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Unraveling Shakespeare's Hamlet: Themes, Characters, Intrigue

Explore the complex plot of Hamlet, filled with dysfunctional families, intrigue, and revenge, as you delve into themes of betrayal, madness, and corruption. Discover the timeless appeal and cultural context of this iconic play and learn how to navigate Shakespearean language with helpful tips.

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Unraveling Shakespeare's Hamlet: Themes, Characters, Intrigue

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  1. Hamlet

  2. Things you should know about Hamlet…. • The plot is packed with • dysfunctional families, • devious connivers • warring nations

  3. So, what’s the attraction • A young man returns home from college to find that his dad is dead • His loving mother is now remarried to the man that commandeered the throne • Suspicions of murder and treason • Spies • Some questioning lovers • A ghost, and lets not forget…….

  4. Hamlet • An army that is intent on seizing your land • Let’s just say that Hamlet has issues!

  5. Ingredients of Revenge • A wrong must be righted – total payback! • A villain • A complex plot – (a little confusion keeps the reader on his/her toes) • Murders • A play within a play • Ghost

  6. Ingredients of Revenge • Suffering Heroine - Ophelia • Madness • People going crazy • People acting crazy • How do we know when madness is real or fake???

  7. Themes of Yesteryear and Today • Murder • Betrayal/Deception • Friendship • Destroyed/Lost Love • Revenge • Mental Illness • Dysfunctional family & family pressures

  8. Let’s not forget these themes • Ambition • Sin and Corruption • Isolation and loneliness • Disillusion (what we thought of someone turns out to be completely different) • And everyone can relate to… • P–R–O-C-R-A-S-T-I-N-A-T-I-O-N

  9. Background • Shakespeare may have used the story of Hamlet to reflect the concerns of his own time. (Cultural Capitol) • During the Elizabethan Era social order was very important.

  10. Background – continue • Hamlet depicts a conflict over what to do when an orderly state is actually corrupt from the inside and there seems to be no civilized answer on how to right a wrong. • KEEP THIS IN MIND WHILE YOU ARE READING

  11. So how do I read the Bard and not go Nuts???? • Read the Introduction • Look at the footnotes to gain a better understanding • Look up words you don’t know • Keep a list of characters • Write a nightly summary

  12. Rule of Thumb • If you can’t understand a particular passage, it’s probably about sex. • You are reading a play which was intended to be spoken, NOT READ SILENTLY. Remember, 90% of Shakespeare’s audience was illiterate.

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