No Shakespeare Class Until December

Oct 28 Class

We started reading Hamlet this week. We got into Act 2, Scene 2.

We will pick it up again in December....

Oct 21 Class

We finished watching Mel Gibson's Hamlet today, and then spent the next 30 minutes discussing it.

Who was acting?
Ophelia
King
Polonius
Rosencranz/Guilderstern
Hamlet
Queen
Players
Horatio/Other Guards

Who died? (murdered/suicide)
Ophelia
King
Polonius
Rosencranz/Guilderstern
Hamlet
Queen
Laertes

Who was "mad" (as in crazy)?
Ophelia
King?
Grave Digger?
Hamlet?

What do we know about the Ghost?
Seen by other people, not just Hamlet
Right about murder

Oct 14 Class

With most of the Shakespeare class also involved in Mock Trial, we started Mel Gibson's version of Hamlet today, watching especially for references to Hamlet's madness.

Big question, is Hamlet really mad, or is he pretending to be mad?

"Time is out of joint..." (Hamlet, after talking to the ghost of his father)

"Madness in great ones must not unwatched go." (Hamlet's uncle, after watching Hamlet's show of madness.)

Oct 7 Class

We finished reading As You Like It today. We watched a 30 minute cartoon version of As You Like It. Most thought it wasn't any better than the black and white version we watched at the beginning.

We're going to do Hamlet next. (Romeo and Juliet will have to wait until after Hamlet.) The plan is to start watching the Mel Gibson version on Oct 14, and finish the video and start the reading on Oct 21.

Oct 7 Class?

Yes, we will be doing Shakespeare on October 7, during "Fall Break" (We'll be taking the entire month of November off for Wednesday classes, so I figure we need to get them all in in October!)