Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
CALENDAR OF DAILY OBJECTIVES
January/ February 2015
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
5
6
7
8
NO SCHOOL
Review Data from
Semester 1
“On Fathers”
Introduction to
Character chart
Shakespearean Language
Watch Act I, i
Anticipation Guide
12 Finish Act I, ii
13 Finish Act I, iii
14 Read Act II, i
Review week 2
vocabulary
Watch scene iv
26 Read Act III, iii
27 Finish Act III, iv
Friday
9
*How to Decode
Shakespearean language
Read Act I, ii in class and
discuss Hamlet’s grief
15 Finish reading Act II, ii 16 Hamlet Q’s week 1 due
Students will act out
Ophelia’s description of Summarize the “O What Quiz Hamlet Act 1 and 2 and
Read Act I, v in class and Hamlet’s behavior and a Rogue” soliloquy
Hamlet week 1 vocab
Read Act 1, iii and explain analyze how revenge
discuss why he acted this
Ophelia’s relationship
affects Hamlet
way.
with Laertes and
Polonius
Begin reading Act II, ii (pg
91-103) and discuss
Polonius’ understanding
of Hamlet’s actions
19
20 Read Act III, i
21
22
23 Hamlet Q’s week 2 due
AND Character Chart due
NO SCHOOL
Summarize and discuss Watch “To be or not to Staging “Get thee to a
“To be or not to be”
be” clips on computer
nunnery” scene: 3 groups Quiz Hamlet vocabulary
soliloquy
and type response
Watch “The Mousetrap”
Believing and Doubting
writing activity
Have students recap and Assign Character
summarize Claudius’
Committees
prayer and Hamlet’s
inaction
*Students work in small
groups to analyze
Mime activity while
character development
reading Act III, iv
of a single character*
Students read through
Act IV, i-iv
28
29 Read Act IV, vi
30 Hamlet Q’s week 3 due
Character Committees
Character Committees
Present Character
Committee findings
Students read through
Act IV, v
Students read through
Act IV, vii
Watch scene
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
2/2
2/3
2/4
2/5
2/6 Hamlet Q’s week 4 due
Watch Gravedigger’s
scene (Identify the
change of time)
Read through final scene
and analyze the death of Brainstorm paper topics Media Lab Day
the characters
Soliloquies
2/9
2/10
2/11
2/12
2/13
Watch Hamlet
Watch Hamlet
Watch Hamlet
Watch Hamlet
Peer Review Papers
Media Lab
2/17
2/18
2/19
2/20 Final Paper Due
Prep for Test
Hamlet Test
Hamlet Test
Discuss Hamlet’s
changing views of death
in the scene
**Hand out study guide
2/16
NO SCHOOL—Presidents Work on Papers
Day
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
Hamlet Homework Packet
DIRECTIONS: Answer the reading questions and vocabulary on a separate sheet of paper. Homework will
always be due on Fridays at the beginning of class. Even if you are absent, you are still expected to read and
answer the questions and turn them in on Friday. If you are absent Friday, the questions will be due on the
day that you return. No late homework will be accepted.
Reading Questions
Each answer should be written in 1-2 complete sentences. Each question is worth 2 points (1 pt. for correct
answer, 1 pt. for being written in complete sentences).
Vocabulary
Each vocabulary word should be defined with the part of speech and correctly used in 2 sentences. Each word
will be worth 2 points (1 pt. for correct definition, 1 pt. for being written in complete sentence).
Your heading should look like this:
Name
Date
Assignment
Period
Bo’Shizzle Nastyman
1/10/14
Reading Questions Act 1-2.2
Period 3
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
Hamlet Week One Questions and Vocabulary—Due Friday, January
16th
Vocab
Apparition
Commission
Conjure
Convocation
Countenance
Cunning
Discourse
Act 1, Scene 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What is the setting?
Why do the guards want Horatio to come on the watch?
How does the Ghost appear?
How was the last conflict with Norway resolved?
What is the name of the former leader of Norway? The current leader of Norway? The former King of
Denmark?
Act 1, Scene 2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What relationship does the current King (Claudius) have to the former King?
What is Fortinbras planning?
How is Hamlet the King’s (Claudius’) cousin (in this case, nephew) and son? [line 64]
To where is Hamlet supposed to be returning?
About how long has the previous King been dead?
What is Hamlet’s opinion of his mother’s remarriage?
What is Horatio’s relationship to Hamlet?
Act 1, Scene 3
1. What is Polonius’ relationship to Laertes and Ophelia?
2. What is the relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet? How do you think it will progress? Why?
Act 1, Scene 4
1. What is the setting of this scene?
2. Why does the trumpet play?
3. What does Hamlet say that he will do to his friends if they don’t let him see the ghost?
Act 1, Scene 5
1. Where is the Ghost during the day?
2. What happened to the former King? What does everyone think happened?
3. What does the Ghost instruct Hamlet to do to Claudius? To Gertrude?
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
4.
5.
6.
7.
Do you think that Hamlet will obey the Ghost?
What does Hamlet get Marcellus and Horatio to do?
Does Hamlet trust Horatio and Marcellus?
Does Hamlet have some sort of plan by the end of Act I? If so, what is it? If not, is he forming one?
Act 2, Scene 1
1. What is Polonius asking Reynaldo to do? Why?
2. What did Hamlet do when he visited Ophelia? How does Polonius interpret these events?
Act 2, Scene 2
1. What do Claudius and Gertrude ask of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Why are they good choices for
this assignment?
2. How does Hamlet treat Polonius in this scene? Compare and contrast this with how he treats
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in this scene.
3. Who is arriving at court?
4. What play does Hamlet request? What special instructions does he provide?
5. What is Hamlet’s plan at the end of this scene?
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
Hamlet Week 2 Questions and Vocabulary—Due Friday, January 23rd
Vocab
Equivocation
Firmament
Imminent
Impetuous
Paradox
Perceive
Act 3, Scene 1
1. What have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern learned about Hamlet? What have they failed to learn?
2. What is Claudius’ plan in Act 3, Scene 1?
3. How does Ophelia react to Hamlet in this scene? How does Polonius? How does Claudius?
Act 3, Scene 2
1. What will Hamlet and Horatio be doing during the play?
2. Briefly outline the plot of The Mousetrap.
3. What is Gertrude’s opinion of the play? Why do you think she feels that way?
4. How does Claudius react to the play? Why?
5. By the end of 3.2, how does Hamlet speak with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
6. What will Hamlet be doing the next time he sees his mother?
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
Hamlet Week 3 Questions and Vocabulary—Due Friday, January
30th
Vocab
Perilous
Pestilent
Pious
Prodigal
Profound
Promontory
Act 3, Scene 3
1. What does Claudius ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do now?
2. What is Claudius unable to do?
3. What does Hamlet decide not to do in this scene? What are his reasons?
Act 3, Scene 4
1. What is Polonius doing in this scene? Why do you think he is there?
2. What does Hamlet do to Polonius? Why?
3. What does Hamlet show Gertrude? Why?
4. Why does the Ghost reenter in this scene?
5. Does Hamlet succeed in what he set out to do? How can you tell?
Act 4, Scene 1
1. Describe the kind of threat that Claudius claims Hamlet is. Is he accurate? Why or why not?
2. What does it appear Gertrude has told Claudius? What has Gertrude not told Claudius?
Act 4, Scene 2
1. What does Hamlet believe Rosencrantz’s (and Guildenstern’s) ultimate fate will be?
2. What commentary does Hamlet make about the king and the state?
Act 4, Scene 3
1. Where does Hamlet suggest Claudius is going?
2. What will happen to Hamlet in England?
Act 4, Scene 4
1. Provide a brief synopsis (summary) of this scene.
Act 4, Scene 5
1. What has become of Ophelia? Why?
2. What does Laertes want?
Act 4, Scene 6
1. How does Hamlet avoid reaching England?
Act 4, Scene 7
Unit Five: Stories about Family
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
What information has Claudius related to Laertes? Is it totally accurate, in part, or not at all?
Why does Claudius say that Hamlet has not been given to the courts? Are there any other reasons
which are not stated?
What is Claudius’ and Laertes’ plan for eliminating Hamlet?
What has happened to Ophelia?
What is Claudius afraid of at the end of this scene?
Unit Five: Stories about Family
Hamlet Homework Reading Questions
Hamlet Week 4 Questions and Vocabulary—Due Friday, February
6th
Vocab
Rendezvous
Resolution
Sovereign
Sullied
Tedious
Treachery
Act 5, Scene 1
1. What happens in the discussion between Hamlet and the Gravedigger? How does the mood differ
from the last time Hamlet joked about death (and worms) in Act IV scene
iii?
2. The gravediggers scene is placed in between the escalation of the two revenge plots (in Act IV) and
the climax of the play (in Act V scene ii). Why do you think Shakespeare has placed a comic scene here?
3. What happens when Hamlet appears to the others? Why is he so angry?
Act 5, Scene 2
1. What new sort of attitude to life do you see in the Hamlet in his conversation with
2. What has happened to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? How does Hamlet feel about
3. What is Hamlet's reaction to the idea of the match?
4. Summarize the key plot points from the start of the duel to the death of Hamlet.
5. Why doesn’t Horatio commit suicide as he plans?
Horatio?
them?