English III Agenda: Week of May 12 through May 16
Monday through Friday Study guide questions for Act I are due today; for Act II on
Thursday.
IRLA: Your goal during independent reading this week is to preview the study questions for
Hamlet and answer as many as you are able before we resume reading the play each day. (We
are starting Act III today, so your goal is to stay closely aligned with the play.) Label the
questions clearly by act, scene and question number, as they appear in the handout.
During the work period this week we will continue reading the play.
Objectives—you will be able to:
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Answer basic questions about Shakespeare, his life and the era in which he wrote.
Understand and recount the plot of the play.
Identify the characters by name and function in the play.
Identify major motifs and themes in the play.
Interpret the actions of the major characters to form partial characterizations of them.
Form a complete, fluent understanding of the pages assigned to you in the context of the
entire play.
Wrap-up Each Day: What questions do you have about the, especially as regards the plot and
characters? What difficulties are you encountering? Please use Post-Its to post your questions
on the parking lot. Read some of your classmates’ questions. Are there any you are able to
venture answers for?
As we continue to read, you will be asked to address the following questions:
1. Is Hamlet really mad in this play, or is merely pretending to be mad? (Find lines that
support your answer.)
2. A foil is a character who is like the protagonist in some respects but who has contrasting
qualities that "reflect" or illuminate the traits of the main character. Who are Hamlet's
foils, and in what ways do their characters shed light on his?
3. Based on what you've seen in III.iv, do you think Gertrude knew about the murder of her
husband? (Find lines that support your answer.)
4. Conflict is essential to drama. Show that Hamlet presents both an outward and inward
conflict.
5. How important is the general setting of Denmark to the overall play? Is it integral or
backdrop?
6. Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Horatio. How alike or unalike are
they?
Finish study guide questions for Act III for Monday.