In this unit, we will be exploring William Shakespeare's "Hamlet". It is quite a juicy play, where the ghost of King Denmark tells his son Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing the new King, Hamlet's uncle Claudius. Hamlet is so torn and confused- his dad died unexpectedly, he sees his dad's ghost-like figure, and to top it off, his mother married his Uncle Claudius...so that makes Claudius his step-dad? Try and keep up folks- it's only the beginning! Hamlet pretends to be mad, thinks about life, death, and ultimately revenge. He is out for blood! Little does Hamlet know, his Uncle Claudius is also plotting revenge. Who will live? Who will die? In the spirit of a true, Shakespearean tragedy, Hamlet challenges a lot of social norms of the time, and its more like our modern-day life than we may assume. We will consider the following questions in order to develop a deeper understanding of the content:- What is the nature of ambition and power?
- What gives a person status? Is status achieved the same way in all societies? Within a society? Why is status important?
- How do power and ambition drive us? How do they challenge us? How do individuals acquire real and perceived power? How do people enact power? How are power and privilege aligned?
- How does lack of power or imbalance in power affect individuals, groups, and societies?
- What is meant by the "common good"? Who decides what the common good is? Is the common good best for every individual in a society? How do we attend to the common good while respecting individual goals and values?
ELA Goals/ Outcomes (Unit of Study):
- CC B30.4- Compose and create narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive writings that include a position paper, a comparative essay, a letter of inquiry, a critique of an author's style, and a short story or essay that uses parody, satire, and/ or irony.
- CR B30.4-Read and demonstrate comprehension of contemporary and classical grade appropriate informational and literary texts from various international, including indigenous, cultures and analyze the philosophical, ethical, and social influences that have shaped information, issues, characters, plots, and themes.