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Hamlet, baby, Hamlet! You gotta love him, and the play that's named after him! Get ready to check out the original rebel with a cause, the great Dane himself, you know him, you don't know him—I give you the one, the only, world-famous man of a thousand faces—Prince Hamlet…

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"Who's there?" (Plot Synopsis) 1:02:17 Elements of the Play 1:09:19 Mystery 1:09:37 The ghost 1:10:01 Hamlet's Character 1:10:51 Foils to Hamlet 1:11:07 Depth of character 1:11:33 Philosophy 1:15:18 Three deep questions 1:15:33 Revenge 1:19:55 General pattern of revenge plays 1:20:28 Different interpretations 1:20:55 Tragedy 1:21:59 Is Hamlet a tragic figure? 1:22:05



1. The first line in Hamlet is from the sentinel, Barnardo: "Who's there?" How does this line help set the tone for the play? 2. Why does Hamlet kill Polonius? Is it completely an accident, or is there something more complex going on? 3. Do you view Hamlet as a human who succumbs to the darker parts of his humanity, or as something beyond human, like an agent of Providence? 4. What parts of Hamlet's character can you relate to your own? 5. Was the death of Claudius and the avenging of Hamlet's father worth the death of Hamlet, Gertrude, and Laertes? What message do you get from the outcome of the play?



Below, you'll find 10 scrambled terms that relate to Shakespeare's tragedies. See if you can unscramble the terms to find out what they say. Use the hints provided if you get stuck, and remember: Smile, you're having fun! 1. A E T H M L Answer: _________________ Hint: Sandwich meat that comes from a pig. 2. L O T O L E H Answer: _________________ Hint: A board game with black and white pieces. 3. G E R A N K I L Answer: _________________ Hint: That guy with the crown sure is lookin' at me weird. 4. A M E C H T B Answer: _________________ Hint: Can I get some MacFries to go with that? 5. J E A E D L O U I N R O T M Answer: _________________ Hint: …sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g! 6. P S X E D R E O I U Answer: _________________ Hint: Tragic figure or messed up dinosaur? You decide. 7. R A E S E P E S K H A Answer: _________________ Hint: Get on the dance floor and ____ it all out. 8. R O T N O T, T O E B O E B Answer: _________________ Hint: Famous soliloquy 9. S R N U I S T C N U T I O A D Answer: _________________ Hint: Needus another Hintus? 10. T A E H L T B T H E G O R E E Answer: _________________ Hint: All around the world… SDTV Hamlet Contest Think you unscrambled all the words successfully? Email all 10 correct answers to contests@cerebellum.com, subject: "Hamlet Contest", and you'll be entered in a drawing for a really neat prize.



Click here to go to the test.

In Shakespeare's day, patrons of the Globe Theater who could not afford swanky balcony seats had no choice but to stand on the bare ground in front of the stage for the duration of a performance. Because of this, these sore-footed theater-goers earned themselves the nickname "groundlings."

Claudius — The new king of Denmark. He's a lot of things to a lot of people: he's Hamlet's uncle, Gertrude's new husband, and the late king's brother.

Elsinore — The royal castle of Denmark. This is where most of the action of the play occurs.

Foil — A character who acts as a contrast to another character.

Fortinbras — Prince of Norway. Hamlet's father killed his father in battle. He enters at play's end to take control of Denmark.

Gertrude — The queen. She's Hamlet's mother, was formerly married to the late king, but now married to the new king, Claudius.

Hamlet — Prince of Denmark, son of the late king, Gertrude's son, Claudius's nephew.

Horatio — Hamlet's buddy, who sticks with the prince through thick and thin. He's one of the few main characters that remains alive at the end of the play.

Laertes — Polonius's son and Ophelia's brother.

Ophelia — Polonius's daughter, also Hamlet's girlfriend.

Polonius — Claudius's right-hand man, father to Laertes and Ophelia.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern — School chums of Hamlet, they travel to Elsinore at the behest of Claudius.

Tragedy — A form of dramatic art which follows the fall, pain, and suffering of the tragic figure.

Explore some Hamlet and Shakespeare-related websites. Remember, you will be leaving the Standard Deviants TV website.

Check out a version of Hamlet written in the Star Trek language of Klingon. Live long and prosper!

Search all of William Shakespeare's works!

Check out an entire library dedicated to Shakespeare and Elizabethan life.

Explore the NEW Globe Theater!

Find out what life was like in Elizabethan England!

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