Exploring Shakespeare: Hamlet

In this class, we will read Shakespeare's play Hamlet aloud from beginning to end, stopping frequently to dig into the acting clues and opportunities that Shakespeare embeds in the text. Students will read a different role in each act, and so will have a chance to experience the play from multiple angles. 

We will ask questions like:
- What is the action of the scene? 
- How can I best paraphrase my lines to make the meaning both clear and personal?
- What do the rhythm and structure of the speech tell me about my character?
- How would I stage this scene if I were directing it?

By the end of the class, students will have an intimate knowledge of Hamlet that would serve them well in any testing situation. They will also have a host of tools for approaching Shakespearean roles as actors, directors, dramaturgs, and theatre lovers.

Each class varies based on the depth of curiosity of the learners, but here is an approximate idea of how much ground we will cover per week:
Day 1: Approaches to Shakespeare: Rhythm, meaning, and acting clues. Read Act 1.1
Day 2: Read Act 1.2-1.3
Day 3: Read Act 1.4, 1.5, 2.1
Day 4: Read Act 2.2
Day 5: Read Act 3.1, 3.2
Day 6: Read Act 3.2, 3.3
Day 7: Read Act 3.4-4.2
Day 8: Read Act 4.3-4.5
Day 9: Read Act 4.6, 4.7
Day 10: Read Act 5.1
Day 11: Read Act 5.2
Day 12: Finish reading, revisit favorite scenes and speeches, and review tools and techniques

This class is ideal for students who love drama, theatre, and/or literature. Some familiarity with Shakespeare is helpful, but not required.