keynotes hamlet

8/13/2019 Keynotes Hamlet

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/keynotes-hamlet 1/9

Can You Follow the Plot? page 2

Exploring the Characters page 3

Themes in the Play page 4

Interpreting the Play page 5

Adapting the Play page 6

Production Elements page 7

Shakespeare and Hamlet page 8

Audience/Resources page 9

Shakespeare’s

HamletAdapted by Robert Richmond

Performed by Aquila Theatre Company

Welcome to Keynotes , a performance

guide created by the Education

Department of the State Theatre in

New Brunswick, NJ. These Keynotes

are designed to be used before and

after attending the Aquila Theatre

Company’s performance of Hamlet .

CONTENTS



Late at night, the ghost of the

recently deceased King of

Denmark appears before the

guards standing watch on the

castle walls. Horatio decides to

inform Prince Hamlet, the dead

king’s son.

Laertes, son of the King’s

minister Polonius, warns his

sister Ophelia not to get

carried away by her love for

Hamlet. Polonius comes in with

some parting advice for

Laertes, who is leaving for

France. He tells Ophelia to

break off her relationship with

Hamlet.

Hamlet waits on the castle

walls until the ghost of his

father appears. The spirit tells

Hamlet that he was murdered

by his brother, Claudius. He

urges Hamlet to avenge his

death. To buy time to plan his

course of action, Hamlet will

pretend that he has gone mad.

Ophelia reports to her father

that Hamlet is acting strangely.

Polonius tells the King and

Queen that Hamlet has gone

mad because Ophelia has

rejected him.

Hamlet, alone, contemplates

ending his life.

Polonius comes in, and Hamlet

pretends to be insane. When

Polonius leaves, Hamlet meets

up with his friends Rosencrantz

and Guildenstern. He accuses

them of being sent by the King

and Queen to spy on him.

When a group of traveling

actors arrives at court, Hamlet

decides to have them play out

the story of a king who was

killed by his brother and

observe his uncle’s reaction.

Claudius decides that Hamlet

is only pretending to be mad

and that he is too much of athreat to his crown. He is

determined to send him to

England and to have him

murdered there.

During the performance of

Hamlet’s play Claudius

becomes agitated and abruptly

ends the show. Hamlet is now

certain of his uncle’s guilt. He

hesitates to kill Claudius when

he finds the King kneeling at

prayer because he does not

want Claudius’ soul to go to

heaven.

Hamlet meets his mother in

her room and begs her to endher marriage. Hearing someone

behind a curtain and thinking it

to be Claudius, Hamlet stabs

Polonius to death.

Gertrude, believing her son is

truly mad, tells Claudius about

Polonius’ murder. Claudius

banishes Hamlet to England,sending along Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern with secret orders

for Hamlet to be killed.

Ophelia descends into

madness, pushed over the

edge by Hamlet’s rejection and

her father’s murder. Laertes,

just returned from France at

news of his father’s murder,receives another blow when he

discovers his sister has gone

mad.

Horatio reports to Ger trude

that Hamlet discovered the

assassination plan and had

Rozencrantz and Guildenstern

killed in his place. He is now

on his way back to Denmark.

Claudius, surprised to hear that

Hamlet lives, urges Laertes to

revenge the murder of his

father by killing Hamlet.

Gertrude comes in with the

news that Ophelia has drowned

herself.

“And in this harsh world, draw thy breath in pain and tell my story.”

—Hamlet

In a graveyard, Hamlet and

Horatio talk with a gravedigger.

The funeral procession enters

with Ophelia’s body. Laertes

angrily attacks Hamlet.

Hamlet has agreed to a fencing

match with Laertes. He does

not know that Claudius and

Laertes have secretly poisoned

the tip of Laertes’ sword.

During the fight, the swords are

switched and both Hamlet and

Laertes are mortally wounded.

When Hamlet begins to gain an

upper hand in the duel,

Claudius offers him some

poisoned wine, but Gertrude

drinks it instead and dies.

Laertes reveals to Hamlet that

they are both poisoned and

that Claudius is to blame.

Hamlet stabs Claudius with the

poisoned sword and forces him

to drink the poison. The King

falls, dead. As Horatio looks on

in sorrow, Hamlet dies.

Hamlet has returned to

Denmark from his studies

abroad to attend both thefuneral of his father and the

wedding of his mother, Queen

Gertrude, to his uncle,

Claudius, now King of

Denmark. Hamlet is disgusted

by his mother’s hasty

remarriage to his uncle.

Ophelia gives back her love

letters to Hamlet whilePolonius and the King—in

hiding—observe Hamlet’s

reaction. His bizarre behavior

greatly upsets Ophelia.

Act One

Act Two

Act Three

Act Four

Act Five

Can You Follow the Plot? 2



Exploring the Characters 3

HAMLET Prince of Denmark. Com-

manded by the ghost of his

father to take revenge on his

uncle, will he be able to

bring himself to kill the new

King?

CLAUDIUS The current King of

Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle

and now married to Hamlet’smother, Gertrude. How

secure is his hold on the

throne now that Hamlet

knows he committed murder

to get it?

GERTRUDE Queen of Denmark, mother

of Hamlet. What does she

know, or what might she

suspect about her first

husband’s death?

GHOST The spirit of Hamlet’s dead

father, the former King of

Denmark. Is it right for aparent—even a murdered

one—to ask a child to

commit murder himself?

POLONIUS Chief advisor to King

Claudius, father of Laertes

and Ophelia. Is he a wise

counselor or a babbling fool?

OPHELIA Polonius’ daughter and

Laertes’ sister. Is she

mentally weak all along, or

does tragedy drive her mad?

LAERTES Polonius’ son, brother of

Ophelia. Like Hamlet, he

seeks to avenge the murder

of a father, but is it right to

do it by cheating?

BERNARDO Sentries (guards) of the

MARCELLUS castle. What might have

happened if they had kept

silent about seeing the

ghost?

HORATIO Hamlet’s friend. Is he the

only person Hamlet can

trust?

ROSENCRANTZCourtiers to King Claudius

GUILDENSTERNwho grew up with Hamlet.

Whose side are they on?

PLAYER KING Actors in a travelingPLAYER QUEEN theater company.

GRAVEDIGGER Described by Shakespeare

as a “clown,” meaning a

comic character.

OSRIC Servant to the King.

Like real people, many of the characters in Shakespeare’s plays have complex personalities and great psychological

depth—so much so that critics and scholars have applied the tools of psychoanalysis to try to understand them better.

Of all Shakespeare’s characters, Hamlet is generally thought to be the most difficult to analyze and

understand. For example, although he has reason to seek revenge against his Uncle Claudius, he is

undecided and inactive; and while he is described as a passionate lover, he seems indifferent about

his affections toward Ophelia. There are other complicated or ambiguous characters in Hamlet, alof whom have their own unique perspectives and motivations for their actions.

Character

Journal

Put yourself in the shoes of a

character from Hamlet .

Explore the text for clues to

what this character is like an

what he or she is concerned

about. Look at their dialogue

and soliloquies (speeches to

themselves or the audience),

their actions, and also what

the other characters say abo

them.

As your character, write a

journal entry depicting a day

your life as well assummarizing some of the

events in the play from that

character’s unique

perspective. While writing in

your journal, think about:

• Who are you? What do yo

look like? How do you act?

• How do you feel about the

other characters? Which

characters do you interact

with the most? Who is you

strongest ally? Who is you

enemy?

• Were you involved directly

with the action in a

particular scene? If not,

how did you hear about the

events that transpired?

What was your reaction?

Make a Character Shield

Create a shield for one of the characters in Hamlet . Draw the

outline of a shield (or photocopy one) and divide it into quarters.

In each quarter, put an image representing one of the following:

1. The character’s goals 3. The character’s personality

2. The character’s worst fear 4. Three words representing the character

Use your character journal for ideas and inspiration for your shield. Each quarter may

also contain a quote from the play. Share your shield with a partner. Did you choose

the same character? If so, how do your shields differ? If you did not choose the same

character, are your goals similar or different? Does your relationship to one another

affect your fears? Shields can then be hung around the room according to character

or in any way your class chooses.

Who’s Who in the Play

S o m e t h i n g

i s r o t t

e n

i n t h e

s t a t e o

f

D e n m a r k .

AMBIGUOUS -

Open to more

than one

interpretation



The theme of madness appears

throughout Hamlet. The

characters in the play have

differing opinions about

Hamlet’s state of mind: Polonius

thinks he has gone mad because

Ophelia has rejected him, while

Gertrude thinks it is because of the

death of his father and her remarriage.

Claudius suspects that he is not really mad at all.

The play provides evidence on both sides: that Hamlet is

actually mad as well as that he is only pretending.

What do you think? Is Hamlet mad because the pain of

losing his father is too much for him? Is madness a strategy

he uses to protect himself? Is madness an escape that allows him to avoid taking responsibility for his actions? Why do

you think Shakespeare did not make it clear whether

Hamlet is really mad or not?

“MADNESS IN GREAT ONES MUST NOT

UNWATCHED GO.” —CLAUDIUS (III,i)

Hamlet is a “revengetragedy,” a popular style o

theater in Shakespeare’s

day. The most obvious revenge involves

Hamlet and his responsibility to avenge the

murder of his father. Revenge is associated wi

other characters as well. Laertes seeks

retribution after Hamlet kills his father, Poloniu

He also blames Hamlet for Ophelia’s suicide. Th

theme of revenge drives the entire plot of Hamle

the Ghost’s plea for vengeance sets in motion

everything that happens later in the play.

Do you think that the characters were right to seek

revenge? Does seeking revenge take more or less courage

than turning the other cheek? Do you think justice was don

by the end of the play?

“REVENGE HIS FOUL AND MOST UNNATURA

MURDER.” —GHOST (I,v

Though it may seemovershadowed by some other

ideas, love is a major theme in

Hamlet. We see examples of

different kinds of love—romantic,

maternal, paternal, love for country,

etc.—as well as the consequences of love. Hamlet’s love

for his father is what drives him to avenge his death.

Ophelia’s love for Hamlet and for her father cause her to

commit suicide in the wake of Hamlet’s departure and

her father’s death. Gertrude’s unconditional love for her

son drives her to sacrifice her life for him by drinking the

poisoned wine at the end of the play.

What examples of love do you recognize in Hamlet? How

does love connect to the other themes in the play? Would you

call Hamlet a love story?

“THIS IS THE VERY ECSTASY OF LOVE…”

—POLONIUS (II,i)

Claudius’ rise to power i

achieved through a series

corrupt actions, including

murdering his brother an

marrying his widow. This

one action leads to the

downfall of not only himself

but all those around him.

Many of the characters in

Hamlet become corrupted in

some way and, by the end of the play, all of the corrupt

characters must be eliminated so that Denmark can onc

again be set right. One corrupt person, especially one in

power, taints everyone he touches.

What drove Claudius to go so far in his pursuit of power? Do you believe that, having gained the throne the

way he did, he could ever make a good king? Can you thin

of any modern-day parallels to King Claudius?

“A BLOODY DEED. ALMOST AS BAD, GOOD

MOTHER, AS KILL A KING AND MARRY WITH

HIS BROTHER.” —HAMLET (III,iv

R E VENGE

CCOOR R R R UUPPTTIIOONN

&& PPOO W W EER R

Themes in the Play 4

M M A A D D N N E E S S S S



Exploring

Aquila’s Hamlet

• Why do you think Aquila

would be interested in

staging this 400-year-old

play in the first place?

• As you watch the

performance, think about

the “assignment” the

company created (at left)

and see if you can detect

how they used theseguidelines in their

production.

• Did Aquila’s interpretation o

what the play is about and

who the characters are

agree with your own ideas

about Hamlet ? Did their

production make you think

about the play in a different

way?

Interpreting the Play 5

In taking a play off the page and

bringing it to the stage, it is the director

who is responsible for creating an

artistic vision for the production. He or

she must first decide what the play isabout and then figure out how to use all

the elements of live theater to

communicate this meaning to the

audience. The artistic choices a director

makes in staging a play affect the way

the audience understands its meaning

and message. Taken together, all of

these artistic choices are called an

interpretation. Even the simplest production of a play is an interpretation.

Robert Richmond, who directed Hamlet for Aquila Theatre Company, says

that he and his company based their interpretation of the play on what they

thought were Shakespeare’s original thoughts and intentions.

It seemed to us that beneath the reverence, the years of

scholarship and analysis of Hamlet , there was a commercial crowd-

pleaser trying to survive. As Shakespeare put quill to parchment, over

400 years ago, he was trying to write a new play. A play that when

performed had to survive in the biggest of commercial theaters of

its time, the Globe. If the play was not favorably received it would

most likely never be performed again. We took the same approachwhen creating our production of the play.

In their discussions, the Aquila company thought about the practical

requirements and limitations that Shakespeare might have faced. They came

up with a hypothetical “assignment” that he might have had in mind when

writing the play:

Write a popular drama that has mass appeal. You must include the

following:

• A company of 16 actors (all men)

• An open stage• The performance must be between 2 pm-5 pm (3 hours maximum)

• A modern-dress production

• Minimal props and portable scenery (perhaps a trap door)

• No intermission

• No artificial lighting — only the unpredictable English weather

• A leading part for Richard Burbage

• Stop the spectators from constantly talking or leaving.

• All scenes must be attention-grabbing or they will be ignored

H a v e y o u a t

t e n d e d a l i v

e

p e r f o r m a n c e

o f Hamle t

b e f o r e ? W h a

t a r e t h e k e

y

e l e m e n t s t h

a t y o u r e m e

m b e r ?

W h a t a r e y o

u e x p e c t i n g

t o

s e e i n A q u i l

a ’ s p r o d u c t

i o n ?



In bringing a play to life onstage, the director and the creative team may

decide to adapt the material—make changes in the text, setting, or other

aspects—to make it work within a particular set of conditions. Aquila’s

Robert Richmond comments on some of the choices the company made in

bringing their vision of Hamlet to the stage.

• CHANGES IN THE TEXT - Some portions of the play have been cut, a

usual practice in staging Shakespeare today. Some other sections of

the text have been moved or assigned to another character.

We strongly believe that you should never cut something merely

because you don’t understand it. But with no cuts, Hamlet

would take almost 4 hours to perform. We tried to trim the

script down to a time frame that is practical for a modern

audience, without losing any essential parts of the story. Our

version runs about 2fi hours, including intermission.

• CASTING - There are eight actors in this production, though there are

more parts than that in the play. In adapting the play for the available

cast, some small roles have been cut, while in other cases an actor will

“double”—take on more than one role. (For example, the actor playing

Polonius later plays Osric, while another actor portrays both the Ghost

and the Gravedigger.)

Doubling the smaller roles gives more to do for the actors who are

not playing a lead part. It also challenges those performers to

come up with a distinctive way of moving and speaking for eachof their characters so the audience does not get confused.

Adapting Hamlet

• Did you notice any of the missing

text while watching Aquila’s

Hamlet ? What parts would you cut

if you were the director?

• Did you notice the actors who

played more than one role? How did

they use their voice and body to

create the different characters?

• If you were going to create your

own adaptation of Hamlet , would

you choose to put in on stage or onfilm? How would you change the

way the story is presented? Why?

Are there ideas you’ve seen in othe

versions of Hamlet that you’d use in

your own adaptation?

• Watch three different film versions

of the Hamlet and Gertrude scene

(Act III, scene iv). With your

classmates, discuss the differences

among the three film adaptations

and Aquila Theatre’s staging:

What time period do the set and

costumes indicate? Is there any

music and, if so, what effect does i

have on the performance? What

different choices did you see the

directors and actors making? Which

version did you think was most

effective? Why?

Robert

Richmo

Shakespeare on the Screen

Shakespeare’s work has been extremely

popular on the big screen. (Laurence Olivier,

left, won an Academy Award for his 1948

Hamlet .) Like the director of a stage play,

film directors and screenwriters make

critical choices about how they want to

express their vision of the play. With the

ability to shoot at different locations and to

create special visual effects, however,

filmmakers have many more options at their

disposal. Some Shakespeare films remain

faithful to the original plays or are simply a

live stage performance captured on film.

Other directors choose to set the story in a different place and/or time. Some

decide to keep the basic story while rewriting the script in modern language to

allow new audiences to be drawn in by Shakespeare’s characters and themes.

The resource list (page 9) lists just a few of the many film versions of Hamlet .

Adapting the Play 6



Aquila Theatre Company uses the visual elements

of live theater to create the atmosphere for the

various settings in Hamlet. The scenery, costumes,

and lighting work together to help the audience enter

the world of the play. These aspects of the production

were designed specifically to help communicate the

company’s ideas about the play, keeping in mind the

practical concerns of a touring show.

THE SETSSince Aquila’s productions tour around the U.S.

and play in theaters of different sizes, the sets must

be compact and light enough to pack up and travel

across the country by truck or plane. The backdrop

is a large scrim—a piece of translucent fabric that,when lit from behind, reveals the actors behind it. This technique is incorporated during scenes with the Ghost as wel

as scenes during which people are spying on others. The set pieces for Hamlet are fairly simple: a square groundcloth,

wooden chairs, and wooden folding screens. A large wooden box with a plank top used is used as a bed, Ophelia’s bier,

the grave in the gravedigger scene, etc.

D During the show, watch how the same objects are used in different ways.

THE COSTUMES AND PROPSCostumes and props help establish the play’s time period and location, and also indicate the age and social position

the characters. In Aquila’s production of Hamlet, the design team created costumes and props that, for the most part,look like the clothes and items people wear and carry today. (For example, the guards carry guns instead of swords.) A

few aspects of the production more closely resemble Shakespeare’s era: the duel between Laertes and Hamlet is done

with swords.

D During the show, notice the use of both contemporary and period props and costumes. How do the

costumes help define the age and social status of the different characters? Would it have been a

easy for you to notice these distinctions if the actors had been dressed in 17th-century costumes?

THE LIGHTING

The lighting design helps convey mood, atmosphere, and time, and helps the audience focus on a particular image.The speed and movement of the lighting are carefully coordinated with the actors and music. Color is a key element in

the lighting design. Thin sheets of colored plastic, called gels, are used in front of a lighting fixture to change the color

of the light. To achieve depth and dimension, gobos (sheets of metal with designs cut into them) are placed in front of

lighting fixtures to create patterns on the stage floor or in the air. Where the lighting is placed is also important. Side

light “sculpts” the actors and gives them dimension. Direct front light flattens out the actors’ appearance, while back

light makes a performer stand out from the background. A “special”—direct light on an actor—draws focus onto a

performer and helps them connect with the audience.

D During the show, look for interesting patterns created by light shining through the folding screens.

Production Elements 7



Shakespeare and Hamlet 8

Shakespeare’s Life

It seems strange how little is known for certain about the life of

William Shakespeare, the most frequently read and performed

playwright in the English language. There are even those who

believe that he did not write the plays that bear his name!

Here are a few facts that are generally accepted about him:

• Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-

upon-Avon in England. His father, John Shakespeare, was

a glover and merchant and his mother, Mary Arden, was

the daughter of a local landowner.

• William was educated at Stratford Grammar School until

1577 when he was forced to leave school because of his

father’s financial difficulties.

• On November 27, 1582, he married Anne Hathaway who

was eight years his senior. In the next three years they

had three children: Suzanna and twins Hamnet and

Judith. Hamnet died in 1596, at the age of 11.

• Shakespeare left Stratford for London in 1587 to

become an actor. There he began writing for and acting

with London’s leading theater troupe, the Lord Chamberlain´s Company. In

1599 they opened a theater, named ‘The Globe,’ where many of his greatest

plays were performed.

• In 1610, Shakespeare moved back to Stratford to live out the rest of his life

in the country. He died on his 52nd birthday on April 23, 1616.

• He began his literary career in 1591 with his first play, Henry VI . From that

date until about 1613 he produced in total 36 plays, 2 long poems and 154

sonnets.

The Origins of Hamlet

First performed in 1603, Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s best-known plays. Like most of his works, it is based on a

story and characters that already existed. Though its exact origins are unknown, the story can be found in the folkliterature of Iceland, Ireland, and Denmark. The timeline below tracks the story through the centuries leading up to

Shakespeare’s play.

• 11th century - earliest known reference to the legend of Hamlet, in an Icelandic poem

• 12th century - earliest written version of the story, Historiae Danicae by Danish poet and historian Saxo Grammaticus.

Here, the character appears under the name Amleth, but many of the key elements of Shakespeare’s play are there.

• 1570 - François de Belleforest’s translation of Saxo’s story published in his collection, Histoires Tragiques . It is believed

that this version was the main source of Shakespeare’s Hamlet .

• 1590s - Hamlet , an anonymous play (thought to have been written by Thomas Kyd), is popular in England. No copy of

this Hamlet exists today.

• 1603 - First performance of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Drawn from Life?

Shakespeare lost his son

Hamnet just a few years before

writing the play Hamlet . How do

you think this might have

influenced his depiction of the

relationships between fathers

and sons in the play?



Do You Know Your Part?

As a member of the audience, you are a crucial part of the

performance. Before you arrive at the theater, make sure you

know your role!

• When you enter the theater, follow an usher to your seat.

• Once the house lights (the lights in the part of the theater

where the audience is sitting) go down, focus all your

attention on the stage.

• Attending a live theater performance is not the same as

watching television at home. At the theater, talking, eating,

or moving around disturbs the performers and other

members of the audience. So watch and listen carefully to

the performance. And please no food or beverages!

• Don’t bring cameras, camcorders, tape recorders, or any

other recording equipment to the performance. You will

not be allowed to use them.

• If something in the play is funny, go ahead and laugh. And

of course, please applaud at the end of the performance if

you liked what you saw!

• After the performers are finished taking their bows, stay in

your seat until your group gets the signal to leave thetheater.

Audience/Resources 9

The State Theatre’s education program is funded in part by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Brother International

Corporation, James and Diane Burke, the E & G Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, the J. Seward Johnson

Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Karma Foundation, the John F. Kennedy Center for

the Performing Arts, the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation, the McCrane Foundation, the National

Starch and Chemical Foundation, the PNC Foundation, and the Wachovia Foundation. Their support is

gratefully acknowledged.

Keynotes are produced by the Education Department of the State Theatre,

New Brunswick, NJ.

Wesley Brustad, President

Lian Farrer, Vice President for Education

Keynotes written and designed by Lisa Beth Vettoso

Edited by Lian Farrer© 2005 State Theatre

Hamlet production photos ©2005 Richard Termine for Aquila Theatre Company

Resources

BOOKS:

The Friendly Shakespeare : A Thoroughly Painless G

to the Best of the Bard , by Norrie Epstein. Penguin

1994.Hamlet (Cambridge School Shakespeare), by William

Shakespeare, edited by Richard Andrews. Cambridg

University Press, 2005

Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became

Shakespeare, by Stephen Greenblatt. W. W. Norton

2005

The World of Shakespeare , by Anna Claybourne &

Rebecca Treays. Usborne, 2001

WEBSITES:

Absolute Shakespeare

www.absoluteshakespeare.com

The Shakespeare Resource Center

www.bardweb.net

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

www.the-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/

Teacher Cyberguide: The Tragedy of Hamlet

www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/ham/hamtg.html

Shakespeare Examined Through Performance

www.tamut.edu/english/folgerhp/folgerhp.htm

Introduction to Hamlet

www.ulg.ac.be/libnet/germa/hamleteng.htm

VIDEO:

Hamlet (1990), starring Mel Gibson, directed by Fra

Zeffirelli

Hamlet (1996), starring and directed by Kenneth

Branagh

Hamlet (2000), starring Ethan Hawke, directed by

Michael Almereyda. A modern re-telling of the story

using Shakespeare’s text.

Royal Deceit (1994), starring Christain Bale, directe

Gabriel Axel. This version of Hamlet is taken from t

original Danish legend rather than the Shakespeare

play.

Shakespeare: A Day at the Globe . Guidance Associ

Video, 1990.

William Shakespeare: A Life of Drama . A&E Televisi

Networks, 1996.

Funding has been made possible in

part by the New Jersey State Council on

the Arts/ Department of State, a

partner agency of the National

Endowment for the Arts.

Continental Airlines is the official

airline of the State Theatre.

keynotes hamlet

Documents