Gifted and Talented Education English Stage 5: Year 10 Who is Hamlet? Written by Suzanne Brown Willoughby Girls High School GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 1 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Context Willoughby Girls High School is a comprehensive girls’ school with 822 students. Students of non-English speaking background make up approximately 60% of the school population. The school conducts an external examination in English, Mathematics and Science for the incoming Year 7 gifted and talented class. A more challenging program is taught to this class. The English faculty selects one to two groups in Years 8-10. Besides studying more complex texts, these students are encouraged, as are students in the mixed-ability classes, to enter a range of internal and external writing, public speaking and debating competitions. The extension classes are also taken on an additional enrichment excursion. For example, the Year 8 group has been involved in a film editing workshop. Based on a highly complex text, this unit is designed specifically for gifted and talented students of English. It challenges these students to respond to intellectual and moral issues commensurate with their affective level of development. Such topics are generally presented to students in Stage 6. Application of Passow’s three criteria for evaluating the appropriateness of a program for gifted students (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2004, p. 22) confirms that this unit is not a program that all Stage 5 students would be able to undertake successfully. Schools are expected to have many resources to support the study of Hamlet. Therefore an exhaustive list of resources is not included in this unit. Schools should also give students support and opportunities to develop research skills in preparation for advanced study in Stage 6. Teachers need to note that currently Revenge tragedy is an elective in HSC English Extension Course 1, Module A: Genre. In addition, Hamlet is a text for Module A: Comparative study of texts and context, Elective 1: Transformations: Shakespeare and drama in the English (Advanced) course. As such, Hamlet is not studied for the HSC as a Revenge tragedy text. Nonetheless, in teaching this unit with gifted and talented students, teachers are expected to abide by the spirit of the two previously mentioned courses. Focus: Who is Hamlet? Preamble The character of Hamlet is open to various interpretations depending on the reader’s context and values. Students will undertake an investigation into Hamlet’s character according to: how he presents himself, his interaction with others, and critical viewpoints. Students will be encouraged to develop their own ‘reading’ of Hamlet based on their study. GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 2 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Table 1: Teaching and learning strategies Syllabus outcomes Quality teaching Assessment Teaching and learning strategies Interspersed throughout the Significance unit, a student: • Participation and performance 5% • • 1. responds to and composes sophisticated and sustained texts for understanding, interpretation, critical analysis and pleasure 4. selects and uses language forms and features, and structures of texts according to different purposes, audiences and contexts, and describes and explains their effects on meaning 6. experiments with different ways of imaginatively and interpretively transforming experience, information and ideas into texts 7. thinks critically and interpretively using information, ideas and increasingly complex arguments to respond to GAT Unit and compose texts in a Curriculum K-12 • • Background knowledge Knowledge integration Narrative • Book mark 10% Quality learning environment • • • Director’s notes 10% Explicit quality criteria High expectations • • Group work 5% • Intellectual quality Performance 10% • • • Feature article 10% • • • Deep knowledge Deep understanding Problematic knowledge Higher-order thinking Substantive communication Quality learning environment • • Common assessment: Shakespeare appropriation – Monologue 30% • 3 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Explain the focus of the unit Discuss the term ‘tragedy’; investigate and present conventions of Shakespearean tragedy/revenge tragedy Discuss Hamlet ‘trivia’ based on students’ general knowledge. Pool ideas Library – research facts about Hamlet. In groups use information to compose an acrostic or other form poem and perform for the class Read prose version of the play. View Zeffirelli’s 1990 film Hamlet; read review, clarify plot and characters Introduce ‘mini sagas’; students write two from the perspective of two different characters about Hamlet Investigate how Hamlet presents himself through his soliloquies. Whole class analysis and individual exploration of context/ideas/emotions/language/insight into character Create director’s notes based on one soliloquy Second part of investigation – Hamlet’s interaction with others. Groups examine passages and report back to the class. Present a ‘moved reading’ of one of the passages Introduce critical theory along with tragedy, feminism and psychoanalysis. An article written by one critic, read and analysed range of contexts 11. uses, reflects on, assesses and adapts their individual and collaborative skills for learning with increasing independence and effectiveness GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 • Students self regulation • • 4 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Groups choose a critical viewpoint and perform a five-minute version of the play from this perspective Based on their own reading and that of Hamlet himself, other characters and “experts”, students compose a feature article for the Denmark Herald, entitled “Who was Hamlet?” Tragedy Task Establishing prior knowledge Students: • individually write down their definition of tragedy • in groups compare definitions • compose a group definition. Class discusses these definitions before introducing the information below. What information can now be added to these definitions? In addition to resources already available in schools, teachers may find Composing and responding in English: Stage 5 (Anderson & Anderson, 2002) useful support documentation for this task. Background information The essential principles of tragedy were established by the Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) in his work The poetics. From Aristotle to the Elizabethans, tragedy developed and may be summarily described as follows: • Aristotle writes that tragedy should succeed in 'arousing pity and fear in such a way as to accomplish a catharsis (i.e. purgation) of such emotions (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2004b) • tragedy… refers to any narrative writing in which the protagonist suffers disaster after a serious and significant struggle, but faces his downfall in such a way as to attain heroic stature (Pooley et al., 1968) • tragedy is a story of exceptional calamity leading to the death of a man in high estate (Weller, 2001) • tragedies are tales of harshness and injustice. All of Shakespeare's tragedies have a tragic hero, or 'protagonist' who is put into a situation of conflict which he must resolve. A combination of bad luck and misjudgement lead to the hero's death (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2004b) • they [tragedies] chart the downfall of a hero, whose own death leads to the downfall of others…All of Shakespeare's tragic heroes have a flawed nature or blind spot that leads to their downfall (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2004b). Thus tragedy may be seen as the story of a noble hero with whom the audience must identify. Because he is only human, the protagonist contributes to his fate as a result of his own mistakes or failings. Faced with comparable circumstances we fear a similar fate for ourselves. By the end of the play the tragic hero comes to some understanding of his error and accepts responsibility for his doom. The realisation and acceptance of his fate brings him back to the state of spiritual nobility he had at the beginning of the play. As you read Hamlet, it is important for you to decide what his flaw(s) may or may not be. Read your summary of the play. What does this summary indicate they may be? Research and analyse what other critics have attributed Hamlet’s fate to. Student engagement in problematic knowledge may be demonstrated 5through participation in a debate, on these GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 © State of New South Wales through the opinions. NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Hamlet: A revenge tragedy Task Establishing prior knowledge 1 Write down your definition of revenge. 2 Compare it with other definitions in your group. Compose a definition which includes the best ideas from each person’s research. Using the Internet, library resources and class discussion, investigate key features of revenge tragedy plays. Gifted students may be further extended in this investigation by exploring the comparisons between Shakespearean (Elizabethan) revenge tragedies, the Japanese Kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura and the Tokugawa revenge ethic (EDSITEment, 2002a). Background information Revenge tragedy is a genre of plays popular in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. One of the earliest was The Spanish tragedy (1589) by Thomas Kyd (1558-1594). “Revenge tragedy usually concerns an individual faced with the duty of revenge in a society where the law is unreliable and within the control of the powerful and protected.” (Board of Studies, 2003, p. 27). Common features of revenge tragedies include: • ghosts • a hero's quest for vengeance • scenes of real or feigned insanity • scenes in graveyards, severed limbs, carnage and mutilation • a corpse-strewn stage • the restoration of order after chaos. (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2004b) GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 6 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 HAMLET Mini sagas The mini saga is a recent invention that has become popular through competitions run by the Telegraph newspaper and broadcast by the BBC. At the height of public interest, tens of thousands of stories were submitted from every age group and walk of life. What is a mini saga? The name is a deliberate irony because ‘saga’ is an old Norse word for a historical story of the kind told in Norway and Iceland in the Middle Ages. Stories were often long and complicated because they spanned the history of several generations. A mini saga is precisely fifty words long; into that small space a story, not an anecdote, has to be shoe-horned. The title is often crucial in directing the reader’s attention to the point of the story, and so titles can be up to fifteen words long. It is remarkable how little information seems to be needed for our imagination to go to work, fill the gaps and make sense of what we are offered. Writers of mini sagas, in particular, rely on the reader’s imagination to complete the story. A good mini saga stays in the mind long after it has been read, leaving a curious sense of being complete yet suggesting a lot more. Mini sagas can be spread out on the page either as ordinary prose or split into several lines, like free-verse poems, to give a different effect. Information available on the following sites was current on 21 September 2005: Arthur’s seat: Mini saga competition, http://arthursseat.blogs.com/arthurs_seat/2005/03/mini_saga_conte.html How to write mini sagas: An easy guide http://www.youngwriters.co.uk/mini_saga/how_to_write_mini_sagas.htm Target English, Semester 3, 2002: 50 Word Mini Sagas, http://users.aber.ac.uk/jpm/minisagas1.html Write a mini saga, http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/magazine/magazine_mini_sagas.html GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 7 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Hamlet as seen through his soliloquies Look carefully at the five soliloquies studied in class and your written responses to each one. Consider: • what each one reveals about Hamlet’s personality • if he grows/develops over the course of the play and if so, how? • whether he is a likeable protagonist. Task: You are the director of a new stage or film production of the play. It is your first meeting with the cast. In an informal discussion, explain to the cast what the audience learns about Hamlet through his soliloquies (be specific). Choose one of the five, and indicate to the actor playing Hamlet, how he should ‘bring it to life’. Again, be specific and refer to lines, words etc. The Royal Shakespeare web sites provide video interviews with directors and actors that students may find useful in completing this task. GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 8 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 Hamlet’s interaction with others Another way of gaining insight into Hamlet’s character is to examine his interactions with others, e.g. what others say about him and what he says about them. Working in small groups (3, 4 or 5): • read and discuss the extracts allocated to you in terms of what each reveals about Hamlet’s character • record your findings in your book • present findings to the class as well as a ‘moved reading’ of one of the extracts. Hamlet and Gertrude Hamlet and Ophelia I:ii, III:iv, III:iv, III: iv, III: iv, III: iv, III:i, III:ii, II:i, V:i, lines 68 – 120 lines 8 – 22 lines 38 – 53 lines 88 – 107 lines 130 – 182 lines 182 – 202 lines 90 – 155 lines 99 – 135 lines 75 – 118 lines 209 – 260 Hamlet and Claudius Hamlet and Horatio II:ii, III:i, III:i, III:iii, IV:iii, IV:vii, V:ii, I:ii, lines 169 – 254 I:iv, lines 62 – 81 I:iv, lines 121 – 180 III:ii, lines 43 – 79 III:ii, lines 246 – 264 V:ii, lines 62 – 79 V:ii, lines 311 – 340 lines 1 – 18 lines 1 – 28 lines 156 – 169 lines 1 – 26 lines 16 – 65 lines 127 – 161 lines 291 – 306 Hamlet and Polonius Hamlet and Laertes I:iii, II:ii, II:ii, III:i, III:iv, I:iii, lines 5 – 44 IV:v, lines 206 – 212 IV:vii, lines 127 – 147 V:i, lines 213 – 230 V:ii, lines 198 – 310 GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 lines 101 – 135 lines 129 – 149 lines 170 – 211 lines 170 – 181 lines 31 – 33 9 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 HAMLET CLASS/HOME ASSIGNMENT Representing – Transforming – Writing Task one In a group, select one of the critical readings discussed in class. Devise a five-minute version of Hamlet, making use of this critical viewpoint. Task two Using your class notes, personal impressions and feature article model, compose a feature article for the Denmark Weekend Herald entitled ‘Who was the Prince of Denmark?’ GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 10 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006 References Board of Studies NSW. (2003). English: Stage 6: Prescriptions: Areas of study electives and texts, retrieved 21 September 2005, from http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/eng_stg6_prescrpt_040 7.pdf EDSITEment. (2002a). Hamlet and the Elizabethan revenge ethic in text and film. http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=395 NSW Department of Education and Training. (2004). Policy and implementation strategies for the education of gifted and talented students: Support package: Curriculum differentiation. Sydney. Passow, A. H. (1982). Differentiated curricula for the gifted and talented. Committee Report to the National/State Leadership Training Institute on the Gifted and Talented. Ventura Co., CA: Office of the Superintendent of Schools. Pooley, R. C., Anderson, G. K., Farmer, P. & Thornton, H. (1968). England in literature. Glenview, ILL: Scott, Foresman and Company. RSC Royal Shakespeare Company. (2004a). Exploring Shakespeare: Hamlet and Macbeth, retrieved 21 September 2005, from http://www.rsc.org.uk/learning/hamletandmacbeth/keyidea/hamletkeyidea.htm RSC Royal Shakespeare Company.(2004b). Hamlet, retrieved 21 September 2005, from http://www.rsc.org.uk/hamlet/tragedy/tragedies.html Weller, P. (2001). A. C. Bradley’s Shakespearean tragedy, retrieved 21 September 2005, from http://www.clicknotes.com/bradley/welcome.html Resources Anderson, M. & Anderson, K. (2002). Composing & responding in English. South Yarra: Macmillan. The following is a very small sample of the online resources available on 21 September 2005: Econnect Communication. (2002). Top tips for writing feature articles. http://www.econnect.com.au/pdf/quicktips/writing_features.pdf EDSITEment. (2002b). Hamlet meets Chushingura: Traditions of the revenge tragedy. http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=396 Feature articles. http://www.teachwriting.com/FeatureArticles.htm GT world. (2005). http://gtworld.org/ Johnston, I. (2001). Introductory lecture on Shakespeare's Hamlet. http://www.mala.bc.ca/%7Ejohnstoi/eng366/lectures/hamlet.htm GAT Unit Curriculum K-12 11 © State of New South Wales through the NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006