Study Guide for
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
The Barter Player ENCORE Company’s production of Hamlet is
part of Shakespeare in American Communities,
a program of the
National Endowment for the Arts
in partnership with Arts Midwest
The National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest presents Shakespeare in
American Communities. The Barter Player ENCORE Company is one of 40 professional theater
companies selected to participate in bringing the finest productions of Shakespeare to middleand high-school students in communities across the United States. This is the twelfth year of this
national program, the largest tour of Shakespeare in American history.
Study Guide prepared by
Catherine Bush, Katy Brown,
Meg Atkinson & Carrie Smith
Hamlet
By William Shakespeare
*Especially for Grades 8 and up
By the Barter ENCORE Players, spring 2015
(NOTE: standards listed below are for reading Hamlet and seeing a performance as well as
completing the study guide.)
Virginia SOLs
English: 8.2, 8.4, 8.5, 8.7, 8.9, 9.1, 9.3, 9.4, 9.6, 10.1, 10.3, 10.4, 10.6, 12.1, 12.3, 12.4, 12.6
Theatre Arts: 8.5, 8.9, 8.18, 8.22, 8.25, TI.8, TI.9, TI.10, TI.11, TI.12, TI.13, TI.16, TI.17, TII.9, TII.11,
TII.12, TII.15, TII.16, TII.21, T3III.7, TIII.8, TIII. 9, TIII.12, TIII.17, TIV.12, TIV.13
Tennessee /North Carolina Common Core State Standards
English/Language Arts - Reading Literacy: 8.1, 8.3, 8.7, 8.10, 9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3, 9-10.4, 9-10.5,
9-10.6, 9-10.9, 9-10.10, 11-12.1, 11-12.3, 11-12.4, 11-12.5, 11-12.7, 11-12.10
English Language Arts – Writing: 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.7, 9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.4, 9-10.6, 9-10.9, 9-10.10, 1112.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.4, 11-12.6, 11-12.10
Tennessee Fine Arts Curriculum Standards
Theatre 6-8: 1.4, 3.2, 3.4, 6.1, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2
Theatre 9-12:3.2, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.2, 7.1, 7.2
North Carolina Essential Standards
Theatre Arts – 8.A.1, 8.AE.1, 8.CU.2, B.C.2, B.A.1, B.AE.1, B.CU.1, B.CU.2, I.C.2, I.A.1, I.CU.1,
I.CU.2, P.C.1, P.A.1, P.CU.2, A.C.2, A.A.1, A.CU.1, A.CU.2
Setting
Elsinore Castle and various other locations. The past.
Characters
Hamlet – Prince of Denmark
Ghost – Hamlet’s dead father
Gertrude – Hamlet’s mother
Claudius – Hamlet’s uncle
Horatio – Hamlet’s best friend
Ophelia – Hamlet’s love interest
Polonius – Ophelia’s father
Laertes – Ophelia’s brother
Rosencrantz – Hamlet’s former schoolmate
Guildenstern – Hamlet’s former schoolmate
Osric – a gentleman of the court
Gravedigger
Bernardo – castle guard
Francisco – castle guard
Marcellus – castle guard
Players – traveling actors
Note: Cast Size and Doubling of Actors
In this production of Hamlet we will be using only six actors, with some actors playing more
than one role. Doubling of actors requires distinction between characters. In this production,
characters will be distinguished by costume, voice and other physical character traits.
Biography of the Playwright
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon
in England, and his birthday is traditionally celebrated on April
23rd. At the age of eighteen he married Anne Hathaway, with
whom he had three children. By 1592, he was living in London
and working as an actor and playwright. He was part owner of
the acting company, the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (later called
the King’s Men), which built and performed in the Globe
Theatre. Over the course of his career Shakespeare wrote 37
plays, 154 sonnets and many other poems. He died on April 23,
1616, and was buried at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford.
Define the following vocabulary words
dexterity
libertine
apparition
dalliance
entreat
incestuous
slander
assail
countenance
harrow
requite
pernicious
perusal
partisan
convoy
credent
malefaction
canon
importunity
consummation
frailty
contumely
bodkin
calumny
gibes
gambols
cozenage
augury
Synopsis
Everyone notices how melancholy Prince Hamlet has become since the death of his father two
months past. Some attribute it to mourning, others to his mother Gertrude’s hasty marriage to her
late husband’s brother, Claudius. Then, one night, castle guards Marcellus, Bernardo, and
Franciso are standing watch on the battlements when the Ghost of Hamlet’s father – the late
King – appears to them. Frightened and unsure what to make of it, they ask Hamlet’s friend,
Horatio, to watch with them the next night. Once more the Ghost appears, but when Horatio tries
to speak to it, the Ghost remains sorrowfully mute. When Horatio tells Hamlet about his father’s
Ghost, Hamlet determines to see it for himself that night.
Meanwhile, Hamlet’s love interest, Ophelia, bids her brother
Laertes a safe journey as he prepares to depart for France.
Before he leaves, Laertes cautions Ophelia about Hamlet and
advises her not to get too serious about him. Ophelia’s father
Polonius enters and gives Laertes some last minute advice as
well, including “neither a borrower nor a lender be” and “to
thine own self be true.” Laertes leaves for his trip, and
Polonius also warns Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet,
whom Polonius considers insincere in his affections. Ophelia
agrees to rebuff his advances.
That night, the Ghost appears to Hamlet and reveals that his
death was the result of murder; while the King was sleeping
in the garden, his brother Claudius poured poison in his ear.
He urges Hamlet to avenge his death. When the guards and
Horatio ask Hamlet what the Ghost said, he refuses to tell
them – instead he swears them to secrecy about the Ghost’s
appearance, and makes them pledge not to reveal it no matter
how oddly he behaves.
Later, Ophelia finds Polonius and tells him that Hamlet confronted her after she returned the
keepsakes he had given her. His behavior was so odd that she became frightened. Convinced that
Hamlet is mad for love, Polonius takes Ophelia to King Claudius so that she might give him this
news. Claudius wants to witness Hamlet’s behavior for himself, so he and Polonius devise a trap
for Hamlet using Ophelia as bait.
Meanwhile, two of Hamlet’s school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, have arrived, at
Claudius’ beckoning, to cheer their friend up. A troupe of actors have also arrived for the same
reason. To make certain that what the Ghost told him was true, Hamlet devises a plan: he will
insert a bit into the actors’ play recreating his father’s murder and then watch Claudius’ reaction.
Claudius and Polonius hide in order to spy on Ophelia’s next encounter with Hamlet. Hamlet,
thinking he’s alone, contemplates the meaning of life (“to be or not to be”). When Ophelia
approaches, Hamlet’s behavior becomes increasingly strange. He refutes ever loving her and tells
her never to marry (“get thee to a nunnery”). After witnessing this, and worried that Hamlet may
become dangerous, Claudius determines to send him away to England.
Synopsis (cont.)
The time has come for the acting troupe to perform the play. When they come to the part where
the actor-king is poisoned in his garden, Claudius stands and stops the play. Hamlet is now
convinced that the Ghost has told the truth. Claudius, on the other hand, is more worried than
ever. He commands Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Hamlet to England. They leave
and Claudius falls to his knees, praying the Lord’s pardon for the murder he committed. Hamlet
hears him praying, and is tempted to kill him immediately. Only the thought of Claudius’ ascent
to heaven stays his hand. Gertrude requests a conference with her son. Hamlet goes to her,
unaware that Polonius is eavesdropping behind a curtain. Hamlet accuses Gertrude of betraying
his father by marrying Claudius. Fearful of his temper, Gertrude yells for help. Polonius, upon
hearing her, echoes her cries. Hamlet pierces the curtain with his sword, killing Polonius. The
Ghost appears and he and Hamlet converse. Gertrude, who doesn’t see the Ghost, is convinced
that Hamlet is mad. Hamlet drags Polonius’ body away. Gertrude explains to Claudius what
happened. Claudius sends Hamlet to England that night. Before they leave with him, Claudius
gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a letter instructing the English authorities to kill Hamlet.
Ophelia, upon hearing news of her father’s death and Hamlet’s disappearance, goes mad with
grief. Laertes returns from Paris seeking to avenge his father’s death. His heart breaks further
when he witnesses Ophelia’s madness. Claudius
quickly assures Laertes that the guilt lies with
Hamlet. At that moment, a letter arrives from Hamlet
announcing his return the next day. Claudius and
Laertes plot to revenge Hamlet upon his arrival by
arranging a duel wherein only Laertes foil will have a
sharpened point which he will have dipped in poison.
To make certain Hamlet will be killed, Claudius also
arranges a poison chalice to be nearby. Suddenly
Gertrude enters with the news that, in her madness,
Ophelia has drowned herself.
Near a graveyard, Hamlet finds Horatio and explains how he escaped Claudius’ trap; Hamlet
read the letter requesting his death at the hands of the English and replaced it with another that
called for the death of the note’s bearers. Thus the English killed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
and Hamlet made his escape. Next Horatio and Hamlet come upon a gravedigger; they soon
discover the grave is being dug for Ophelia. As Laertes lays her in the ground, Hamlet makes his
presence known. Laertes and Hamlet argue, setting the stage for their final battle.
Laertes and Hamlet begin their duel. Gertrude accidentally
drinks from the poisoned cup meant for Hamlet. Laertes lashes
Hamlet with the poisoned tip – Hamlet grapples his sword
away from him and slashes Laertes with the same tip. Gertrude
falls and, realizing she’s been poisoned, warns Hamlet. Laertes
confesses to poisoning the tip of his foil as well. Hamlet uses
that foil to kill Claudius. Laertes and Hamlet exchange
forgiveness, then both die.
A Brief History
Barter Theatre was founded during the Great Depression by Robert Porterfield, an enterprising young
actor. He and his fellow actors found themselves out of work and hungry in New York City. Porterfield
contrasted that to the abundance of food, but lack of live theatre, around his home region in Southwest
Virginia. He returned to Washington County with an extraordinary proposition: bartering produce from
the farms and gardens of the area to gain admission to see a play.
Barter Theatre opened its doors on June 10, 1933 proclaiming, “With vegetables you cannot sell, you can
buy a good laugh.” The price of admission was 40 cents or the equivalent in produce, the concept of
trading “ham for Hamlet” caught on quickly. At the end of the first season, the Barter Company cleared
$4.35 in cash, two barrels of jelly and enjoyed a collective weight gain of over 300 pounds.
Playwrights including Noel Coward, Tennessee Williams and Thornton Wilder accepted Virginia ham as
payment for royalties. An exception was George Bernard Shaw, a vegetarian, who bartered the rights to
his plays for spinach.
Today, Barter Theatre has a reputation as a theatre where many actors performed before going on to
achieve fame and fortune. The most recognized of these alumni include Gregory Peck, Patricia Neal,
Ernest Borgnine, Hume Cronyn, Ned Beatty, Gary Collins, Larry Linville and Frances Fisher. The list
also included James Burrows, creator of Cheers, Barry Corbin, and the late Jim Varney
Robert Porterfield passed away in 1971. His successor, Rex Partington, had been at Barter in the 1950s as
an actor and in the 1970s as stage manager. Rex returned as chief administrator from 1972 until his
retirement in 1992. In March 2006, he passed away.
Richard Rose was named the producing artistic director in October 1992. In that time, attendance has
grown from 42,000 annual patrons to more than 163,000 annual patrons. Significant capital
improvements have also been made. Including maintenance to both theatres, and in 2006, the addition of
The Barter Café at Stage II and dramatic improvements to Porterfield Square.
Barter represents three distinct venues of live theatre: Barter Theatre Main Stage, Barter Theatre Stage II
and The Barter Players. Barter Theatre, with over 500 seats, features traditional theatre in a luxurious
setting. Barter Stage II, across the street from Barter Main Stage and beyond Porterfield Square, offers
seating for 167 around a thrust stage in an intimate setting and is perfect for more adventurous
productions. The Barter Players is a talented ensemble of actors, producing plays for young audiences
throughout the year.
History is always in the making at Barter Theatre, building on legends of the past; Barter looks
forward to the challenge of growth in the future.
WORD SEARCH
Find the following words below:
Hamlet, nunnery, Ophelia, Horatio, troupe, Claudius, Polonius, Shakespeare,
poison, ghost, Denmark, Gertrude, drowned, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern,
gravedigger, skull, Yorick, jester, melancholy, Laertes, to be or not to be,
Elsinore, revenge
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Brush Up Your Shakespeare
Using the clues below, fill in the blanks with the appropriate title of one of the following
Shakespeare plays: Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello, The Taming of the Shrew, Henry V, Much
Ado About Nothing, Julius Caeser, A Midsummers Night Dream, The Merchant of Venice, As You
Like It, Cymbeline, Richard III, Timon of Athens, Antony and Cleopatra, Henry VI Part II, Twelfth
Night, Henry IV Part I, Henry IV Part II, The Tempest,
The Merry Wives of Windsor
Across
Down
1. Out, damned spot
3. To be or not to be
5. Has three daughters
6. a pound of flesh
9. All the world's a stage
14. If we shadows have offended
16. Rome meets Egypt
17. the game is up
18. Et tu, Brute?
19. the Moor
20. Viola and Orsino
21. kill all the lawyers
2. We have seen better days
4. the stuff dreams are made on
7. Kate and Petruchio
8. Beatrice and Benedick
10. the world's my oyster
11. O, for a Muse of fire
12. eaten out of house and home
13. The winter of our discontent
15. give the devil his due
True and False
Write T if the statement is True and F if the statement is False.
1. ____ Hamlet’s mother is Gertrude.
2. ____ Hamlet’s father is Polonius.
3. ____ Hamlet went to school with Marcellus, Franciso, and Bernardo.
4. ____ Polonius was killed when Claudius poured poison in his ear.
5. ____ Laertes is Ophelia’s brother.
6. ____ Horatio killed Polonius for eavesdropping on Hamlet.
7. ____ Claudius tells Laertes “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.”
8. ____ Claudius killed Hamlet’s father then married Hamlet’s mother.
9. ____ Richard Rose is the Producing Artistic Director of Barter Theatre.
10. ___ Hamlet’s father appears to him as a court jester.
11. ___ The skull the gravedigger shows Hamlet is Yorick’s.
12. ___ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern escort Hamlet to England.
13. ___ Laertes and Hamlet fight a duel.
14. ___ Barter Theatre used to accept farm produce as payment to see a show.
Matching
Draw a line connecting the person in the first column with the corresponding description/quote in
the second.
1. Yorick
2. Hamlet
3. Ophelia
4. Polonius
5. Elsinore
6. Claudius
7. Gertrude
8. Marcellus
9. Laertes
10. Horatio
a. “To thine own self be true”
b. Drank from a poisoned cup
c. Hamlet’s uncle
d. Hamlet’s castle
e. Went to Paris
f. Hamlet’s trusted friend
g. a deceased court jester
h. a castle guard
i. Prince of Denmark
j. Polonius’ daughter
Questions/Activities
“Something’s rotten in the state of
Denmark”
Individually or in groups, research the history
of one of the following Danish topics:
The Vikings Hans Christian Andersen
Danish Monarchy
LEGO Toy Company
Denmark’s topography
Hygge
Tivoli Gardens
Camille Pissaro the Danish flag
Make an oral presentation to the class!
“To thine own self be true…”
tragedy: A drama or literary work in which the main character is
brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence
of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable
circumstances.
1. Using the definition above, explain why Hamlet is a tragedy. Cite passages
from the play to support your reasoning. Which character has a tragic flaw?
Hamlet? Gertrude? Claudius? What is this tragic flaw? Discuss.
Compare and Contrast!
Horatio went to school with Hamlet, as did
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern.
Horatio and Hamlet
Rosencrantz &Guildenstern
Write a paper comparing and contrasting their relationship with
Hamlet. Who was the most loyal to Hamlet? To Claudius? How
did the play end for Horatio? For Rosencrantz & Guildenstern?
2. Imagine that the Ghost of a dead friend or relative appeared to you and asked
you to avenge their murder. What would you do? What is your definition of
“justice.” Is there a difference between seeking justice and revenge? Do you
think Hamlet was justified in his actions? What other choices were available to
him? What other choices would be available to you in this day and age? If this
same story took place today, would it end the same way? Discuss.
3. What explanation does Polonius give for Hamlet’s apparent insanity? Why is
Claudius so eager to accept this explanation? Was Hamlet insane, in your opinion?
Was Ophelia? How do you define insanity? How does society today define it? Is
there a difference? Discuss.
4. Why were Rosencrantz & Guildenstern summoned to Elsinore? How did their
mission change once they got there? How did that affect Hamlet’s trust in them?
Have incidents occurred in your life where trust was lost in your family or
among your friends? What were the circumstances? How did you handle it?
Discuss.
5. Does Hamlet love Ophelia? Did he ever? What are Ophelia’s feelings towards
Hamlet? Cite passages from the play to support your answer.
6. What is a “soliloquy?” Examine the several soliloquies in Hamlet. What is their
function? Are they effective? Discuss.
7. Horatio tries to convince Hamlet not to duel with Laertes, but fails. His only
other option would be to talk to Laertes. Imagine you are Horatio; write a paper
persuading Laertes to call off the duel.
“Frailty, thy name is woman”
8. What was Hamlet’s relationship with his mother Gertrude? Why do you think
Gertrude married Claudius so soon after her husband’s death? How would you feel
if your father died and your mother remarried after only two months (or vice
versa)? Is it possible for a loved one to become your enemy? Discuss.
Consider the following sentence:
Hamlet’s tragic flaw is that he fails to act on
instinct – he thinks too much.
Do you agree with this statement? Is it a flaw to
hesitate and consider before taking action? Discuss.
9. Do you think Ophelia intended to commit suicide? Have you lost anyone you
know to suicide? How did it make you feel? Discuss.
10. What similarities exist between the characters in Hamlet and you and your
friends and family? What themes in this play can be found in your life? How does
a teenager in 2015 connect to teenaged Danish prince from long, long ago?
Discuss.
Blank Verse
Shakespeare wrote most of Hamlet in “blank verse.”
blank verse: unrhymed verse having a regular meter, usually of iambic pentameter.
iambic pentameter: a common meter in poetry consisting of an unrhymed line with
five feet or accents, each foot containing one unaccented syllable followed by one
accented syllable, like this:
ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM, ba-DUM
Consider the line Hamlet speaks aloud as he considers the web he is weaving:
“O what a rogue and peasant slave am I”
Can you count the five stressed accents in the line? Do you notice how the word
“O” at the beginning of the line is unstressed?
The regular rhythm of iambic pentameter is equivalent to the rhythm of a heartbeat.
Punctuation placed in the middle of a pentameter throws this “heartbeat” off. What
happens to your heartbeat when you are happy? Scared? Angry? Shakespeare used
punctuation deliberately to give the actor clues to the character’s emotional state.
Consider Hamlet’s following soliloquy:
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt
Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!
Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d
His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!
How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable,
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t! ah fie! ‘tis an unweeded garden,
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this!
PUNCTUATION WALK - try this activity!
Walk around the room reciting this soliloquy. Start off walking in a straight line.
When you get to a comma, pause reading and stop for a moment, then continue.
When you come to a period, turn 90°.
When
you get
to a semi-colon,
directions
(or turnand
180°).
What
is the
differenceswitch
between
poetry
prose? How does
When you get to an exclamation point, jump and turn 360°.
Shakespeare use both?
What happened to your heartbeat when you performed these actions?
What is the difference between poetry and prose? How does
How did that affect your emotional state? What do you think Shakespeare
Shakespeare use both?
was trying to tell you about the character at those moments? Discuss.
What is the difference between poetry and prose? How does
Shakespeare use both?
ACTIVITY
Below is the first part of Hamlet’s speech to the players
(actors). Rewrite it in blank verse in today’s language then
read it to your class!
“Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the
tongue. But if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the
town crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand
thus, but use all gently, for in the very torrent, tempest, and (as I may say)
whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may
give it smoothness. Oh, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious
periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of
the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but
inexplicable dumb-shows and noise…”
Extra Credit!
Create a graphic novel version of Hamlet set in the present.
11. How would knowing the geography and
history of Denmark better help you
understand this play? How does knowledge
of the different poetic styles and meters – and
Shakespeare’s use of them – make the play
more accessible? Discuss how the various
subjects studied in school often overlap.
12. Characters in a play or a book always
have a reason for doing what they do. This is
referred to as their “motivation.” What
motivates Claudius to kill Hamlet’s father? What motivates Gertrude to marry
Claudius?
Make a list of the characters in Hamlet. Next to each name write that character’s
primary action in the play and their motivation. Cite passages from the play to
support your reasoning. Did interactions with the other characters change or alter
their motivations? If so, how did this affect the plot?
13. Define “protagonist.” Who is the protagonist of Hamlet? Why? Discuss.
14. How many characters are in Hamlet? How many characters are in this
adaptation? Did you think the story was still told in spite of the fact that several
scenes and characters were eliminated? Discuss.
15. How many actors performed this play for your school? What did the actors
change, besides their costumes, to become new characters? How were the various
locations in the play represented in the show?
16. Write a critique of the Barter ENCORE Players’ production of Hamlet. Be
sure to include descriptions and analyses of the individual performances, the
directing/staging choices, and the design elements (costume, set, props, sound).
Why do you think some of these artistic choices were made? How would you have
done it differently?
17. Breaking into groups, pick a scene from Hamlet, rehearse it and perform it
for your class. Now pick another scene and rewrite it in contemporary English
for a contemporary setting. Rehearse and perform it for your class. Compare the
two experiences.
Back in the good ol’ days…
Hamlet was first produced around 1600. Using the internet,
research how the original production would have looked – set,
costumes, acting style, etc. How does it compare and contrast
to the Barter ENCORE Player’s production?
18. What was your personal response to the Barter ENCORE Player’s production
of Hamlet? Were you entertained? What did this play teach you about the human
experience? Discuss.
19. Pick your favorite scene from Hamlet and design a set for it. Keep in mind
time, place and location. Is it in the Hamlet’s castle? Is it the graveyard where
Yorick is buried? Is it day or night? Also consider the entrances and exits of your
characters. How do they enter the scene? How do they exit? Draw a picture of
what your set should look like. Then make a model of it and present it to your
class, explaining how it will work when built.
20. In Hamlet’s “speech to the players,” he gives the acting troupe advice about
performing truthfully. This was, no doubt, Shakespeare’s advice to the actors
performing his play. What do you think Shakespeare would have thought about the
ENCORE Players production of Hamlet, more specifically, the performance of the
actors? Discuss.
Suggested Reading/Links
Books about William Shakespeare
Shakespeare: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd
Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt
Shakespeare: An Ungentle Life by Katherine Duncan-Jones
Soul of the Age: A Biography of the Mind of William Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate
Shakespeare Links
To find out more about William Shakespeare, his life and his works, check out the
links below…
Folger Shakespeare Library
http://folger.edu/template.cfm?cid=863
Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet
http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/
Shakespeare in American Communities website link:
www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.og