Reasons for selection and synopsis

A ghost, a tortured prince and an evil uncle come together in this
explosive story about revenge, family and madness.

The story opens on a frosty night, when the ghost of Hamlet’s father visits him. Many believe the late king was killed by a
poisonous snake bite. However, the spirit reveals to Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother, Hamlet’s uncle who now sits on the
throne, married to his mother. Told from Hamlet’s point of view, this is an accessible re-telling of one of Shakespeare’s most popular
tragedies.
You can watch a re-telling of the play here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03f5fjr

Before reading…

Ask the children to look at the front cover. What do you think the
book will be about? What things can you see on the front cover?
What sort of story will it be? Who might enjoy it?
Now read the blurb – where any of your predictions correct? How
do the reviews on the back persuade you to read the book?

Look carefully at the cast list. Draw lines to match the name of the character to their role in the story.

“I am thy father’s spirit,
Doom’d for a certain term to walk the night,
And for the day confined to fast in fires,
Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature
Are burnt and purged away….” (Act I, Scene V)

Who is speaking? Who might they be speaking to? What is a spirit?
How do we know the spirit is tortured? What might the ‘foul crimes’
be? Find and copy a word that means the same as ‘to be rid of’ or
‘to remove’. How might the spirit be freed?

Pages 7 – 15

Vocabulary

Can you find an example of personification on page 7?
Replace the words in bold with synonyms: Hamlet’s mother has found new
happiness in the midst of sorrow.
What is a ‘turret’? (pg 10)
Write a definition of these words on page 15: unwittingly, arouse, suspicion,

Infer 

How does Hamlet feel about his mother marrying again?
Underline any phrases that tell us how Hamlet feels towards Claudius.
What might Hamlet be thinking and feeling when he sees the spirit on page 11?
Underline any words or phrases on page 11 that tell us the spirit is in pain and
tormented.
What might Hamlet be thinking and feeling when the spirit tells him he was in fact
murdered?
Which words or phrases on page 14 tell us that Horatio is scared by the ghost?

Predict 

Read to the end of page 10. What do you think the spirit will say to Hamlet?
Read to the end of page 13. How did you think Hamlet will avenge his father’s
death?

Explain 

In the play, Hamlet is unimpressed that his mother had married again so quickly
and says, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” (Act I, Scene II). What might he mean by this?
Explain to a partner why the spirit cannot rest or find peace.
Why does Hamlet decide to pretend he is mad?

Retrieve 

Who told Hamlet they had seen his father’s ghost?
What is the name of Hamlet’s oldest friend?
Hamlet’s father was killed because he was bitten by a spider. True or false?
Who has Hamlet’s mother married?
How did Claudius kill his brother?
How old is Hamlet?

Summarise

Summarise the relationship between Hamlet and Horatio.
Summarise the spirit’s speech on page 12 in one sentence.
Summarise this section of the story in three sentences.

Pages 15 – 25

Vocabulary 

Replace the words in bold with synonyms: What if I had been deceived by an evil spirit?
Can you find an example of a simile on page 20? What effect does it have?
The author describes Hamlet’s idea as ‘a glimmer’ then ‘a gleam’ and finally a
‘burst of light’. What does he mean by this?

Infer 

What evidence on there on page 16 to suggest that Horatio is a good friend to Hamlet.
Why is Hamlet relieved at the interruption on page 19?
What might Hamlet be thinking and feeling on page 20 when Ophelia enters the room?
What might Ophelia be thinking and feeling as she runs from the room?
Why do you think Hamlet asks for the actors to perform ‘The Murder of Gonzago’?

Predict 

Read up to, ‘I drew my dagger and stared at it’ (pg 18). What do you think
Hamlet will do? What might he be thinking about?
Read to the end of page 21. Do you think Ophelia really is a spy?
Read to the bottom of page 23. What do you think Ophelia will do next?
What changes might Hamlet request be made to the performance of ‘The
Murder of Gonzago’?

Explain 

Explain what ‘grief had turned my wits’ (pg 17) means.
Can you explain to a partner why Hamlet treats Ophelia so badly?

Retrieve 

Find and copy three things that Hamlet does on page 16 to convince people he’s mad.
Who enters the room on page 20? Why?
Hamlet warns Ophelia never to marry anyone as wives and husbands are
cheaters and liars. True or false?
What play does Hamlet request the performers put on?

Summarise

Look at page 17. Hamlet is unsure about what to do. Summarise the arguments
for and against carrying out the ghost’s request in a table.
Hamlet should avenge his father Hamlet should not avenge his father
When Hamlet is holding the dagger and contemplating what to do, he says:

“To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And by opposing end them. To die—to sleep…
To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub:
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come…” (Act III,Scene I)

Can you explain to a partner what Hamlet is saying?
What might the ‘slings and arrows’ represent?
Can you give some examples of the ‘sea of troubles’ Hamlet
currently faces? Make a list of all the problems he is facing.
What is Hamlet frightened of? What is Hamlet worried might
happen after death? Do you think Hamlet is still pretending to be
mad?
Work in groups to perform this part of Hamlets soliloquy; perhaps
you could perform a line each?
Watch David Tennant’s performance of this speech here:

What tone does Tennant aim for? Why do you think he’s speaking
so softly? How does he show that Hamlet is exhausted?

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