Written to accompany William Shakespeare’s acclaimed tragedy filled with ghosts and madness, this literature study guide helps you get the most out of Hamlet - Prince of Denmark.

Literature study guides from 7SistersHomeschool inspire students rather than tire them with busywork that kills the story.

Instead of attempting to start with analysis and the deciphering of Elizabethan English, these Shakespeare guides introduce teens to the Bard and his amazing ability to tell stories, to create characters to whom we can relate, and to present life situations to which we can connect emotionally and intellectually.

Our guides are easy to adapt for use at an:

• Average High School
• College Prep
• Honors Level

Hamlet SHAKESPEARE Study Guide focuses on the following literary devices:

• TRAGEDY according to Aristotle’s definition, as obeyed by William Shakespeare
• Themes: a young man's search for identity AND revenge
• Motif: the repeated scenario of action vs. inaction

Students are guided through a 3-step process to help them encounter the play in a positive way, with follow-up VOCABULARY work and essay writing or personal response paper assignments to help them articulate their thoughts about the characters, the plot, the ideas, and the whole Shakespeare experience.

1. Read the SUPER-FAST SUMMARY that sets them up to track with the story.
2. Watch a production of the play. (There’s a video of a quality production recommended in the guide.) Refer to the summary as needed in order to keep up with what’s happening.
   Don’t worry about catching every single detail. Let the STORY play out in front of your eyes. Let the CHARACTERS introduce themselves to you.
   Which of them do you like? Dislike?
   Which of them reminds you a little bit of someone you know? Of yourself?
   No need to take notes; just enjoy the story and think in general terms about ways in which you connect with it.
3. After the performance is ended, READ THE PLAY and answer the no-busywork, brain-engaging questions that follow in the guide, designated by Act and Scene.

Each guide concludes with vocabulary work, writing prompts, enrichment ideas and recommended passages for memorization.

Hamlet SHAKESPEARE Study Guide is an EBook curriculum complete with:

• background information
• vocabulary
• questions by Act and Scene
• suggested writing assignments
• enrichment activities
• recommended passages for memorization
• answer key

This product downloads as two separate PDF files. One file is intended for student use. This document contains fillable fields so students can type their answers directly into the guide. The other document is the answer key, intended for the parent.

Click here to view an excerpt from Hamlet SHAKESPEARE Study Guide.

If you're considering experiencing Shakespeare in a group at your co-op, this Homeschool Highschool Podcast episode will help you get some great ideas.

We recommend Folger Shakespeare Library editions of the plays. The explanatory notes provided on every facing page of the script are extremely helpful for making sense of the Elizabethan language, and the paperback versions are quite affordable. While you most certainly can use any copy of the play, the Folger editions are terrific! (We are not affiliates, just fans.) 

10-Day No-Questions-Asked Money-Back Guarantee on all 7Sisters EBook curriculum.

Note: 7Sisters curriculum is unique in that (by request from teens themselves), it is no-busywork and adaptable to varying levels of academic rigor. In this way, following guidelines in the curriculum, teens complete coursework that is personally meaningful to their interests, needs, and goals. This is the 7Sisters educational philosophy!

Downloadable pdf curriculum, 10-Day No-Questions-Asked Money-Back Guarantee on all 7Sisters EBook curriculum. PDFs are sharable only between family members to protect copyright.