Revising the sequence of 'Hamlet' 2

in ,

This is a brief coda to the original post on how to use sequence sheets to secure knowledge of the Hamlet ‘map’, and can be applied to Macbeth, King Lear, Othello and indeed non-Shakespeare texts. See the Shakespeare page for sequence sheets on those plays.

For directing pupils when they are revising individual characters for an examination, important scenes can easily be identified using the sequence sheets by highlighting the relevant scenes (there is little point in doing this for Hamlet himself). Of course, it is a matter of opinion which scenes are significant; they can do this themselves before concentrating on that character, or these outlines can be provided.

Pupils can see the overall ‘pattern’ of the character more easily: for instance, Gertrude’s near silence (or silencing) in the first two Acts of the play.

Gertrude

Claudius

Ophelia

On 'Hamlet'
'Hamlet' webinar
'Hamlet' webinar

Notes and links for a webinar via Tralee Education Support Centre, for teachers of Hamlet at Leaving Certificate.

Emma Smith on 'Hamlet'
Emma Smith on 'Hamlet'

Notes on the Hamlet chapter in Emma Smith’s This is Shakespeare.

Revising the sequence of 'Hamlet' 2
Revising the sequence of 'Hamlet' 2

A simple way to help pupils understand which parts of a play are important for revising an individual character. Here, Hamlet, but any play by Shakespeare works.

Gabriel Josipovici's 'Hamlet: Fold on Fold'
Gabriel Josipovici's 'Hamlet: Fold on Fold'

Gabriel Josipovici’s commentary in Hamlet: Fold on Fold is consistently stimulating and thought-provoking, and blessedly free of academic jargon.

Two webinars
Two webinars

Two free webinars in the 2023-24 academic year: on Hamlet, and on cognitive science (an introduction).

10 characters in 'Hamlet'
10 characters in 'Hamlet'

5-minute talks on relatively ‘lesser’ characters in Hamlet.

Hamlet key moment video annotations
Hamlet key moment video annotations

15 video annotations of key moments in Hamlet.

Revising the sequence of 'Hamlet' 1
Revising the sequence of 'Hamlet' 1

A three-step approach to embedding knowledge of the sequence of events in Hamlet.

Thinking about the tragedies: 54 exercises
Thinking about the tragedies: 54 exercises

54 exercises to discuss key quotations when revising Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear and Othello, with the rationale behind them, and an example from a key scene in Macbeth.

'To be or not to be' in BSL
'To be or not to be' in BSL

Jamal Ajala performs ‘To be or not to be’ in BSL: an opportunity for an interesting exercise in class.

97 quotations from 'Hamlet'
97 quotations from 'Hamlet'

Quotations are the core of an answer on Hamlet. If you are preparing to answer on the play in an exam, it’s essential you can refer in detail to the text. Think of what should replace 'blank' in each case, then click to see the answer. Now write down (or, better still, discuss with a friend): how could this quotation be used? how is it helpful/interesting? how does it connect with others? Use this exercise not just to retrieve, but to think.

Thinking about 'Hamlet'
Thinking about 'Hamlet'

Here are some exercises on quotations in Hamlet. They are designed for pair-work 10-minute sessions in class, but work perfectly well for individuals. You need to know the play well, so these are for revision at a late stage. The purpose is to make your mind work hard.

Hamlet: the first soliloquy
Hamlet: the first soliloquy

The first soliloquy in Hamlet is poised just before the protagonist’s life changes: we hear the words of a man eaten up with bitterness, frustration and anger. When you’re studying this play, it’s important that you have a detailed knowledge of this and the subsequent soliloquies – they’re hard evidence of what is inside the head of this most complex character.

'Hamlet': the opening scene
'Hamlet': the opening scene

Shakespeare’s four great tragedies all open in uncertainty and discomfort. In Macbeth, three ‘weird’ figures of indeterminate gender speak in riddles. In Othello, two men mutter obscurely in a Venetian street, one telling the other of his contempt for his own boss, and then the two rouse the house of a respected Senator. In King Lear, two noblemen discuss with dismay how the aged King is favouring one Duke over another, following which the said King, appallingly, slices up his own kingdom.