TERMINALE LV1 · UPPER SECONDARY · B2 to C1 · C1/C2 extension track in every session

Session 2: Revenge: duty or crime?

Part 2. Should Hamlet obey the ghost?

Objectives

Today's language goal

To weigh the arguments for and against revenge and give my judgement, we need the words of moral choice (duty, proof, conscience, sin, justice, guilty, trap) and should, ought to, have to, must not (and should have to judge the past).

Warm-up

Vote with your feet: one side of the room for 'revenge is justice', the other for 'revenge is a crime'. Explain your choice in one sentence.

Documents

"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act I, scene 5, the Ghost
Document: revenge tragedy. In Elizabethan England, revenge plays were very popular. The law and the Church condemned private revenge, so the hero is caught between a sacred duty to his father and a sin.
"The play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act II, scene 2, Hamlet

Dilemma table

ChoiceForAgainst
Kill Claudius nowjustice for his fatherno proof, it is a sin
Test him with a playproof firsttime lost, danger
Do nothingno crimethe murderer keeps the crown

Vocabulary

WordMeaning
dutysomething you must do
proofevidence that shows the truth
consciencethe inner sense of good and bad
sinan act against religious law
justicefair treatment by the law
guiltyresponsible for a crime
playa theatre performance
trapa trick to catch someone

Grammar lesson: should, ought to, have to, must not; should have

To weigh the arguments for and against revenge and give my judgement, we need should, ought to, have to, must not; should have
For the teacher: how to run it (8 to 10 minutes)
  1. Read the Ghost's order: “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” Ask: what does Hamlet have to do? What should he do?
  2. Distinguish on the board: have to (an obligation from outside, here the Ghost), should / ought to (a moral opinion), must not (forbidden by law or the Church). Students copy.
  3. Add should have + past participle to judge Hamlet's past choices.
  4. Quick check, then exercises, then the dilemma table and the troupe performance.
On the board, to copy

Rule

have to: an obligation imposed from outside. should / ought to: what is right in my opinion. must not: it is forbidden. should have + past participle: a judgement on a past action (it was a mistake not to do it).

Form

  • has to / have to + base verb: Hamlet has to find proof.
  • should / ought to + base verb: He should not believe the ghost immediately.
  • must not + base verb: A Christian must not kill.
  • should have + past participle: He should have acted earlier.

Use

  • To present the arguments for and against revenge.
  • To judge the characters' choices.
  • To build a debate: on the one hand he has to ..., on the other hand he must not ...

Examples from the lesson

  • Hamlet has to find proof.
  • Hamlet should not believe the ghost immediately.
  • The law and the Church say that a man must not take private revenge.
  • Hamlet should have killed Claudius when he had the chance.

Common mistakes

  • Not Hamlet should to find proof., but Hamlet should find proof.
  • Not Hamlet have to find proof., but Hamlet has to find proof.
  • Not He ought find proof., but He ought to find proof.
  • Not He should acted earlier., but He should have acted earlier.

Quick check (2 minutes, hands up or mini whiteboards)Should, has to, must not or should have?

  1. The Ghost orders it: Hamlet ______ avenge his father.
  2. In my opinion, he ______ check the ghost's story.
  3. The Church says a man ______ kill.
  4. He ______ talked to Horatio earlier.
Show the answers

1. has to. 2. should. 3. must not. 4. should have.

Exercises

EntryRecognition. Obligation (O), opinion or advice (A), prohibition (P), criticism of the past (C)?

  1. Hamlet has to obey his father.
  2. He ought to think before he acts.
  3. A son must not kill his king.
  4. Hamlet should have spoken to his mother earlier.
  5. Claudius should confess his crime.
  6. Hamlet shouldn't have killed Polonius.
Show the answers

1. O. 2. A. 3. P. 4. C. 5. A. 6. C.

CoreTransformation. Rewrite with the word in brackets.

  1. It is a good idea for Hamlet to find proof. (should)
  2. The Ghost obliges Hamlet to take revenge. (has to)
  3. Killing is forbidden by the Church. (must not)
  4. It was a mistake not to act during the prayer scene. (should have)
  5. It is right to protect his mother. (ought to)
  6. It was wrong to kill Polonius. (shouldn't have)
  7. He is not obliged to kill: he can wait. (doesn't have to)
Show the answers

1. Hamlet should find proof. 2. Hamlet has to take revenge. 3. A man must not kill. 4. He should have acted during the prayer scene. 5. He ought to protect his mother. 6. He shouldn't have killed Polonius. 7. He doesn't have to kill: he can wait.

StretchProduction. Write the arguments of the dilemma table in six sentences: two for revenge (has to, should), two against (must not, ought to), two judgements on the past (should have, shouldn't have).

Show the answers

For example: Hamlet has to avenge his father, because the Ghost ordered it. He should restore justice in Denmark. However, he must not commit a sin. He ought to find proof first. He should have acted when he was sure. He shouldn't have killed Polonius by mistake.

Going further (for students heading to language studies)Advanced. Modal perfects and formal moral language. Rewrite and explain.

  1. It was not necessary to organise a play. (needn't have)
  2. People expected Hamlet to act quickly. (was supposed to)
  3. Hamlet is obliged by honour to act. (is bound to)
Show the answers

1. Hamlet needn't have organised a play (he did it, but it was not necessary). 2. Hamlet was supposed to act quickly (an expectation he did not meet). 3. Hamlet is bound to act (a strong moral obligation). Needn't have and didn't need to are not the same: the first says the action was done for nothing.

Words in action

To say it precisely, we need the right words

EntryMatch: duty, proof, sin, guilty.

  1. responsible for a crime
  2. evidence that shows the truth
  3. something you must do
  4. an act against religious law
Show the answers

1. guilty. 2. proof. 3. duty. 4. sin.

CoreComplete the dilemma table with: justice, proof, crown. Kill Claudius now: ______ for his father, but no ______. Do nothing: the murderer keeps the ______.

Show the answers

justice, proof, crown.

StretchExplain “conscience” in your own words and give one example.

Show the answers

Conscience is the inner voice that tells us what is good or bad. For example, my conscience stops me from copying a friend's homework.

Activities

  1. List the arguments for and against revenge in the play.
  2. Language: should, ought to, have to, must not.
  3. Why does Hamlet organise a play to test Claudius? Explain 'catch the conscience of the king'.
  4. Acting troupes: perform a two minute 'play within the play' in modern English.

More activities

Exercises
  1. Turn into a sentence with 'should': Hamlet / not believe the ghost immediately.
  2. Turn with 'has to': Hamlet / find proof.
  3. Which line shows that Hamlet wants proof?
  4. Give one argument against revenge.
  5. Translate the idea of 'conscience' in your own words in English.
Corrigé of the exercises
  1. Hamlet should not believe the ghost immediately.
  2. Hamlet has to find proof.
  3. The play's the thing Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
  4. Revenge leads to more deaths and is condemned by the law.
  5. The inner voice that tells you what is good or bad.

Sentence starters

Role play

Student A is Hamlet, Student B is Horatio. Hamlet wants to kill Claudius tonight. Horatio tries to calm him and suggests another way.

Figures of speech in the documents

Metaphor: the play as a trap

“The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.” (Act II, scene 2, Hamlet)

You catch an animal with a trap; Hamlet wants to “catch” a conscience, something invisible. The play becomes a trap: this is a metaphor. If Claudius reacts to the murder on stage, his guilt will be caught and shown. The two lines also rhyme (thing / king), which makes the plan sound like a magic formula.

EntryWhat do we usually catch?

Show the answers

A ball, a fish, an animal, a thief.

CoreHow will the play “catch” the king's conscience?

Show the answers

The actors show a murder like Claudius's crime; if the king reacts, his guilt will be visible.

StretchFind the rhyme in the two lines and explain its effect.

Show the answers

thing / king: the rhyme closes the scene like a decision or a spell and links the play directly to the king.

Gap-fill worksheet

QR code to this worksheet
Word bank: duty, proof, conscience, sin, justice, guilty, play, trap
  1. Hamlet feels it is his ______ to avenge his father.
  2. He wants ______ before acting.
  3. The play is a ______ for the king.
  4. Claudius looks ______ when he sees the play.
  5. For the Church, revenge is a ______.
  6. The law, not a son, should bring ______.
  7. The ______ within the play shows a murder.
  8. Hamlet wants to catch the ______ of the king.
Answer key
  1. duty
  2. proof
  3. trap
  4. guilty
  5. sin
  6. justice
  7. play
  8. conscience

Expression task

Now say it

Debate: Hamlet must decide. Kill Claudius now, test him with a play, or do nothing?

EntryTwo sentences: your choice with should and one reason.

CoreA one-minute speech: your choice, two arguments, one objection with must not or has to.

StretchAdd a judgement with should have, the metaphor of the trap, and a conclusion.

Tools to use:

Show a model answer

In my opinion, Hamlet should test Claudius with a play first. On the one hand, he has to avenge his father, because the Ghost ordered it. On the other hand, he must not kill an innocent man: the ghost might be lying. The play is a trap that will catch the king's conscience. Later, of course, he should have acted faster, but at this moment, proof comes first.

Assessment grid

CriteriaLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4
ArgumentsRarelySometimesMostlyAlways and precisely
Obligation and judgmentHard to followSome errorsClearRich and accurate
Use of the textNo quotationOne quotationTwo quotations, explainedQuotations analysed

Terminale LV1 · C1/C2 extension track

For strong or anglophone students. Revenge is set against law and conscience, as in the Elizabethan debate on private justice.

Extended extract

Revenge is a kind of wild justice; which the more man's nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out. For as for the first wrong, it doth but offend the law; but the revenge of that wrong putteth the law out of office.
Francis Bacon, Of Revenge, Essays, 1625 (public domain)

Critical analysis

  1. Explain the paradox of 'wild justice'.
  2. Compare Bacon's position with the ghost's command 'Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder'.
  3. Does Shakespeare endorse or question revenge? Use the play within the play as evidence.

Nuanced vocabulary

Word or phraseMeaning and use
vigilante justicepunishment carried out without legal authority
to put out of officeto make an institution useless
retributionpunishment felt to be deserved
arguablyto present a view as defensible but open to debate
to hinge onto depend entirely on

Argued writing (C1: 300 words · C2: 400 words)

Argued essay: 'Revenge is a kind of wild justice.' To what extent does Hamlet agree with Bacon?

Debate

Mock trial: Hamlet is charged with the death of Polonius. Prosecution, defence, witnesses (Gertrude, Horatio), a jury verdict with reasons.

Homework

Write a short speech (150 words) for or against Hamlet's revenge.

Links reminder