PREMIÈRE · UPPER SECONDARY · B1+ towards B2

Hamlet: Ghosts, Revenge and the Tragic

Key question: What makes Hamlet a tragic hero?

Themes: the tragic, ghosts, revenge, madness, To be or not to be.

Texts: public domain extracts from Shakespeare. This sequence is highly flexible.

Sessions

Session 1: The ghost on the walls
Why is a ghost the perfect start for a tragedy?Session 2: Revenge: duty or crime?
Should Hamlet obey the ghost?Session 3: Madness: real or performed?
Is Hamlet mad, or does he only act mad?Session 4: To be or not to be
What does Hamlet's most famous speech tell us about the tragic hero?Session 5: The tragic end
Why does everybody die, and what remains?Final task: Horatio's account or a modern soliloquy

Extra resources

Teacher notesAssessment out of 20

Links reminder