Hamlet and Rosencrantz
and Guildenstern are Dead
Unit Presentation
Lindsay Kerstetter
Unit Summary
In this unit students will
closely read Shakespeare’s
Hamlet and Tom Stoppard’s
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
are Dead and analyze the two
plays in conjunction with each
other. Students will be quizzed
on major literary devices such
as theme, symbols, motifs,
plot, etc. throughout the
course of the readings.
Students will work
cooperatively to write two
papers: the first paper on
Hamlet and the second paper
on both plays. The final paper
will demonstrate extended
knowledge of both plays.
Target Content Standards
Reading

Vocabulary and Concept Development: 1.1 Trace the etymology of significant terms

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text 3.2 Analyze the way in which the
used in political science and history. 1.2 Apply knowledge of Greek, Latin, and AngloSaxon roots and affixes to draw inferences concerning the meaning of scientific and
mathematical terminology. 1.3 Discern the meaning of analogies encountered,
analyzing specific comparisons as well as relationships and inferences.
theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, using textual
evidence to support the claim. 3.3 Analyze the ways in which irony, tone, mood, the
author’s style, and the “sound” of language achieve specific rhetorical or aesthetic
purposes or both. 3.4 Analyze ways in which poets use imagery, personification,
figures of speech, and sounds to evoke readers’ emotions.
Target Content Standards
Writing

Organization and Focus 1.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the elements of discourse (e.g.,
purpose, speaker, audience, form) when completing narrative, expository, persuasive, or
descriptive writing assignments. 1.2 Use point of view, characterization, style (e.g., use of irony),
and related elements for specific rhetorical and aesthetic purposes. 1.3 Structure ideas and
arguments in a sustained, persuasive, and sophisticated way and support them with precise and
relevant examples. 1.4 Enhance meaning by employing rhetorical devices, including the extended
use of paral-lelism, repetition, and analogy; the incorporation of visual aids (e.g., graphs, tables,
pictures); and the issuance of a call for action. 1.5 Use language in natural, fresh, and vivid ways
to establish a specific tone.

Research and Technology 1.6 Develop presentations by using clear research questions and

Evaluation and Revision 1.9 Revise text to highlight the individual voice, improve sentence variety
creative and critical research strategies (e.g., field studies, oral histories, interviews, experiments,
electronic sources). 1.7 Use systematic strategies to organize and record information (e.g.,
anecdotal scripting, annotated bibliographies). 1.8 Integrate databases, graphics, and
spreadsheets into word-processed documents.
and style, and enhance subtlety of meaning and tone in ways that are consistent with the
purpose, audience, and genre.
2.2 Write responses to literature: a. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the
significant ideas in works or passages. b. Analyze the use of imagery, language, universal themes,
and unique aspects of the text. c. Support important ideas and viewpoints through accurate and
detailed references to the text and to other works. d. Demonstrate an understanding of the
author’s use of stylistic devices and an appreciation of the effects created. e. Identify and assess
the impact of perceived ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
Unit Objectives




Students will be frequently assessed for
understanding of plot and other literary
devices.
Students will be asked to select quotes,
closely read and analyze them in small
journals. Journals will be collected at the
end of each play.
Students will be writing a paper on a
limited choice of topics for Hamlet.
Using the paper they wrote on Hamlet,
students will write a comprehensive
paper that compares and contrasts
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead
with Hamlet.

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The paper involving both plays will be
revised by the students; they will trade
papers and correct another student’s
paper.
Students will make connections between
these two plays and current day events.
CFQ’s
Essential Question:
Why is it important to look at things from different
perspectives?
Unit Questions:
 What do you think is different about Hamlet when told
from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s perspective?
 What are similarities you see in Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are Dead and Hamlet?
Content Questions:
 How does fate affect the main characters in both plays?
 Why does Hamlet feign madness?
 Pick two main characters from each play and describe
their function in each play?
Gauging Student Needs
Assessments
What do you think
you know about
Hamlet or
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern are
Dead?
What are your
expectations for R&G
are Dead?
What questions or
interests do you
have about each
play? If you don’t
know anything about
R&G are Dead, then
just respond for
Hamlet.
What do you think is
the best way to
answer your
questions about the
plays?
What have you
learned from or
about these plays?
Project-Based Learning v. Tests
Only
Some of you may be concerned that this project does not follow the typical read-then-quiz
format. I feel that when students are working on something they are interested in, they will
be more motivated to learn. The goal of this project is to incorporate close reading and
analyzing skills, essay writing skills, and to teach the students how to compare and contrast
two related plays. In the process of completing this project, students will be learning and
accomplishing much more than if they merely read Hamlet and took a test on plot and
characters. This project asks your children to critically think about the play and apply it to
modern life. Education is about more than just knowing facts about a book written years and
years ago; it’s about asking, “why are we learning this?” or “how is this relevant today?” My
goal is to teach more than just the same old Hamlet and to make it relevant to your children.
Project Summary
In this project, students will be
reading a classic Shakespeare
play in combination with a
related play. This will make
students look at a classic story
from a new perspective. They
will be asked to incorporate
major ideas in both plays into
two papers that will
demonstrate knowledge and
understanding. Throughout the
course of this project, students
will be covering a large
number of standards while
developing skills that will help
them for the rest of their lives.