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Tobeornottobethatisthequestion owhatanoblemindishereo’erthro wnspeakthespeechiprayyouneith Hamlet: eraborrowernoralenderberosem A Guide for Teachers aryforremembrancehoratiothisd istractedglobehoholdingthemirr orlooktototototototototototothe queencastoffyournightedcolorfra iltythynameiswomanthisaboveal ltothineownselfbetruetoseewhat The Warehouse Theatre’s iseeseenwhatihaveseeniknownot seemsnowcracksanobleheartthe play’sthethingconscienceofaking andthere’spansiesthat’sforthoug htswhatdreamsmaycomewhenwe havesuffledoffthismortalcoilgoo dnightsweetprinceflightsofangel stherestissilenceapalpablehittob For more information, contact Anne Tromsness, Education Director [email protected] 2015 Educational Touring Production is a part of Shakespeare in American Communities, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. Supported by: Using this study guide Each year, The Warehouse Theatre works with dozens of schools in South and North Carolina, bringing customized residences to students in grades 3 – 12. We support English Language Art, Theatre, and Literature standards, by bringing the actor’s approach to Shakespeare to the students, and empowering them to speak the speeches, and embody the words we love so well – as they learn how to apply these tools to their own experience with the text. Through our curricular strategies and arts-integrated approach, we celebrate inclusion, critical thinking, teamwork, process and problem solving. Shakespeare continues to be an important part of the curriculum in most states, and regardless of changes in standards and best practices, we believe that interacting with these complex texts teaches valuable skills which have an impact on young students’ lives beyond the ELA or theatre classroom. Critical thinking, close-reading, looking at situations from different perspectives, examining societal and personal morays and motives, encountering and deciphering structure, building vocabulary and cultural references – Shakespeare brings this and much more to the young scholar! It is in this spirit that we have designed this study guide –intended for educators in middle and high schools, to use as a tool to enhance student comprehension and enjoyment of The Warehouse Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The exercises contained in this guide are designed to align with the curricular goals in the middle and high school English Language Arts, Literature, and Theatre classroom. This guide may be used as a supplement to classroom study of this text, and is best used in the context of attending the Warehouse Theatre’s touring production of Hamlet. We have endeavored to include information and activities suitable to classes before engaging with the text, during the reading process, and before and after attending a live performance. Additionally, we hope you will encourage your students to attend live theatre, and if in the Greenville area, audience enrichment programming at The Warehouse Theatre. For each play, we host a series of events which bring the play’s themes, genre and production process into new focus for the community. Our forum series takes an issue or theme raised in the play and envisions its current context in our own community. We assemble a panel of community members with an expertise or investment in that issue, and hold a facilitated, thoughtful dialogue and discussion. We also host pre-show talks lead by scholars and theatre practitioners, contextualizing the plays we present by genre, time period or production history. Talkbacks offer audience members the chance to ask questions of the play’s director, actors and design team. This programming is free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, visit our website at www.warehousetheatre.com We hope you will find this guide useful, and that you will let us know what information, topics for discussion, and exercises you integrate into your curriculum. Let us know what you would like for us to include in future study guides or resources. And thank you for your support of The Warehouse Theatre! If we can support your curriculum in any additional ways, please contact me at [email protected] Anne Kelly Tromsness, Education Director Contents A Brief Synopsis of Hamlet……………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Spotlight: A SIMPLE STRUCTURE IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS – Something you can count on…………..5 Spotlight: THEME and MOTIFS………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Character and Point of View: Sociodrama Spectrum ……………………………………………………………………7 Acting Shakespeare: Hamlet’s Advice to the Players……………………………………………………………………..9 Spotlight: Stock Characters………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Remember Me: Collective Recognition and Hamlet…………………………………………………………………….15 Spotlight: Audience Etiquette……………………………………………………………………………………………………..16 William Shakespeare’s life as a play……………………………………………………………………………………………19 Shakespeare’s World…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..21 Why do we still study Shakespeare’s plays?....................................................................................23 Some thoughts about William Shakespeare and some fun facts about the play………………………….24 Sources for this study guide………………………………………………………………………………………………………..25 A Brief Synopsis of Hamlet We are in Denmark, the palace at Elsinore. King Hamlet has recently died, and his wife, the Queen Gertrude, has married her dead husband's brother, Claudius, who is now king. All of this happened with too much alacrity for young Prince Hamlet, who is still mourning his father, and who is angry with his mother and stepfather/uncle As the play begins, a ghost has been haunting the battlements at night. Horatio and the guardsmen alert Prince Hamlet to this development, and he accompanies them, where he is approached by the spectre of his father's ghost, who orders him to take revenge on King Claudius, who he names as his murderer. Prince Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s death, but instead of doing so immediately, he hesitates and ponders the ramifications. His newly crowned stepfather, Claudius, and his bride and Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, notice his erratic and melancholy behavior. They enlist the help of two of Hamlet’s friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to keep an eye on him. Polonius, an advisor to the king and father of Ophelia and Laertes, has a theory behind Hamlet’s strangeness. He believes that Hamlet has been driven to madness out of his passion and love for Ophelia. Claudius observes Hamlet’s behavior towards Ophelia – which becomes hostile and dispels the love theory as Prince Hamlet orders her to a nunnery. Meanwhile, a traveling acting troupe comes to the castle. Hamlet decided to enlist them in determining his uncle’s guilt. He requests a play which closely resembles the story of King Hamlet’s death, then observes the new king, Claudius, for a guilty response. The king abruptly leaves the audience, confirming what Hamlet has thought all along. Hamlet has a chance to kill Claudius as he prays privately for forgiveness, but he hesitates and decides to kill him when his soul is unconfessed. Claudius suspects Hamlet’s plans and plots to have him sent away. Hamlet goes to his mother’s chambers to confront her about her treacherous heart and lustful behavior in marrying Claudius. Polonius is hidden behind a tapestry in the room, and he makes a sound in the course of Hamlet and Gertrude’s conversation. Hamlet thinks it is the king, and kills Polonius. Claudius sends him to England – banished for his crime – and secretly arranges for him to be killed upon arrival. Caught between her affections for the mercurial Hamlet, and grief over the death of her father, Ophelia goes mad with grief and drowns herself in the river. Laertes, Polonius’ son and Ophelia’s brother, who has been staying in France, returns to Denmark where Claudius convinces him that Hamlet is to blame for his father’s and sister’s deaths. Word arrives that Hamlet is returning to Denmark, after pirates attacked his ship and prevented his passage to England. Claudius arranges for Laertes to fence with Hamlet, with a poison tip on his foil which will cause death to Hamlet if he draws blood. He also poisons a goblet with an infected pearl, in a backup plan which will be applied if Hamlet scores the first or second hits of the match. Hamlet returns, learns of Ophelia’s death, and professes his love for her as he and Laertes confront one another. A courtier named Osric arrives on Claudius’s orders to arrange the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. 3 The match begins, and although Prince Hamlet scores the first hit, he does not take a drink from the pearl-poisoned goblet. Gertrude drinks in his stead and falls dead of poison. Laertes wounds Hamlet, and as the poison takes effect, the death toll continues. Laertes is cut by his own sword, and reveals the source of the poison in the goblet that killed Gertude was Claudius. Hamlet stabs Claudius AND makes him drink the rest of the goblet’s contents. Claudius dies, as does Hamlet. Fortinbras, a Norwegian Prince who has led an army to Denmark and attacked Poland earlier in the play, enters with ambassadors from England. They relay that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead as well. Fortinbras is shocked by the macabre site of corpses strewn about, and Horatio reveals the story behind the decimation. Fortinbras orders that Hamlet’s corpse be borne like that of the Prince he was. 4 Spotlight: A SIMPLE STRUCTURE IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS – (Something you can count on) According to Louis Fantasia, scholar and author of Instant Shakespeare, in all of Shakespeare’s plays you can count on the plot including four elements: ONE – The world (or worlds) of the play begin in some sort of disorder or chaos as a result of some inciting incident. TWO – Some figure of authority (a king or queen, prince, duke, parent) makes a decision that will have a significant impact on the lives of the other characters in the world of the play THREE- The dramatic or rising action of the play unfolds as the effected characters in the world of the play take some action in response to the decision made by the authority figure. Often, this will lead them on a journey to a “middle” world of the play that is in direct contrast or juxtaposition to the world of disorder or chaos that starts the play. FOUR - The actions taken by the effected characters force some sort of climax or resolution based on the decision made by the figure of authority. In a comedy this resolution comes in the form of multiple marriages and in a tragedy it comes in the form of multiple deaths. Ultimately, this resolution restores order to the first world. TERMS Plot Order Disorder Chaos Inciting incident Dramatic action / Rising action Resolution Climax ACTIVITY Identify these four structural elements in Hamlet. Support your findings with textual evidence and examples. Create a chart, illustration, or some visual aid to represent your findings. Apply this test to another of Shakespeare’s plays to see if it holds up. ACTIVITY Choose several of Shakespeare’s tragedies and several of his comedies or romances and count the number of weddings or deaths. Which comedy/romance has the most marriages at the end of the play? Which tragedy or history has the most corpses at the end of the play? ACTIVITY Many 21st century television shows and movies, as well as plays, employ flashbacks and flashforwards, using time fluidly in the narrative structure. How would you rearrange the plot of Hamlet to incorporate these devices? What would your re-arrangement accomplish? Add tension? Encourage empathy with a particular character? Emphasize a specific theme? Discuss. 5 Spotlight: THEME and MOTIFS Theme is defined as a subject or topic of discourse or artistic representation. Motif is defined as a dominant idea or central theme. In drama the central theme is usually an intrinsic or essential idea surrounded by several more literal or representative motifs. Below is a list of words representing either themes, dominant imafes or motifs from the play. Seeming Poison Being Nature Disobedience Sleep Order Morals TERMS Imagery Theme Motif Literal Hesitation Duality Mask Man Natural Law Justice Chaos Advice Deceit Light Moon Male Supernatural Self-awareness Blooming Action Dark Old Age Female Death Appearance Garden Decay Night Youth Parent Hiding Birds Existence Intrinsic Essential Duality QUESTIONS Which of the words above, in your opinion, represent themes, which represent motifs, which are images? How do you decide which are which? What themes, images or motifs, in your opinion, are missing from the list? Assume you are asked to select just one from the list to represent the central theme of the play. How would you go about choosing? Which word would you choose and why? ACTIVITY Create a chart with the themes heading individual columns. Assign motifs under their appropriate thematic heading. Do you encounter any motifs that could go under more than one heading? How does this help you better understand the play? ACTIVITY Choose three speeches from different characters in the play. (14 or more lines each.) Go through each, and list the verbs and nouns in two columns, and the adjectives in another. Compare the three lists. What patterns of related images emerge? 6 Character and Point of View: SOCIODRAMA Spectrum Sociodrama is defined by Merriam- Webster as: “dramatic play in which several individuals act out assigned roles for the purpose of studying and remedying problems in a group or in collective relationships”. While sociodrama techniques are most often used in therapeutic application, they can also be applied when studying the world of a particular play, in order to allow readers to investigate different characters’ points of view, to reveal themes and affiliations, and to encourage readers to connect with the characters’ dilemmas, traits, and actions. One exercise which encourages lively discussion and exploration is SPECTRUM. This can be used as an activity to stimulate material for discussion after the class has read part or all of the play. There are many variations for using this as a formative assessment, a way to generate topics or material for paper or essay writing, and as a supplement to close-reading activities. Instructions: Create an imaginary (or real) line on the floor from one side of the room to the other. One end point represents one extreme: “I highly agree” the other side the other extreme “I firmly disagree”, or ” This is always TRUE” to “ This is always FALSE. These are the extremes, and students’ responses can fall anywhere on the spectrum either at these ends, or in gradations along the middle. After reading the play, or a portion of the play, have students write the name of a character they are interested in in large letters on a piece of paper. It doesn’t need to be a character that they feel similar to, or would play in a production. It doesn’t need to be determined by gender or age, etc. (You may also assign characters, or write the names of characters on paper and let students select them off of the floor). It is okay if there are more than one of each character represented, but the main characters should be represented by at least one person for optimal effect. Ask people to place themselves at the appropriate point on the line, based on their CHARACTER’s answer to the statements you make. You may choose to do this with half the class at a time, so that the other half can comment or argue the placement characters give themselves. STUDENTS SHOULD ANSWER FROM THE CHARACTER’S POINT OF VIEW, NOT THEIR OWN JUDGEMENT OF THE CHARACTER. 1. Ask students to justify their answers with textual evidence – plot, what the character says, what is said about them, their actions, etc. Hopefully, if you have more than one student representing a character, there will be some difference in the way they respond. This can promote discussion and arguing for a particular place on the spectrum – maybe based on what point in the play is being considered, or whether the answer is based on the character’s contemporary Elizabethan context or the student’s 21st century context. 2. You may notice patterns – that certain characters who do not seem affiliated in the play, are grouped together by response. This can reveal thematic patterning, and can also reveal structure (emblematic characters) or repetition of a theme in subplots. 7 3. You can pull out a character to be “interviewed” about their answer to a question. Or maybe use a talk show format to go into more detail on dynamics between affiliated characters, or character groups such as families. 4. Continue to check in with students as they respond – are you responding from your own point of view, or the point of view of the character. Discussion point – rarely do characters consider themselves to be villains. Sample statements for Hamlet character spectrum: - I make sound decisions. I feel like my point of view is heard. I am trying to take care of my family. I am bound by tradition or duty. I am highly motivated by personal ambition. I love my country. I believe in the supernatural. I follow my heart. I am essentially trusting of people. I have no one to turn to. I am generally optimistic. I believe that secrets cause great harm. I believe that secrets are necessary. Power is more important than fairness. People will get what’s coming to them. 8 Acting Shakespeare: Hamlet’s Advice to the Players In Act 3, scene 2 of Hamlet, our title character provides some advice on acting to the traveling performers, taking on what we would now recognize as a directorial tone. Some scholars argue that Hamlet is here the mouthpiece of Shakespeare himself, who at this point in his career was taking on much more of leadership role within his own acting company, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. He may be giving advice to contemporary actors – such as John Sincler, William Kempe, and Richard Burbage – who he wrote roles for and regularly worked with in production. It is also thought that he may be making fun of the more bombastic and “overacted “ styles of other, competing theatre companies of the day, such as The Lord Admiral’s Men. What advice is he giving to the actor, and how can we translate this into instructions for 21st century actors? What do 21st century audiences expect when they encounter a performance? What are the assumptions we make about Shakespearean acting? How are they challenged in the reality of a performance? HAMLET Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue: but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus, but use all gently; for in the very torrent, tempest, and, as I may say, the whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness. O, it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise: I would have such a fellow whipped for o'erdoing Termagant; it out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it….Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor: suit the action to the word, the word to the action; with this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty of nature: for any thing so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is, to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature; to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure. Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskillful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve; the censure of the which one must in your allowance o'erweigh a whole theatre of others. O, there be players that I have seen play, and heard others praise, and that highly, not to speak it profanely, that, neither having the accent of Christians nor the gait of Christian, pagan, nor man, have so strutted and bellowed that I have thought some of nature's journeymen had made men and not made them well, they imitated humanity so abominably. ACTIVITY First, read the speech, and divide into groups which use either a website like Ben and David Crystal’s www.shakespeareswords.com or books like Alexander Schmidt’s two volume Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary or Louis Scheeder’s All the Words on Stage to decipher meaning of individual references and words, moving into phrases and sentences. Groups can each take on a section of the speech, or work with it in its entirety, then compare findings. 9 Second, discuss what we interpret today as traits of good acting and poor acting. Generate a list of specific traits of speech, gesture or movement, speech and conveyance of action and emotion. Next – discuss what Shakespeare’s meaning might be – what does he mean by “saw[ing] the air,” and ‘suit[ing] the action to the word and the word to the action,” etc. What are our expectations as audience members – in terms of authenticity of expression, emotional content vs. pursuing action, relationships between characters and actors onstage, etc. You may want to watch examples of the same scenes from different productions or films of Hamlet. How do the actors adjust their performances to the world of the play created in each production? What do we as individuals relate to? Where does our attention flag? How can the Elizabethan heightened language be best communicated to modern audiences? Finally, have groups selected a few lines of a speech or scene and create a “good” and “bad” performance. The groups should have control over what decisions they make in terms of what constitutes a powerful or lacking performance, and should be able to present or justify them? How can they use Shakespeare’s advice to generate them? What remains constant in terms of judging performance, and what falls away with the times? 10 Spotlight: Stock Characters Shakespeare, as an heir to the Commedia Del-Arte tradition, in which the play’s message is communicated largely through easily recognizable or even stereotypical characters, employs many of “stock” characters throughout his works. Once you look at their basic characteristics, it is easy to identify them across the Shakespearean canon. This identification of characters can make understanding an unfamiliar text a little easier – because the characters in a particular category behave in similar ways, and may even speak using similar rhetorical, image or verse structure. How do “stock” characters play out stereotype? Or archetype? How do we recognize a type of character? How soon when watching a play, movie or TV show? What assumptions do we make when we recognize the character’s “type”? How do certain genres (comedy, sit com, drama, romance) play into these assumptions? How do they use them to show a break in ritual or expected behavior? How does Hamlet make use of these expectations? Some Examples of STOCK CHARACTERS In Shakespeare Lovers Ingenue (female): Innocent, sweet, youthful, honorable Examples: Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Hero in Much Ado About Nothing, Perdita in The Winter’s Tale, Anne Page in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Sobrette (female): Not-so-innocent, not-so-young, usually honorable, witty, likes banter and argument Examples: Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing, Rosalind in As You Like It, Katarina in The Taming of the Shrew, Rosaline in Love’s Labours Lost. Rustic/ Rude (Male and Female): country born and bred, simple, agrarian, earthy. Examples: Jaquenetta in Love’s Labours Lost, Audrey and Phebe in As You Like It, Silvius in As You Like It, Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night. Noble (Male): born of nobility, high-born, generally honest Examples: Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing, Troilus in Troilus and Cressida, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Sebastian in Twelfth Night Companions Councilors (Male or Female): faithful, honest, convey messages, have information, confidantes. Examples: Paulina and Camillo in The Winter’s Tale, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, Banquo in Macbeth Bawds (Female): worldly, saucy, dispense advice, maternal with an edge Examples: The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lucetta in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Emilia in Othello 11 Mentors (Male): fatherly, give advice, supply the hero with the means to pursue their desire. Examples: Don Pedro and Antonio in Much Ado About Nothing, Duncan in Macbeth, The Duke in Measure for Measure Authority Figures and Soldiers In Control (male): authoritative, most times fair, peripheral to plot, initiate or resolve conflict. Examples: Theseus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Prince in Romeo and Juliet, Solinus in The Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline in Cymbeline In Distress (male or female): strong, noble, comprised by circumstance or bad decisions/advice, decisive, often with a flaw of temperament Examples: Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth in Macbeth, Titus in Titus Andronicus, Orsino in Twelfth Night, Lear in King Lear Reluctant Heroes Rakes & Cads (male): Walk the line between good and bad but usually turn out good,witty, bawdy, seductive, hot-tempered, loyal but independent. Examples: Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing, The Bastard in King John, Kent in King Lear Comic Characters The Wit: Language based humor, somewhat noble, melancholy Examples: Jaques in As You Like It, The Fool in King Lear, Berowne in Love’s Labours Lost, Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing The Clown: Physical comic, jester, paid to be amusing, singer Examples: Feste in Twelfth Night, Touchstone in As You Like It, The Fool in King Lear, Lavatch in All’s Well that Ends Well The Fool: situational comic, dim-witted, unaware of being a fool Examples: Dorcas and Mopsa in The Winter’s Tale, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing, Speed and Launce in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night, Don Armado in Love’s Labour’s Lost. Bawds (Female): worldly, saucy, dispense advice, maternal with an edge Examples: The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Lucetta in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Emilia in Othello, Margaret in Much Ado About Nothing. Oppositional Characters Villains (Male or Female): Charismatic but ruthless and malicious characters. They are often murderous characters driven by blood-lust, revenge, murderous ambition or simply hatred of the protagonist. Their actions are mostly premeditated. Examples: Iago in Othello, Aaron and Tamora in Titus Andronicus, Richard in Richard III 12 Antagonists (Male or Female): As well as having some or many of the villains, the antagonists are also characterized by petty ambition, jealousy, greed, and gullibility. They are often misinformed or mistaken in their opposition. They may also lack the ability or determination of a villain. These characters are often simply at odds with the protagonist because they are culturally or ideologically opposed. Examples: Macbeth and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Cassius and Brutus in Julius Caesar, Angelo in Measure for Measure, Leontes in The Winter’s Tale Parents Dominant Father or Mother: These characters are often used in the role of one of the other stock characters but it is important to include them in their own category as well. These are strong, domineering characters who are sometimes cruel or in opposition to the desires of their children in favor of their own ambitions or sense of order and degree. Examples: Lord and Lady Capulet in Romeo and Juliet, Egeus in A Midsummer Night’s Dream Doting Father or Absent Mother It is difficult to find many doting fathers in Shakespeare’s plays and if they are found, they very often turn dominant somewhere during the action of the play. Absent mothers however, are evident, as they are in most fairy tales, in many of his plays. This could be due to his borrowing from fairy and folk tale structure but it could also be due, in part, to the fact that it was more difficult to find older male actors to play the mother and matron roles; Shakespeare could not afford many of them per play. At times Shakespeare will use a matronly character to stand in for an absent mother. These characters are often older, simple people who are natural or foster parents or marginalized characters. They offer counsel, love and support and may find themselves in peril for their love and care. Examples: Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (he begins as a doting father but turns dominant), Lear in King Lear (Again, he starts out doting, becomes dominant, and returns to doting), Adam in As You Like It, the Old Shepherd in The Winter’s Tale, the Countess in All’s Well that Ends Well, Constance in King John and Hermione in The Winter’s Tale (Both are removed from her child for most of the action of both plays) Non-human characters Fantasticals / Sprits (Male, Female, or Neither) Creatures of imagination, fairies, sprites, goblins, and ghosts and even the occasional god. Often used to provide insight into future events or to council and protect mortal characters or to wreak havoc and mischief. Examples: Titania and Oberon, Puck and the fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Ariel in The Tempest, Hecate and the weird sisters in Macbeth, Caesar’s ghost in Julius Caesar. 13 “Everyman” characters Rustics and Mechanicals: Pastoral or country rather than urban or city based characters. They are often simple, comical, less sophisticated, but always wise in common matters. Usually honest but highly gullible. Examples: Bottom, Quince, Snout, Snug, Flute, and Starveling in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Corin, William, Audrey, Phebe, and Silvius in As You Like It, The Old Shepherd and his son and family in The Winter’s Tale, Verges in Much Ado About Nothing. Expositional and supernumeraries Lords, ladies, soldiers, officers, musicians, messengers, servants (Male or Female) Important but often nameless and shallow characters in that we know very little about them and do not see them consistently throughout the play. They serve to deliver expositional material, bring news, or act as a sort of chorus commenting on the action of the play. There are numerous examples of these characters; just about any that don’t fit into one of the other categories. Compelling Characters Shakespeare certainly made use of stock characters but he also invented his fair share of more complex characters by integrating the types. Because of this, his characters seem more truthful, more “human.” These characters, perhaps because of their “humanness” and complexity have survived through time, unequalled in literature, and beloved for their depth and variety. Shakespeare’s characters are deeply admired by theatre artists and especially actors who consider his characters to be some of the most compelling, challenging and difficult roles to play. TERMS Commedia Del-Arte Stock Canon Rhetorical Peripheral Confidante Exposition Malicious Charismatic Archetype Stereotype QUESTIONS To which group do the characters listed below belong? Horatio, Ophelia, Hamlet, King Hamlet, Claudius, the Gravedigger, Gertrude, Fortinbras How do we recognize them? How does their behavior give them away? How does the language in the play (prose vs. verse), imagery, punctuation, etc. reveal which classification they belong to? What themes are each of the characters most tied to? ACTIVITY Choose one or more contemporary films or television programs and determine what group each character belongs to. 14 Remember Me: Collective Recognition and Hamlet In her book, Shakespeare After All, scholar Marjorie Garber asserts that for audiences of our time, watching a production of Hamlet is more an experience of “recognition, of recalling, remembering, or identifying some already known phrase or image. It could be said that in the context of modern culture – global culture as well as Anglophone culture – one never does encounter Hamlet ‘for the first time.’ Instead, the play provides a resonant cultural echo, both forming and reflecting concepts – terms of speech, types of character, philosophical ideas – that seem to preexist any single experience of the play, and at the same time to be disseminated from it.” Certainly the story was not new to Shakespeare. As a revenge tragedy, Hamlet took its place within an already well-established tradition of similar stories. Several sources are cited in the study of Hamlet – including Norse mythology, Danish history, and dramatic works by Thomas Kyd. Hamlet contains many of the standards elements of revenge tragedy- ghosts calling out for retribution, disguises and feigned madness as tools of the main character, one or more scheming kings (or queens), politicians, or military leaders who cause murder and mayhem, and many many corpses – both of villains and the tormented hero. According to Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody’s Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula: “Shakespeare probes the nature of death, of fate, of madness. He reveals the eternal conflicts between reality and illusion, fate and despair, the mind and the body…” We certainly recognize many phrases and lines from the play, as well as characters - archetypal and maybe even stereotypical as we interpret them over time. We may also recognize elements of the plot and story in newer works. What is it about this story which continues to resonate and percolate in the collective consciousness of our global culture? ACTIVITY Go through the text before reading it (perhaps in groups – each taking a section or act), and make a running list of phrases or lines which the students recognize from outside of English class. Narrow the list down to the most notable (10-15), and write down the commonly understood definition, context or connotations in which the phrases or lines may be used in popular culture. What do we assume about the play or the characters based on these lines? Return to this document after reading the play – and review what the class’ newfound understanding of their contexts is. ACTIVITY Make a list of movies, tv shows or books which use the revenge tragedy genre or the Hamlet story at their basis. (The Lion King and Sons of Anarchy are examples.) How have we changed the story over time to suit our current societal morays or expectations of narratives? What remains the same? 15 Spotlight: Audience Etiquette In today’s world of digital media, film, and television, it is important to remember that watching a play is a different experience that requires different habits and attitudes. Differences between live entertainment and pre-recorded, electronic, or other media (between theatre and film)Audience and performer awareness and connection. They are both present. Performers feed off of the audience. One performance to the next can be very different based on the connection between performers and audience. Performance develops right here and now and is dependent on audience attention and focus. Distractions do not go unnoticed by the performers Films etc. can be re-viewed if something is missed; they can be interrupted yet still viewed from start to finish. Live theatre is different. If the viewer misses something, they can’t “rewind.” Entering the theatre and becoming an audience memberFrom the moment the audience member enters, the performance elements are being presented to her through various theatrical elements. Find seat, remove coat or jacket before you sit, sit properly in seat, be aware and courteous of patrons on either side and in front or behind you. Keep your feet off the seat or seat back in front of you. Take in the set/scenery, listen to the music, read the prepared material in the program. Converse with your friends or neighbors but at a level that allows everyone else to do so as well. Conversation should stop when the lights, sound, curtain or actors change in a way that makes you aware things are about to start….Intermission is a great time for talking. Attention and focusLive entertainment/theatre requires a different level and type of attention or focus. From entering the theatre to the final curtain, clues and elements relating to the performance, the story, the themes etc. are being presented and should not be missed due to distraction or inattentiveness. Plays tend to accelerate as the story unfolds. Your attention needs to stay with them and increase as the story unfolds in order to really get the most out of the experience. Avoid outside distractions by turning off cell phones, not conversing with friends or neighbors during the performance, not texting during the performance and not getting up to use the restrooms or wander the lobby repeatedly. This may cause you to miss key elements of the story 16 and inhibit your enjoyment of the play and it will be distracting to other audience members and the performers as well. Start to finishPlays may begin with a recorded or live speech before the show. This is the formal beginning of the performance and is often indicated by a lowering in level of the “house” lights (the lights over the audience) and a change in lights on the show curtain or set. At this point you should be quiet and attentive. The play/story will usually begin when the house lights dim completely and lights come up full on the set or the curtain rises to reveal the set and/or characters. Plays are traditionally divided into acts which are in turn separated by scenes. There may or may not be intermissions (breaks in the story for you to visit the lobby and/or restrooms) between acts. These may last ten to fifteen minutes. The number of intermissions will be indicated in your program and/or during the pre-show speech. It is acceptable and encouraged to applaud at the end of an act. Normally applause between scenes is discouraged. You should always applaud at the end of the play and while the performers take their bows (curtain call) While talking during a performance is discouraged, it is acceptable to laugh or react to moments that are funny or engaging. This also depends on the type of show (for example in a children’s show, the performers may want the audience to interact and converse with them more than in a play for older children and adults.) Expect to work harder and experience moreThe live theatre asks more of an audience in terms of attention, focus, and thought. This is a good thing. It makes you work a little harder and asks more questions than you may be used to but that’s because the theatre’s origins and traditions are rooted in societal rituals that brought communities together in order to discuss important social issues. Plays were not intended to be purely entertaining – though many are in the modern theatre. A performance doesn’t end with the curtain coming down or the lights fading to black; discussions and reflection after the performance are part of the live theatre experience. More succinctly put – don’t you love it when someone tells you a story? And don’t you want to make sure you catch it all? All this work – what’s it really for? Shakespeare, and other live theatre is well, is not performed and produced to make the audience feel alienated. It’s about connection; it’s about humanity, and about what we recognize in our own lives as well. You may find yourself laughing, crying, nodding your head in agreement, or turning away in disgust. All those on stage and those who have contributed to the play are seeking connection with you. They love the story they are telling, find it compelling and useful in some way, and hope to relay that to you. All work aside – let yourself experience it! 17 William Shakespeare’s Life as a Play ACT I 1564-1576/78 Sense and Sound, Family, Foundation Shakespeare’s personal history is actually quite a mystery. What we know if him is based mainly on his plays and a few legal and church documents. He is thought to have been born on April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, near Warwickshire. His father, John, was a glover (a tradesman and craftsman who works in fine leather), and later an alderman and bailiff. Shakespeare’s mother, Mary Arden, was a landed local heiress; her family was an old and respected one in the area. According to church record, William was the third of eight children. During this time period Shakespeare learned Latin, philosophy, theology, history, and classic mythology at the local grammar school but he also learned the day-to-day customs, manners, and language of rustic and country life. ACT II 1576/78-1582 Work? Apprentice? Tutor? Shakespeare did not proceed to university after Grammar school. Other than this, little is known for sure. During this next span of time Shakespeare probably learned his father’s trade and may have been engaged as a tutor for children of local noble families. ACT III 1582-1590/92 Marriage, Family Documents concerning Shakespeare’s marriage to Anne Hathaway, a woman some seven or eight years his senior, on the 28th of November in 1582 and the births of their children Susanna in May of 1583, and twins Hamnet and Judith in February of 1585, provide some of the only information we have about William Shakespeare during this time. Shakespeare all but vanishes from record for seven years after the birth of the twins. This period in his life is often called the “Lost Years.” How or why he ends up in London writing plays and acting is a mystery that has sparked many theories and arguments among scholars and historians. ACT IV 1588-1603 London, the age of Elizabeth Even less is known for certain as to how Shakespeare came to join a professional troupe of actors and then become a playwright. What we do know is that by the year 1588, he was gone from Stratford and living in London working as an actor and later as mainly a playwright. In1592, a rival playwright named Robert Greene publically attacked Shakespeare in a critical article in which he refers to Shakespeare as an “upstart crow.” By 1594 Shakespeare was a managing partner of one of the most popular theatre companies in London, the Lord Chamberlain’s men (Later the King’s Men) and the company’s principle playwright. His star was on the rise. In 1596, his son Hamnet, twin brother to Judith, dies. ACT V 1603-1616 Wealth, Fame, Return to Stratford Shakespeare achieved a significant fame and notoriety by this time. His company was successful and his plays well known and even published during his lifetime (not a usual occurrence during this era). By the end of his career, Shakespeare was a part owner in the 18 company, the Globe theatre itself, and was involved in the establishment of one or more other theatres. He was wealthy enough in 1611 to purchase a new house in Stratford and retire in comfort; a highly respected, and distinguished gentleman. He is reported to have died on his birthday, April 23 in 1616. His last lines of verse to us are those of his epitaph: Good friend, for Jesus' sake forbeare To dig the dust enclosed here. Blessed be the man that spares these stones, And cursed be he that moves my bones. In 1623 two of his theatrical partners, John Hemminges and Henry Condell organized and had printed the First Folio edition of the collected plays of their friend William Shakespeare. Half of this collection included plays that had previously been unpublished. To these two gentlemen we owe a great debt. William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest playwright of the English language. His body of work has stood the test of time and distance with his plays still being produced all over the world on a regular basis. He is one of the most produced playwrights in history. 19 Shakespeare’s World Most of Shakespeare’s plays were written during what is referred to as the Late or High Renaissance period. In England, this era is also referred to as the Elizabethan Period after Queen Elizabeth I. It is important to note that Shakespeare’s world, while dominated by Elizabeth, was shaped by other monarchs before and after her reign. Starting with her father, Henry VIII, and concluding with her nephew, James I we see that Shakespeare was the subject of a turbulent and volatile royal family. Henry VIII – 1509-47 EdwardVI – 1547-53 Mary I – 1553-58 Elizabeth I – 1558-1603 James I – 1603-25 Excommunicated, started English Reformation Devoted Protestant, died young Fanatical Catholic, persecuted protestants Protestant but tolerant of the old faith to a point More a politician than devout, fascinated by the occult The Theatres of Shakespeare’s Time The Theatre: 1576-1598. The first public theatre in London. When it was torn down its timbers were used in constructing the first Globe Theatre. It was owned by James Burbage and his son Richard who would originate many of Shakespeare’s leading characters including Hamlet. The Blackfriars: Eventually owned by Richard Burbage in 1597 and intended to operate as a second space for the King’s Men. The Curtain: One of the longest standing theatres, it lasted from about 1577 until the 1660s. The Rose: Probably the first London theatre in which Shakespeare’s plays were seen. Opened by Phillip Henslowe who would go on to work frequently with Shakespeare. Ned Allyn, a popular actor took over in later years but the theatre fell into ruins and could not compete with the newly built Globe Theatre. The Rose was torn down in 1605. The Swan: Little is known of this theatre which operated between 1595-1632. It is important to history because of a famous sketch of it made by Johannes de Witt and later copied by Aernoudt. This sketch provides us with the most detailed picture of an Elizabethan theatre. The Globe: Home to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men (Later the King’s Men) the first version of this theatre opened in 1599. Both Shakespeare and Burbage were part owners. It burnt down in 1613 and a new Globe was built in 1614 and lasted until 1644. Fortune Theatre: Built by Phillip Henslowe in 1600 to compete with the Globe Theatre. The contract for the construction provides detailed information about the characteristics and operation of an Elizabethan theatre. Playwrights and Contemporaries Edmund Spenser – London – 1552-1599 Influential poet and playwright. His poem, The Fairie Queen, is one of the greatest epic poems of its age John Lily – Kent - 1554-1606 20 Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit and Euphues and His England. Credited with developing “polite comedy” in England Thomas Kyd – London -1558-1594 Author of the play, The Spanish Tragedy, which set the standard for Elizabethan tragic form. Robert Greene – Norwich – 1560-1592 A member of a group of writers known as the “University Wits.” He was a critic of Shakespeare and attacked his work in public articles. Christopher (“Kit”) Marlowe – Canterbury – 1564-1593 Said to have been a significant influence on Shakespeare and may even have been regarded as a rival. His life and writings have become almost legendary. His plays, Faustus, Tamburlaine the Great, and The Jew of Malta are most famous. Ben Jonson – London 1572-1637 Regarded as one of the literary masters of his age, Johnson was a contemporary of Shakespeare’s who both praised and criticized him. His plays, Volpone, The Alchemist, and Bartholomew Fair are most famous. 21 Why do we still Study Shakespeare’s plays? William Shakespeare is the most popular and most produced playwright in the western world. His plays and poems have outlived the popularity of countless other playwrights. When being introduced to his work, students and young artists are right to ask why? Each new generation must come to its own conclusions regarding his continued popularity and significance. The following list contains many commonly agreed upon reasons for this popularity. 1) Shakespeare expressed in both concrete and abstract terms the range of the human condition. His eloquence and instinct for capturing with words what it means to be human is the strongest reason for his enduring popularity. 2) Shakespeare knew what stories appealed to his audience. While he borrowed many or most of the plots for his plays from outside sources or even other plays based on the same subject, event, or characters, Shakespeare was original in how he told the stories. He told every kind of story and always with attention toward the human condition as it was altered by the events of the story. This is one reason why they last today; they’re about the human experience. 3) Complex, compelling characters that could be us Shakespeare’s characters are borrowed from history, other plays or stories, or are purely his invention. They have in common recognizable human qualities, rich and difficult contradictions, sublime language, and passionate, volatile actions. We see ourselves in these characters regardless of their eras or social status or circumstance. Scholar Harold Bloom often says that Shakespeare, “invented” the human on stage. 4) Language for all time Shakespeare’s language is not four hundred years old; it is four hundred years young. At the time he was writing, the English language was just coming out of its childhood and into adolescence. The high contrast between Saxon and Latin based words and phrases created a built-in conflict or tug-of-war that Shakespeare took full advantage of. He was also extremely instinctive and inventive; leaving us with many words and phrases that have moved out of the specific context of the plays they were written for and into common, everyday use. 22 Some thoughts about William Shakespeare and fun facts about the play: Shakespeare’s only son was named HAMNET. He was a twin, with Judith Shakespeare, born to William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway in February of 1585. He died in 1596 at the age of 11. The play Hamlet was written approximately 3 years later. Scholars disagree on whether the death of Shakespeare’s son had any bearing on the subject or content of the play. “ Shakespeare drew upon the confusion, pity and dread in a world of damaged rituals – the world in which most of us continue to live – because he himself had experienced those same emotions in 1596, at the funeral of his child, and later, in anticipation of his father’s death. He responded not with prayers but the deepest expression of his being: Hamlet.” - Stephen Greenblatt, The Death of Hamnet and the Making of Hamlet Hamlet is the longest of all of Shakespeare’s plays. The most commonly accepted version is 4042 lines. Shakespeare’s shortest play is The Comedy of Errors, at 1,787 lines. The role of Hamlet is considered to be the most highly coveted of all roles in the theatrical canon. At 15o6 lines, it is the biggest role in Shakespeare’s works. It is followed by Iago, the antagonist from Othello, with 1088, and King Henry in Henry V with 1031. “Shakespeare said everything. Brain to belly; every mood and minute of a man’s season. His language is starlight and fireflies and the sun and the moon. He wrote it with tears and blood and beer, and his words march like heartbeats. He speaks to everyone and we all claim him, but it’s wise to remember, if we would really appreciate him, that he doesn’t properly belong to us but another world that smelled assertively of columbine and gun powder and printer’s ink and was vigorously dominated by Elizabeth.” Orson Welles, The Road to Xanadu, 1995, p. 179 In the 19th and early 20th century, it was also quite common for women to play the role. Most of the great actresses of their time – including Charlotte Cushman, Sarah Bernhardt, and Eva LaGalliene played the role to great critical acclaim. 23 Sources for WHT’s Hamlet Study Guide Text editions: The Riverside Shakespeare 2nd ed. The Complete Works. 1997, - Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston and New York The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Cambridge Text Established by John Dover Wilson. 1921, Cambridge University Press – Octopus Books Ltd. 1980 Source/reference texts: Shakespeare After All. Marjorie Garber. Anchor Books, 2004 The Shakespeare Miscellany. David Crystal and Ben Crystal. Penguin Books, London, England, 2005. All the Words on Stage. Louis Scheeder and Shane Ann Younts. Smith and Kraus, 2002. Speak the Speech: Shakespeare’s Monologues Illuminated, Rhona Silverbush and Sami Plotkin. Faber and Faber,2002. Readings on Hamlet: Literary Companion Series, Don Nardo, editor. Greenhaven Press, 1999. Websites and Articles: Shakespeare’s Words, www.shakespeareswords.com – this is the official David and Ben Crystal website, with the complete works with glossary, themes and motifs, allusions, and much, much more. Folger Shakespeare Library, www.folger.edu – Replete with lesson plans, a teachers’ blog, and information about Folger programming and collections. British Library: http://www.bl.uk/treasures/shakespearehtml - Extensive information on the background, production and publication history, and quartos of Shakespeare’s plays The Death of Hamnet and the Making of Hamlet, by Stephen Greenblatt, on the NY review of books website, http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2004/oct/21/the-death-of-hamnet-and-themaking-of-hamlet/ 24