion and defence. Prosecut ion finds ways to prove the guilt /corrupt ion of the witness. The witness exclaims innocence at all t imes and will not admit to corrupt ion, blaming other characters in the play and giving examples why they should carry the blame. Defence makes arguments as to why the witness acted as they did cit ing good reasons supported by the text.

Version 2: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court. As version 2 above but now including the whole class. After the prosecutor and defender quest ion the witness, they make closing arguments and the jury votes as to whether they are guilty or not by popular vote.

28

Luke Barry as Hamlet, Angela Newman as Horat io and Marcus Bale as Laertes in our 2015/17 product ion of "The Hamlet Session."

29

Resources and References

References:

- Bate Jonathan (2008). Hamlet, Palgrave Macmillan

- Creative Shakespeare: The Globe Education Guide to Practical Shakespeare; Fiona Banks

- Egan, G. (2010). The Struggle for Shakespeare's Text: Twentieth-Century Editorial Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press

- Elton, O. (1894). The First Nine Books of the Danish History of Saxo Grammaticus, t ranslated by Oliver Elton, London: David Nutt .

- Freeman, A. (1967). Thomas Kyd: Facts and Problems, Oxford.

- Hibbard, G.R (1998). Hamlet, Oxford University Press

- Mabillard, A. (2000). What Inspired Shakespeare? [Internet]. Shakespeare Online. Available at: ht tp://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/shakespeareinspired.html [Accessed: January 13, 2016].

- Mart in, Gary. The Phrase Finder; 2019. ht tps://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/absolute-power-corrupts-absolutely.html

- O?Connor, E. (2012). Hamlet ? answer the Q [Internet]. leavingcertenglish.net. Available at: ht tp:// leavingcertenglish.net/2012/04/hamlet-answer-the-q/ [Accessed: January 15, 2016].

- Stretton, T. (2005). Women Waging Law in Elizabethan England. Cambridge University Press.

Other resources to look up, watch and read that relate to 'Hamlet ':

- TV Film: Hamlet (2018) directed by Icke & Huw and starring Andrew Scott

- Film: Hamlet (2015) directed by Robin Lough and starring Benedict Cumberbatch

- Film: Hamlet (2009) directed by Gregory Doran and Starring David Tennant

- Film: Hamlet (1996) directed and starring Kenneth Brannagh

- Film: The Lion King (1994) directed by Allers & Minkoff, Disney Product ions

- Film: Hamlet (1990) directed by Franco Zefirelly and Starring Mel Gibson

29

30