William Shakespeares Hamlet North Senior Academy William Shakespeares
- Slides: 7
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet North Senior Academy
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Popularity of Hamlet and young Hamlet • Over twenty film versions of Hamlet have been produced just since World War II • More has been written about Hamlet than about any other literary character • Most intelligent character in literature?
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet A“Problem” Play • • • Sense of mystery, introspection, questions Why does it take Hamlet so long to try and avenge King Hamlet’s murder? Why does Hamlet stage a play within his own play? Why does Hamlet decide to act insane? Does Hamlet really go insane?
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Motifs and Themes • • Deception / Appearance and Reality Passion and Reason Decay and Corruption Melancholy Madness and Sanity Revenge Misogyny
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet • Literary term: foil • A foil is “any person that enhances or underscores the distinctive characteristics of another” • The primary foils to Hamlet in the play are Laertres and Fortinbras, the Norwegian crown prince. • Both Hamlet and Fortinbras have lost a father. The Danish prince deliberates, ponders and plans - the Norwegian prince is impulsive and determined to avenge his father’s death
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet Passages to Examine • Act 1. Scene I - BERNARDO: Who's there? • Act 1. Scene II - CLAUDIUS: Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death • Act 1. Scene II - HAMLET: O, that this too solid flesh would melt • Act 1. Scene III - POLONIUS: And these few precepts • Act 1. Scene V - GHOST: I am thy father's spirit
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
