Teaching any Shakespeare play can be a challenge. Often, the second that students even hear that they will be studying a play by the bard, they will cringe. I even know English teachers who avoid him because they claim to not understand the hype. But is it really that or is just that it is hard? But honing in on themes like Revenge in Hamlet can really do the trick to get students engaged.
Why Focus on Revenge in Hamlet?
The revenge theme in Hamlet is one that students can relate to because at some point in their lives they have at least thought about how to seek revenge. And they can totally get why avenging his father’s death would be important to Hamlet.
Ideas for How to Discuss Revenge in Hamlet
Here are some ideas that I have used with seniors in both English 12 and in AP® Literature and Composition.
Use Essential Questions for the Hamlet Revenge Theme
I like to call them “big questions” in class because essential questions are just that and the term “essential question” isn’t really a student friendly term. These are big questions that cannot be easily answered. Some big questions related to related to revenge include:
- Is revenge moral?
- How does seeking revenge affect the psyche?
- Which is better, to seek revenge or to grant forgiveness?
- To what extent can revenge have a good outcome?
Ask students to answer one of these questions before reading and then revisit the question after each act. You could do this as quick writes or journal entries or your could do it with something more formal like a quote tracking project.
Use Hamlet Revenge Quotes Double Entry Journals
Double entry journals are a good way to encourage students to think more deeply about a topic. So if your focus is on revenge, consider giving them Hamlet revenge quotes in the form of double entry journals or have them look for revenge quotes in Hamlet as you are reading.
To learn more about using double entry journals with your students, check these two posts: 11 Brilliant Strategies for Dialectic Journals to Better Close Reading and Teaching Students How to Write Amazing Double Entry Journals.
Use Paired Text to Focus on Revenge
One of my favorite ways to approach revenge in Hamlet is through pairing it with Francis Bacon’s essay called “Of Revenge.” Francis Bacon was a contemporary of Shakespeare which makes discussion of the essay even more relevant.
Students love considering Bacon’s ideas as they relate to the play and pulling Hamlet revenge quotes to support their thinking. Give them guiding questions or just have them read the text and hold a seminar. This text ties particularly well with Act 3.
Sometimes students struggle with Bacon’s language, which is why I have written an updated version to use for whole class instruction or for differentiation. You can grab that here.
Compare Characters
Another great way to look at the theme of revenge in the play is to compare how different characters approach it. Hamlet and Laertes make great foils of each other in Act 4. Doing close reading using a venn diagram helps students to visually see the difference between the two characters.
Grab that Act 4 close reading exercise.
Hamlet Lesson Plans on Revenge
Helping student track the revenge theme throughout Hamlet is a great way to get them invested in a play that is challenging to say the least.
How do you incorporate the Hamlet themes in your instruction? I would love to know in the comments below.
Additional Resources
Brilliant Strategies for Dialectic Journals to Better Close Reading
Teaching Students How to Write Amazing Double Entry Journals
Hamlet Themes: 11 Supplemental Texts to Include in Your Hamlet Lesson Plans
Why Using Quote Walls in an Incredible Tool (A Better Way to Teach)
Introducing Shakespeare Plays with Poetry (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
Introducing Shakespeare with Thematic Poetry Pairings (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
Poetry for Romeo and Juliet (Smith Teaches 9 to 12)
