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To Kill A Mockingbird

Trevor Kew and Jessica Threadkell

“All the World's a Stage”: Raising Hamlet from the Dead

Grade: 11

Rationale:

Hamlet, Shakespeare’s longest play, has been constantly adapted, edited and interpreted for film, drama, and literature. Its universal themes, such as revenge and madness, have allowed Hamlet to remain one of the most popular of Shakespeare’s plays over the four centuries since its first performance. People from every time have been able to put their own stamp on Hamlet. Now, our students will be able to take part in this tradition. This unit was designed to allow students to actively participate in re-inventing the play. To make Hamlet relevant to today’s students, we have included modern film adaptations of the play, as well as current newspaper articles and additional readings. Our goal in this unit is to help students see Hamlet as a play not only of yesterday, but also of today and tomorrow.