Year 12 Explorations in Drama: "I am thy father's spirit"

"I am thy father's spirit,
Doomed for a certain term to walk the night" (Hamlet 1.5).

Today we will listen to presentations and focus further on Act 1 and Brannagh's film version of "Hamlet".

Presentations:

Present your findings about the context of  Shakespeare's "Hamlet" to the class.

Task 1:

Re-read Act 1 scene 4 in which Hamlet first sees the Ghost of his dead father. Look especially at lines 20-39 starting "Angels and ministers of grace defend us!"

1. What evidence is there in Hamlet's speech of his uncertainty about the Ghost?
2. How should we explain this?

Task 2:

Re-read the Ghost's story in Act 1 scene 5 from lines 9-91.

1. What is the Ghost's explanation for his death?
2. What imagery in the Ghost's speech suggests the corruption at the heart of the Danish court?
3. What examples of religious imagery can you find in the Ghost's speech?

Watching Brannagh's film.

Taking notes would be a good idea while watching on anything you don't follow or that you think is significant.
 
Homework: Language in the Ghost's story

Look back at the story which the ghost of old Hamlet tells his son in act one scene five. Pick out examples of language that refers to:

•    The physical corruption and death
•    purity and impurity, especially sexual impurity
•    the body
•    religious language

What impression does the ghost's speech gives the audience of:

• Old King Hamlet
• Claudius
• Gertrude to the Queen?

Image: Queen Elizabeth I, The Spanish Armada.

Year13: Establishing character and relationships in "The Final Passage"

Week 2: The Final Passage

Establishing relationships

·         Close study of pages 23-43 of “Home”

·         Establishing character and relationship: Leila and Michael/Millie and Bradeth

·         Presentations: Relationships

·         Michael’s past

·         Clues about the past on the island

Research: Find out about the culture and past of the islands of St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean

Year 12: Hamlet's Ghost

Today we will focus further on Act 1 of Hamlet and specifically Hamlet's encounter with the Ghost. Before we do so:

The meaning of context

1.  What do we mean by the context of a literary work?
2. What kinds of topics might we be interested in when exploring context?
3. How do you think context could affect the way in which a literary work is created?

 Work together to list examples (e.g. The Reformation).

Reading extracts from Act 1

We will read some further extracts from Act 1, including Hamnlet's soliloquies and his encounter with the Ghost.

Choose one soliloquy. Prepare a presentation about this question:

What do we learn about Hamlet and the situation of the play from this speech?

Brannagh's Hamlet

We will also watch further in Act 1 of this version of the play.

Homework

Research a chosen area of literary context for Hamlet.

Image: Hamlet's Ghost.

Year 12: The suits of woe (Hamlet Act 1 scene 2)

Hamlet Act 1 scenes 1 & 2

Today we will consider especially Act 1 scene 2 in which we are first introduced to Hamlet and his family.

After reading and watching Brannagh's production, answer these questions:

1. What first impression do we get of Claudius?
2. What about the Queen, Gertrude?
3. How would you characterise Hamlet in this scene?
4. What more do we learn about the political situation in Denmark at the opening of the play from this scene?
5. What is the significance of Hamlet's speech in lines 76-86?
6. What do we learn about Hamlet's state of mind from his soliloquy in lines 129-157?
7. What do you deduce about Hamlet's relationship with his uncle and mother ffrom this scene?
8. How does Hamlet receive the news of the appearance of the Ghost?
9. Pick two lines from the scene you think especially significant and explain why they are important.
10. Chose one image from this scene that summarises Hamlet's condition at the opening of the play.

AO4: The meaning and significance of context

What do we mean by the context of a literary work?
Brianstorm together what kinds of things we might be interested in finding out about to explain the context of a literary work's production (e.g. religious beliefs of the time).

Homework

Research the context of Hamlet focusing especially on Elizabethan society and religion.

Y13: Unit 3 Interpretations of Prose

Journeys: Core Texts

The Final Passage by Caryl Phillips

Brunizem by Sujata Bhatt (The section “Eurydice Speaks” only)

Terrorist at My Table by Imtiaz Dharker (Two sections: “Lascar Johnny 1930” and “The Habit of Departure” only)

Unit 3 Learning Objectives

1. The importance of the relationship between texts, making comparisons between texts in the light of different interpretations by other readers
2. The significance of the cultural and contextual influences under which literary texts are written and received
3. How to respond creatively, relevantly and in an informed way to texts using appropriate terminology and concepts as well as coherent and accurate written expression
4. How to analyse texts from a critical perspective

Week 1: The Final Passage

• Reading and interpreting prose
• Sources of study for the novel
• Close reading of "The End" pages 9-20
• Character and theme in the opening
• Structure of the novel

Essay/Homework:

What do we learn about theme and character from the opening of the novel (the section "The End")?

600-800 words.

Images: The Final Passage and Caryl Phillips.