Hamlet Lesson Plan #11
Stage Fighting and Blocking
Date: April 8, 2004
Objectives:
 To allow students to practise manipulating their
 To allow students to practise reading and rereading for comprehension and fluency.
Curriculum Expectations:









Read aloud, speaking clearly and with expression - L4; Read aloud, adjusting speed to purpose and
audience – L5; Read aloud, showing understanding of the material and awareness of the audience –
L6
Use knowledge of oral and written language structures and of elements of grammar to understand
the meaning of sentences – L4, L5, L6
Enact or create, rehearse, and present drama works based on a play – D4
Interpret and communicate the meaning of stories and plays, using a variety of drama techniques –
D4
Communicate, orally, their response to their own and others’ work in drama – D4
Demonstrate an understanding of voice and audience by speaking in role as characters in a story –
D4
Demonstrate control of voice by using appropriate techniques (projection and enunciation)– D4
Demonstrate the ability to maintain concentration while in role - D4
Explain how elements of drama work together to create an effect on the audience – D4

Represent and interpret main characters by speaking and moving in role – D4

Create and present a short choreography – D4
Materials:
 Students sitting on carpets
 Student scripts for scenes 8 & 9
 Newspaper swords for each student
 VCR and Princess Bride
 Steps written on the board for duel
Mental Set and Sharing the Purpose:
 Going to be working with the last few Hamlet scenes today – and learning some
stage fighting techniques: first going to read scenes, then practise acting out the
last duelling scene
1) Review Previous scene – 2-5 min.
 Have a student summarize events
3) Introduce new scene and Scene Related Activity
 Reader’s Theatre with Scene 8:
o I read – students read silently


All read together – someone summarizes scene
Watch Princess Bride duelling scene – to give them an idea of a duel
o Warm-Up: Write names with swords in sky (show me they can concentrate
and use sword responsibly)
o Demonstrate some stage fighting techniques – (overhand, underhand, jab)
 Pair students up and have students try one at a time, demo next, they
try again etc.
o Scene 9: I read – students read silently and think of actions that go along
with it
 All read together – someone summarizes scene
 Partner students up and have them choreograph a duel scene
 Write steps on board:
o Hamlet and Laertes duel
o Hamlet wounds Laertes
o Laertes attacks Hamlet from behind and cuts him on the
arm
o Hamlet knocks Laerte’s sword down and picks it up
o Laertes grabs Hamlet’s arms
o Hamlet stabs Laertes in the stomach
Conclusion:
 On Tuesday – will be practising tableaux for scenes 1,2,3 and scenes 5 and 9 for
our presentation
 I will be assigning roles
 Some people will be asked to narrate the tableau scenes
 Will practise on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday morning for the Friday afternoon
show
 Like to invite anyone?
Assessment/Evaluation:
 Rubric to observe participation and group work: communication of ideas, quality of
ideas, listening, cooperation, on-task
 Anecdotal notes on acquisition of dramatic elements of lesson
Self-Evaluation: