Due Thursday, September 12th - "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, Act I, scenes i and ii

Overview:  In class, we read, performed, and viewed William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, scenes i and ii.  Now, I would like you to re-examine the text using study questions, below.

Directions:  Attend to one or more of the following questions using 2-3 direct quotations/passages from the text.  If the question is merely asking you about a plot point, please go further and think about the how and why attached to the question.  Further, make psychological and metaphorical connections to the ideas we expressed in class.  When you come into class, we will read each other's responses, respond on the blog and discuss as a class.  I look forward to your thoughts and insights.

Study Questions for Exploration

The first line of the play is "Who's there."  Could there be something metaphorical about this first line?

The first speaker in the play is Bernardo. What is he doing when the play begins, and why is his first speech at least somewhat inappropriate to the situation?

In brief, why is Denmark in a state of Military alert as the play opens? How does this help justify Claudius' actions at the beginning of the play?

What do we learn of Horatio's character from the guards' attitude towards him?

In Claudius' first speech, what impression is he trying to give to his listeners?

What do Hamlet's first two speeches reveal about his attitude towards his uncle, the new King?

Paraphrase briefly Hamlet's speech which begins, "Seems, Madam ..." and ends with "suits of woe." What metaphor dominates the speech and helps to define a theme of the play?

In Hamlet's first soliloquy, what specific details reveal his attitude towards his mother?

How does Hamlet react to the arrival of Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernardo? Is his behavior truly indicative of his state of mind?

What does Hamlet's reaction to the story of the ghost reveal about his courage and willingness to take action?