Classroom Resource

Analyzing Character in Hamlet Through Epitaphs

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

11

Overview

Students compose epitaphs for deceased characters in the play Hamlet, paying particular attention to how their words appeal to the senses, create imagery, suggest mood, and set tone. Using a three-paneled poster board, students design gravestones to display their epitaphs. Students must capture the essence of their characters in their epitaphs, and their poster boards must reflect the themes that support their character's personality and station in life. The resulting projects make compelling hallway displays and provide students with an audience for their writing.

This activity can be easily adapted to another tragedy by changing the characters students write epitaphs about. For instance, students can write epitaphs for Romeo, Juliet, Mercutio, and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet or write epitaphs for Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Duncan, and Banquo in Macbeth.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R3

Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R3

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Formal conversations
  • Informal conversations
  • Predetermined norms

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • Strategies to identify formal and informal settings.
  • Engage in formal and informal conversations.
  • Predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during formal and informal discussions.
  • Practice predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow predetermined norms which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R4

Use digital and electronic tools appropriately, safely, and ethically.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R4

Vocabulary

  • Digital tools
  • Electronic tools
  • Appropriately
  • Safely
  • Ethically

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Digital and electronic tools must be used appropriately, safely, and ethically.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Engage in safe and ethical behavior when using digital and electronic tools.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Safe behaviors, interactions that keep you out of harm's way, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
  • Ethical behavior, interactions that align to one's moral code, are necessary when using digital and electronic tools.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R5

Utilize a writing process which includes planning, revising, editing/peer-editing, and rewriting to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose and audience.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R5

Vocabulary

  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Peer-edit
  • Rewrite
  • Focused
  • Organized
  • Coherent
  • Purpose
  • Audience

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, revise, edit, and rewrite.
  • Editing can be completed by the writer or by a peer.
  • Peer-editing skills.
  • Completed writing projects should be focused, organized, and coherent, and written for a specific purpose and intended audience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Plan, revise, edit, and rewrite to create a focused, organized, and coherent piece of writing.
  • Compose a writing piece for a specific purpose and intended audience.
  • Engage in the peer-editing process.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Writing is a process that requires multiple drafts, edits, and versions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.4

Analyze how an author uses characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view to create and convey meaning.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.4

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Characterization
  • Figurative language
  • Literary elements
  • Point of view
  • Create
  • Convey

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Authors choose to write from a particular point of view and use specific literary elements and vocabulary words to convey their intended meaning.
  • Methods to analyze characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Identify characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view in a variety of texts.
  • Analyze how characterization, figurative language, literary elements, and point of view creates and conveys meaning in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Authors select particular literary elements and devices to create and convey meaning within their written work.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.11

Compose and edit both short and extended products in which the development and organization are relevant and suitable to task, purpose, and audience, using an appropriate command of language.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.11

Vocabulary

  • Compose
  • Edit
  • Short products
  • Extended products
  • Writing development
  • Writing organization
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
  • Command of language

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Writing products can be short, such as a paragraph, or extended, such as constructed responses and essays.
  • The skills required by the writing process.
  • The development and organization of writing will change depending on the writing task, the purpose of the writing, and the intended audience.
  • Formal academic writing should demonstrate an appropriate command of language.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compose short and extended writing products.
  • Identify the writing task, the purpose of writing, and the intended audience in order to appropriately adapt the development and organization of the writing.
  • Demonstrate command of the written language.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are different genres of writing that serve various purposes.
  • The writing task, purpose, and audience should be considered in the development and organization of the writing.
  • Formal academic writing should display their command of the English language.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.17

Use images, sound, animation, and other modes of expression to create or enhance individual or collaborative digital and multimodal texts that are suitable in purpose and tone for their intended audience and occasion.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.17

Vocabulary

  • Images
  • Sound
  • Animation
  • Expression
  • Collaborative
  • Digital texts
  • Multimodal texts
  • Purpose
  • Tone
  • Intended audience
  • Intended occasion

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to include images, sound, animations, and other modes of expression in digital and multimodal texts.
  • Collaboration skills.
  • The intended audience and occasion should be identified before selecting a purpose and tone for digital or multimodal texts.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Work independently or collaboratively to use images, sound, animation, and other modes of expression to create or enhance digital and multimodal texts.
  • Work independently or collaboratively to create digital or multimodal texts that are suitable in purpose and tone for their intended audience and occasion.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Digital texts can be used to communicate with a variety of audiences and occasions.
  • They should modify the purpose and tone of their digital texts depending on the audience and occasion.
  • They will frequently collaborate with others to develop digital products in school and in the workplace.
  • Images, sounds, animation, and other modes of expression can enhance digital and multimodal texts.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.23

Deliver a speech suitable for an authentic audience for a specific purpose, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.23

Vocabulary

  • Suitable
  • Authentic audience
  • Purpose
  • Command
  • Formal English

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The conventions of standard, formal English.
  • Methods to modify speech to match the purpose and audience in a variety of contexts and tasks.
  • Situations with an authentic audience include student-led conferences, public meetings, or community-based groups.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Incorporate conventions of standard, formal English into academic and personal speech and oral presentations.
  • Adapt spoken language to the purpose and audience in a variety of situations.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The conventions of standard, formal English are necessary for effective academic and workplace communication.
  • Spoken language should be adapted, depending on the audience, purpose, and occasion.
Link to Resource
http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/analyzing-character-…

CR Resource Type

Lesson/Unit Plan

Resource Provider

ReadWriteThink
Accessibility
License

License Type

Custom

Custom License Type (URL)

http://www.readwritethink.org/util/legal.html

Comments or Notes

ReadWriteThink is a free resource with links to additional videos, interactives, and instructional materials.

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