Thursday, September 21 Hamlet meets his ghost father 1.4 and 1.5

The ghost of Hamlet's father reveals to his son the circumstances of his demise.

Learning targets: I can cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
I can analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama.
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings.

Essential question: How should one process uncomfortable, and potentially dubious, information?

 Coming up: vocabulary quiz / Hamlet 3 on Wednesday, September 27; class handout / copy below; review on Tuesday, September 26. PSAT review on Thursday, September 27. Your counselors will be here.

In class: Hamlet 3 vocabulary handout; turn in the Hamlet responses to Act 1, scene 3, which we looked at yesterday; finishing / watching Act 1, scene 5 and class discussion questions. See below. 

TO BEGIN: SOME WORD PLAY

In the following advice to his daughter Ophelia, Polonius uses the word "tender" three times. What is meant in each occasion? 

" Marry, I will teach you. Think yourself a baby
That you have ta'en these tenders for true pay
Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly,
Or (not to crack the wind of a poor phrase)
Tend'ring it thus you'll tender me a fool" (1.3.104-9).

In class: Hamlet meets his ghost father /  note the themes developing   / class discussion questions / Note that question 6 is an individual response that should be written in your notebook. If you are absent, make sure you have responded to this question.  Character quiz



Hamlet meets his ghost dad 9 minutes 23 seconds

SEE SUMMARY BELOW

On the bitter cold ramparts, Hamlet, Horatio,  Marcellus keep watch. Meanwhile, from inside the castle they hear the roar of revelry. Hamlet condemns Claudius's constant merry-making, saying that it makes the noble Danes look "swinish" and corrupt.

   THEME

  corruption

 

The Ghost appears and beckons Hamlet to follow it. But Horatio and Marcellus hold him back: they think the ghost may be a demon laying a trap for him.

Theme:

Religion provides no answers: what looks good could be evil.

 

 

Hamlet breaks free of them and follows after the Ghost.

1.5

Theme: decisive action.

Marcellus says "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (1.4.90). They run after Hamlet.

When Hamlet and the Ghost are alone, the Ghost speaks. It claims to be the spirit of Old Hamlet, murdered by Claudius. Though the official story is that Old Hamlet was napping in his garden and was stung by a serpent, in reality Claudius poured poison into the sleeping man's ear, murdering him and sending him to Purgatory because he was not given a chance to confess his sins before he died.

THEME: realty and appearance (think back on how Gertrude questions how Hamlet "seems". Note the poison in the ear..metaphor for lying.

 

 

The Ghost commands Hamlet to seek revenge against Claudius for murder and for corrupting Gertrude. Yet the Ghost also warns Hamlet not to harm his mother. Dawn breaks. The Ghost disappears.

Theme: filial responsibility 

 

 

Hamlet promises to do nothing but seek revenge. He curses first Gertrude, "O most pernicious woman!" (1.5.105), then Claudius, "That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain!" (1.5.108).

THEME:appearance vs. reality.

 

 

 

Horatio and Marcellus rush in. Hamlet refuses to tell them what happened, saying they'll reveal it. But he does say he may pretend to be insane, and makes them swear to silence on his sword. The Ghost's voice echoes: Swear! They swear.

Florman, Ben. "Hamlet Act 1, scene 4." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jul 2013. Web. 27 Feb 2017.
Discussion questions: 

1. Where is Hamlet's father during the day?  1.5.10-14.

2. What does Hamlet's father wish him to do? 1.5.25

3. What is the River Lethe? 1.5.32-35.

4. Why would the Ghost allude  (note figurative language device allusion) to this?

5. According to the ghost, what "traitorous gifts" does "that incestuous, that adulterate beast" have? 1.5.42-44.

6. How did King Hamlet actually die?  Reread lines 1.5.59-79. Write your response in your notebook. I will collect your notebooks at the beginning of class on Friday.

Hamlet vocabulary 3 by William Shakespeare Vocabulary Quiz Wednesday, September 27

The quiz will be 10 matching and 10 contextual sentences

1.     calamity- (noun) a great misfortune or disaster
2.     heir- (noun) a person who inherits or has right of inheritance in the property of another following the latter’s death.
3.     To confine- (verb) to shut or keep in
4.     commencement- (noun) beginning, start
5.     hypocrite- (noun) a person who pretends to have virtues,        principles 
6.     virtue- (noun) goodness
7.     to deprive-(verb) took away
8.     to harrow-(verb) distresses the mind or feelings
9.     imminent- (adjective) likely to occur at any moment
10.    incentive- (noun) something that encourages a person to do something or to work harder