Classroom Activities
My unit will begin with some basic review and discussion and then we will move on to viewing and discussing the opening scenes of the films. I have chosen to show my students the three openings prior to reading the opening scene of the play. I believe that this will enable the students to approach the films with an open mind. I know that I am always looking for certain things when I see a movie adaptation of a book, and I also know that I generally prefer the book to the movie. While I have learned to appreciate film adaptations of novels, it is because I studied adaptation in my seminar at Yale. After going through the seminar I feel that I understand film a little better and that I can learn things about a piece of literature by viewing a film adaptation. This is what I hope my students can learn to do in this unit. Therefore my unit must begin with their viewing and discussing the scenes prior to reading the original William Shakespeare text.
Below I have a day by day plan of how I hope to cover this unit in my class. I give my students a monthly calendar with our activities, readings, and homework on it so that we both have a clear idea of what needs to be accomplished on each day. This unit could easily eat away at your classroom time, so I thought a daily plan would be the best approach to setting up my unit for my use as well as others. Ideally I will begin this unit at the beginning of the week.
WEEK 1
Day 1
I present the idea of adaptation of literature to film. We will discuss what it means to adapt something as opposed to making something that was "inspired by." We will talk about adapting from canonical texts, cultural reservoir, well known texts, poorly written texts, etc. We will also talk about their own personal experiences viewing adaptations.
Day 2
I will begin by doing a review of William Shakespeare and his literature. My students have read his plays before, so this review is just cursory.
Next I will inform them that we will review three opening scenes from three different adaptations of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. We will discuss how to take notes while watching a film and I will give the students some of the short hand notations they can use while watching the clips.
Finally, we will discuss what they should expect from an opening scene of a film, play, or book.
Days 3 and 4
I will show the first clip of Grigori Kozintsev's film. During the first showing I will ask the students to watch and observe only. After the clip is over I will ask them to make a few notes on things they thought were significant or interesting. Then I will ask them to write down what they think the film might be about. We will watch the clip one more time, and I will allow the students time to flesh out their notes before beginning our discussion.
Our discussion will focus on three central questions. First, what feelings or emotions are conveyed by the opening scene? How does Kozintsev create those feelings? Second, what do they think the film is about? What is going on in the film? Third, do any women characters seem to be important to the film? How are they presented?
The steps above will be repeated for the Zeffirelli and Almereyeda versions.
Day 5
Today we will discuss all of the opening scenes. We will discuss which director's opening scene is the most powerful. Who creates the mood of the film clearly? What images are most powerful? Which film grabs the audience's attention the most? Which film seems to convey the concept of the film in the clearest manner? Which film would they most like to watch? After this discussion the students will be assigned the play to read by the following Friday. Act I, however, must be read by Monday.
WEEK 2
Days 6 and 7
Today we will examine William Shakespeare's opening scene. I will ask the students what he is presenting in his scene and how it sets up the rest of the events in Act I. We will look at the literary techniques he uses in the scene to create mood, tension, and suspense. We will also discuss the visual imagery used in his scenes throughout the first Act. After looking at the text I will ask the students if their reading of the text has changed their perceptions of the opening scenes of the films. We will also begin considering why the directors chose to reject Shakespeare's opening scene. Do they think one of the directors got it right, or is Shakespeare's scene better? What images, ideas, or emotions from Shakespeare's play are brought out in the opening scenes we viewed? These discussions may require a review of the clips from the films.
Students will be asked to be ready to discuss Acts I through III for Wednesday.
Day 8
We will now discuss the role of Gertrude and Ophelia. We will examine what role the women seem to have in the play. I would like the students to identify lines of dialogue that they feel reveals some important aspect of Gertrude or Ophelia's characters. We will also refer back to the opening scenes. What interpretations do Zeffirelli and Kozintsev seem to be making about Gertrude in their opening scenes? Are they right?
Days 9 and 10
I will present the storyboard concept to the students. We will look at storyboards examples, comic strips, and pages from comic books. I will explain the storyboard assignment to the students, and review what should occur in the opening scene of a film. As a viewer, what do they expect from the beginning of a film? They will then begin brainstorming and sketching their ideas down. This project will be due next Friday.
Week 3
Day 11 and 12
Over the course of the next two days we will discuss the play in its entirety. We will discuss the elements of tragedy within the play and how they work within the piece. Our primary focus in this discuss, however, will be the role of Gertrude and Ophelia in the play. It will be important for the students to use their double entry notes throughout these two days. I always try to get my students to ground their opinions and interpretation in the text. We will explore the relationships these women have with each other and the other characters in the play. We will look specifically at Hamlet's relationship with the two women. How would they define his relationship with each of them? Did he love Ophelia? Does he love his mother? We will also look at their relationship with him. How did Ophelia really feel about Hamlet? Were his actions the cause of her insanity or was it something else? Gertrude alternately dotes on her son and seems to ignore feelings? How does she feel about him? Is she a good mother? Was she a good wife? While we discuss these things I would like the students to consider not only the lines these women speak, but they should also consider their actions. Movement can play an important role in a character's portrayal on the screen, and I would like them to begin moving in this direction.
Day 13
Today we will begin viewing some scene of the women in the films. We will begin the class by talking about their expectations for the portrayal of the women in Kozinstev's film. They should comment on what in the opening scene makes them think this way. I will ask them to write them down some of these expectations before viewing and note taking on the scenes. After this we will begin watching the some of the scenes with Gertrude and Ophelia. We will watch the scenes with Gertrude where she encourages Hamlet to stay in Denmark, the bedroom scene, and the final scene where she dies. For Ophelia we will watch her conversation with her family about Hamlet, her scene with him where they are spied upon, and her insanity scene. If there is time we will also watch the play within a play scene.
Day 14
Today we will review and discuss the scenes we viewed yesterday. We will review their expectations for the characters, and then we will begin to discuss how these women were portrayed. I will ask the students to refer to their notes when discussing so that we can watch some of the scenes again if they need clarification. I would like the students to pay particular attention to the opening scene with Ophelia and the first scene after the opening with Gertrude. These scenes are rather revealing and demonstrate much of what Kozinstev seems to want his audience to learn or believe about these women.
At the end of class we will review the opening of Zeffirelli's film, and I will ask the students to come to class with notes of how they expect Gertrude and Ophelia to be portrayed in his movie.
Day 15
Today we will watch the some of the scenes with Gertrude and Ophelia from Zeffirelli's film. We will watch the scenes with Gertrude where she encourages Hamlet to stay in Denmark, the bedroom scene, and the final scene where she dies. For Ophelia we will watch her conversation with her family about Hamlet, her scene with him where they are spied upon, and her insanity scene. If there is time we will also watch the play within a play scene. We will probably have to watch the scenes several times in order for the students to take detailed notes.
Week 4
Day 16
Today we will review and discuss the scenes we viewed on Friday from the Zeffirelli film. We will review their expectations for the characters, and then we will begin to discuss how these women were portrayed. I will ask the students to refer to their notes when discussing so that we can watch some of the scenes again if they need clarification.
At the end of class we will review the opening of Almereyda's opening, and I will ask the students to come to class with notes of how they expect Gertrude and Ophelia to be portrayed in his movie.
Day 17
Today we will watch the some of the scenes with Gertrude and Ophelia from Almereyda's film. We will watch the scenes with Gertrude where she encourages Hamlet to stay in Denmark, the bedroom scene, and the final scene where she dies. For Ophelia we will watch her conversation with her family about Hamlet, her scene with him where they are spied upon, and her insanity scene. If there is time we will also watch the play within a play scene. We will probably have to watch the scenes several times in order for the students to take detailed notes.
I will ask the students to come to class tomorrow with detailed notes about the various adaptations we have seen and if they feel the portrayals of Gertrude and Ophelia change their view of the text or how the text is interpreted.
Day 18
Today will be a large group discussion of their views of the women in the films and the play. We will discuss effectiveness of the various adaptations, what each director seemed to be saying about the women, and how these adaptations may have changed the way they view the play. This discussion should be grounded in the actual film clips and the text of the play itself. In order to do this I will constantly ask students to back up their statements with points of reference from the film or lines from the text. I will also be prepared to show various film clips to the students if necessary.
Day 19
We will continue our discussion from yesterday, but today students will need to focus on the impact of the portrayal of the women. Which was the most compelling, interesting, or moving? Why? Was that adaptation a true vision of what Shakespeare created in his text, or is it a new and more interesting vision of the character? This discussion mimics the paper topic the students will receive at the end of the period. Students will be expected to write an essay that examines either Gertrude or Ophelia in one of the film versions. The central idea of the essay should answer what this adaptation of the character presents, is this adaptation true to the text, or is it a new and more interesting vision of the character?
Day 20
Today will be a writing day in class. Students will begin to formulate thesis statements, generate ideas, and begin the drafting process. I will circulate around the room to discuss ideas with them and to help some students make decisions. I will have two DVD players available for the students to review clips. This paper will be due in one week. I will recommend that students sign up for meetings with me during lunch or after school to review their drafts before the due date.
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