Grief in Hamlet
British Literature
Warm Up for 12/7/2015
EMPATHY JOURNAL
1. What is the difference between
sympathy and empathy?
2. How can we support others who
are grieving?
Essential Questions
 What do the various characters in Hamlet (Hamlet,
Laertes, Ophelia) show us about how people grieve
differently? Why do different people process grief
differently? How can we build perseverance and
grit?
 In the play, we do not see any constructive responses
to grief, resulting in the tragedy. What are some
effective coping strategies?
 Hamlet and Ophelia both struggle with feelings of
isolation while they are grieving. How can we help
other grieving people cope? How can we develop
empathy for others?
How can we be empathetic?
We have to recognize that we all have different
experiences and reactions to tragedy. It is
imperative that we speak as mature adults today
to ensure that we can support our family. To do
that, we need to figure out empathy.
 What is the difference between sympathy and
empathy?
 How can we support others who are grieving?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369
Jw
Ophelia by John Everett
Millais (1852)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lncm4g4aJ9I
Ophelia’s Death
 Read over Gertrude’s account of Ophelia’s death on
pages to prepare for our discussion.
 Why do we hear about her death from
Gertrude? From a playwright’s perspective,
what is the purpose of hearing about it versus
witnessing it firsthand?
 Is her death an accident or a suicide? Does it
matter whether it was an accident or a suicide?
 Analyze the symbolism of her death. What is
the significance of falling from a tree? Of
drowning in water?
 What type of element would you consider
Ophelia (fire, water, earth, air)?
Analysis of Grief in Hamlet
Hamlet
What are the
circumstances that cause
the character grief?
What is the reaction of
the character to the
circumstance? Select a
quote from the play that
show their reaction.
What is the reaction of
others to their grief?
Select a quote from the
play to show other’s
opinions.
Is the reaction justified
based on the
circumstance?
Ophelia
Laertes
Homework
 Read and annotate the two articles
for homework:
 “The Long Goodbye” by Megan
O’Rourke
 “Declining Student Resilience: A
Serious Problem for Colleges” by Dr.
Peter Gray
 Answer the questions at the end of
each article.
Warm Up: Analysis of Grief in Hamlet
Hamlet
Ophelia
Laertes
What are the
circumstances that
cause the character
grief?
What is the reaction of
the character to the
circumstance? Select a
quote from the play
that show their
reaction.
What is the reaction of
others to their grief?
Select a quote from the
play to show other’s
opinions.
Is the reaction justified
based on the
circumstance?
WARM UP:
Who is the most
resilient character in
Hamlet? Why?
Hamlet
What are the
circumstances that
cause the character
grief?
What is the reaction of
the character to the
circumstance? Select a
quote from the play that
show their reaction.
What is the reaction of
others to their grief?
Select a quote from the
play to show other’s
opinions.
Is the reaction justified
based on the
circumstance?
Ophelia
Laertes
Hamlet
What are the
circumstances that
cause the character
grief?
What is the reaction of
the character to the
circumstance? Select a
quote from the play that
show their reaction.
What is the reaction of
others to their grief?
Select a quote from the
play to show other’s
opinions.
Is the reaction justified
based on the
circumstance?
Ophelia
Laertes
Happy Typo Tuesday!
What is the secret to
success? How can we
prepare you to be
successful in college?
 We are going to watch Dr. Angela Lee
Duckworth’s short TED Talk on the secret to
success.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8
What is GRIT? How can it
be measured?
 Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth created
a questionnaire that is a basic
measurement of your grit.
GRIT = PASSION +
PESERVERANCE
 Answer the questions as honestly as
possible to determine your grit.
What is your score?
Socratic Seminar: GRIT
Remember to use direct quotes from your
articles and the play in your discussion.
 What do the various characters in Hamlet (Hamlet,
Laertes, Ophelia) show us about how people grieve
differently? Why do different people process grief
differently? What have we learned about processing
grief from the play?
 In the play, we do not see any constructive responses to
grief, resulting in the tragedy. What are some effective
coping strategies? How can we teach grit?
 Hamlet and Ophelia both struggle with feelings of
isolation while they are grieving. How can we help
other grieving people cope? How can we develop
empathy for others?
Homework
Read Act V, Scene i of Hamlet
and complete a Records
Journal entry.