Lesson Overview:
For theatre practitioners, Shakespeare's text is a blueprint for the play. Unlike the extensive stage directions actors may find in the texts of many modern playwrights (ex. Tennessee Williams, William Gibson) Shakespeare's texts seem to be nearly void of stage direction. However, Shakespeare actually does give the actor and director some clues regarding staging. In this lesson, students will examine how Shakespeare's use of split lines and shortened lines of iambic pentameter creates meaning by reading, analyzing and staging the opening scene of Hamlet.
Length of Lesson:
Three 45-minute class periods
Instructional Objectives:
Students will:
- develop reading skills and strategies for interpreting Shakespeare's dramatic text
- be able to develop multiple interpretations and visual and aural production choices for Shakespearean scenes and choose those that are most interesting
- be able to justify interpretation of text and visual and aural artistic choices
- effectively communicate directorial choices in a small ensemble for scenes from Hamlet
Supplies:
Instructional Plan:
Note: In beginning your lesson, please make sure that students are familiar with the vocabulary they will be using. Pass out the Vocabulary handout for Shakespeare's Hamlet and discuss the meaning of the words.
Begin by suggesting to your students that the script of a play is actually a blueprint, which theatre practitioners use to bring the play into existence. The script will often give specific directions on how a scene is to be staged. Ask students to give you some examples of playwrights that give detailed directions on staging. The Glass Menagerie (Williams) and The Miracle Worker (Gibson), are examples of play texts that are filled with direction from the playwright on staging. View the following handout, Examples of Stage Direction. Now present students with the first 15 lines of Shakespeare's Hamlet. These are available on the info sheet, Hamlet - First 15 Lines. Point out that aside from a few notes about entrances and exits, the script seems to be nearly void of stage direction. However, Shakespeare actually does give the actor and director some clues regarding staging. Tell the students that in this lesson they will learn how to read the blueprint of Shakespeare's plays by examining the short verse line, the split or shared line, and the meter.
Remind students that the first part of any play is the exposition, and that it is packed with all of the information that the playwright believes the audience must have in order to understand the play as it unfolds. Tell the students that Shakespeare provides the audience with a lot of verbal clues in the opening of Hamlet to let them know who the characters are, what they are doing, where they are and even what time it is. Next read the text aloud with the students asking them to look for the verbal clues that give specific information about who is in the scene, when it is taking place, etc. List all of the information the students find. Students will note that the names of all of the characters are mentioned, the time is given (twelve, night), the weather (bitter cold), the atmosphere (quiet, not a mouse stirring), and the mood of at least one character (Francisco, "I am sick at heart.") There are some suggestions for possible sound cues in line 7 (bell striking midnight), and line 15, the approach of Horatio and Marcellus. Note: different editions of Shakespeare's plays may differ slightly in the line numbering and the layout. The Arden Shakespeare is an excellent resource, providing extensive notes on the variations in the various editions of the plays.
Next, tell the students that Shakespeare gives his actors additional clues regarding staging and characterization through his use of meter. Review the elements of iambic pentameter with the students. (See the Web site, ArtsAlive.ca English Theatre which has a series of helpful activities regarding Iambic pentameter.) It may help students to think of iambic pentameter as mimicking the human heart beat (de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum) as they work with the lines of this text.
The Short Verse Line
The first thing students will notice about the opening line of Hamlet is that it is short, containing only two of the ten syllables needed to make up a line of iambic pentameter. Tell the students that this short line is a clue to the staging. It suggests that there may be a delay before the next line is spoken. Have the students scan the line as if it were a full line of iambic pentameter counting the missing syllables as beats of silence. "Who's there...de dum de dum de dum de dum?" Ask the students to consider some reasons why there might be a delay before Francisco responds. Is there perhaps some action taking place on the stage? Or is there a reaction from one of the characters that gives the audience some information about the scene? The decision is up to the theatre practitioner to consider why there are only two spoken syllables in this line, and to determine the potential use of a pause.
The Meter
Francisco's response is a full line of iambic pentameter. Here the stressed syllables in "answer me" and unfold yourself" suggest (one possible interpretation) that Francisco is saying, "No, you tell ME who YOU are!" However, there are few definitive interpretations, and you will want to tell students that the meter is there to serve as a guide to interpretation and that there are multiple possibilities. For example, the actor may choose to stress a sense of command that lies in the second half of that line by putting more stress on "unfold" so that the line reads, "Stand and unfold yourself."
Placing the Pause
Note that Bernardo's next line is short, and the actor is free to take the pause either before or after the line. This is an interpretive choice for the artist to make, whether to have Bernardo respond immediately to Francisco's command or whether to pause before he responds, perhaps to take some action before speaking. Have two students volunteer to act out the first three lines of dialogue. First direct the students to read the lines without adding any pauses. Next, have them read the lines as presented on the demonstration sheet. Ask for suggestions for possible action during the pauses. Discuss with the
students how the meaning changes with the use of pauses. Ask them if the lines work better (make more sense) with our without pauses.
Split Lines and Shared Lines
Now tell the students to look at line 15 and ask them to point out what is different about the layout of these lines from the others. (The first part of the line has two beats; then there is a stage direction. The final 3 beats begin in the middle of the page.) This line is split by a stage direction, and pauses may be added for the entrance of Marcellus and Horatio. Point out to students that line 16 is also a split line, but this line is shared between two characters. The layout for shared lines always follows this pattern of moving across the page in descending lines. In this instance Marcellus's line begins in the middle of the page. Actors may choose to give these lines pauses, as in line 15, but when lines are shared this way, the general rule is to pick up the cue, that is, to speak the lines without pause. Ask for 4 volunteers to demonstrate several variations for presenting lines 14 and 15. First have them read the lines without adding any pauses at all. (The entrance of Horatio and Marcellus will have to occur simultaneously with the line reading.) Ask students to suggest action that might take place during the pauses. Discuss with both the actors and the audience how the meaning changes with each. Distribute the worksheet, Scene Observation and have students complete the assignment. For further information see John Barton's text, Playing Shakespeare. (Barton p. 33).
Now the students are ready to read through the text of the scene. Remind the students that the text of a play is more than just the words written to be spoken. The silences, the pauses, and the movements, are all part of the text, which an audience "reads" when seeing the production. Ask them to be mindful of that "unwritten" element of the text as you read through lines 1-62 aloud together. As you read the scene aloud with the students stop to address any questions they might
have concerning vocabulary and the basic content of the scene. Also stop to discuss any short verse lines and split or shared lines that come up during the reading. Prompt students to consider what they might imply about the staging.
- What is the purpose of the short verse in each instance that it appears? If a pause is inserted what affect does it have? Does it inform character? Create mood? Does it suggest action?
- How does the timing of a split line affect characterization and the tone of the scene? What is the effect if the cue is picked up quickly? What is the effect if a pause is inserted?
Read and discuss the scene with the intention of opening up the students to the wide variety of possibilities of how this scene might be staged. Then assign the students to groups of 5 or 6 to prepare the scene for presentation to the class. Remind the students that they are to apply their understanding of meter, short verse lines, and split or shared verse lines to help them make interpretive choices in staging the scene.
Have the students present the scenes one right after another, avoiding full discussion until all the scenes are presented. Each scene will have nuanced differences in interpretation, and that is what you will want the students to focus on in their comments. Ultimately you want to lead the students into discussing how the text of the play is more than just the written words on the page. Lead them to discuss how each scene presentation tells a slightly different version of the same story. Pass out the worksheet, Scene Preparation Guidelines and have students discuss the questions in Cooperative groups. Finally ask the students to discuss their experience of exploring the clues for staging the text.
As a fun, optional concluding activity, have students explore the interactive portions of Shakespeare: Subject to Change. This site has several elements that deal specifically with Hamlet, including "The Writing Process" (an interactive timeline) and a side-by-side textual comparison of monolouges from the play, as well as many fun elements, like "Shakespeare's Language," which deal with Shakespeare's wit and playfulness.
Assessment:
Refer to the Assessment Rubric.
- Can the student successfully read Shakespeare's text for clues regarding staging and apply them to interpret the scene?
- Did the student explore multiple interpretations and make suitable artistic choices?
- Can the student justify his interpretive choices by textual reference?
- Did the student create a cohesive interpretation of scene with his/her peers?
Extensions:
Get copies of several versions of Hamlet on video and show the opening scene to students after they have completed this lesson. Each film treats the opening differently and provides a good basis for discussion of the differences between film and stage productions. For example, Mel Gibson's Hamlet completely dismisses the opening scene, whereas Richard Burton's Hamlet takes the scene at a pace full of pauses.
The following scenes in Hamlet are also worth exploring by looking for staging clues:
- Act I sc i, line 129-150 (the Ghost moving about the stage!)
- Act I sc ii, line 159-258 (Many shared verse lines and short verse lines)
- Act I sc v, in its entirety. Note that line 2 is split three ways!
Sources:
Print:
- Barton, John. Playing Shakespeare. London and New York: Methuen, 1984.
- Linklater, Kristin. Freeing Shakespeare's Voice: The Actor's Guide to Talking the Text. New York: Theatre
Communications Group, 1992.
- Shakespeare, W., Jenkins, Harold, ed. Hamlet, The Arden Shakespeare. New York: Methuen, 1982.
Web:
Authors:
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Jim Carpenter, Ph.D. (retired)
La Plata HS
Charles County Public Schools
La Plata, MD
