EDUA 5454 Teach Shakespeare: Focus on Hamlet
TEACHING SHAKESPEARE: A FOCUS ON HAMLET
Hamlet is one of the great works of English literature, and considered by many to be William Shakespeare’s finest play. For the last several centuries, Hamlet has been continuously read, analyzed, enjoyed, and adapted into stage and film productions. Hamlet is an ideal teaching tool: not only is it an exemplar of Shakespeare’s unique use of language, character development, complex dramatic themes, and knowledge of human nature, there are also 421 question marks in the text. How better to teach a complex text than having students strive to answer these questions themselves?
In this course, the teacher will learn how to help students make personal connections with Hamlet, learning not only how to read and interpret Shakespeare’s language, but how to understand Hamlet’s complex themes and relationships in a concrete, relatable manner. By the end of the course, the teacher will possess a full set of robust, actionable practices for teaching Hamlet in the classroom. The teacher will also know how to meaningfully engage students with one of the great texts in English literature and how to instill a deep appreciation of Shakespeare’s works as a whole.