CSI: DENMARK
“The Madness, the madness…. Or is there?”
The Hamlet Webquest
Introduction:
There has been much controversy concerning the mental state of the title character in Shakespeare’s Tragedy, Hamlet. Is he mad, or is he not? Does he really see the ghost or is it a figment of his imagination? There are many different outlooks on this one particular aspect of the famous Shakespearean play.
Task:
Our task is going to be to develop a well written thesis paper determining whether or not Hamlet is indeed mad, or if he was pretending to be ill. Be prepared to submit appropriate sources as well as an oral presentation. In addition to the oral presentation and final thesis paper, you are to record each step of the “Quest” in a folder/binder and submit it along with the rest of the assignment. At the end of the “Quest” you should have handed in the following: 1 final draft of your paper , any visual aides used during your presentation, a folder/binder including all sources and information collected.
Process:
Step- As you are watching the film, you are to make a chart questioning whether or not Hamlet is crazy. In one column title it “behavior” and another column titled “Quality of.” As you watch the film, make notes of behavior that you think is “abnormal” and in the column “Quality of,” what mental illness or problem this most closely resembles. You will need to research mental illnesses to confirm your suspicions. No guessing or assuming! You will need to prove your thoughts.
You must also be willing to consider that Hamlet may not be crazy and responding appropriately.
Step-As you are making your list, you should look into facts relating to mental illness. This will help you form a solid thesis.
The following sites may be of interest to you:
Title: National Mental Health Center
URL: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
Title: Facts About Mental Illness
URL: http://www.friendshospitalonline.org/facts.htm
Title: Healthier You
URL: http://www.healthieryou.com/vvmi.html
Title: Mental Illness Facts
URL: http://www.kcnami.org/illness.htm
Title: New York Times Mental Health
URL: http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/mentalhealthanddisorders/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier
Step- An additional first step in our Quest is to take a look at life during the Elizabethan Era, paying special attention to the significance of ghosts during this time period. These facts will come in handy later while writing your final paper.
The Following sites may be used for research:
Title: Elizabethan Era
URL: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php
Title: Elizabethan/Stuart History
URL: http://lib.colostate.edu/research/english/Elizhist.html
Step- It is now time to begin the first draft of your thesis paper. Be sure to clearly state your thesis and support it with facts you have gathered as well as excerpts from the text. Remember this is only the first draft, it does not need to be perfect.
FOLLOW THE NINE STEPS!
Guidelines for a Thesis Paper and Presentation
Turnitin.com
http://www.plagiarismdetect.com/
Step- With your first draft out of the way, it is time to start preparing your oral presentation. Your main goal is to convince your audience that Hamlet is indeed ill or is in fact faking his insanity.
Suggested Rubric for Hamlet’s Madness Thesis
6 = Exemplary- has gone above and beyond expectations and criteria
5 = Well above Average- has done exceptionally good work and effort is more than apparent
4 = Above Average- work is more than efficient and effort is apparent
3 = Average- Criteria was met on a minimal basis, more effort could have been input
2 = Below Average- Criteria was met, barely. Time and effort is not immediately apparent
1 = Well below Average- Criteria was not met, effort extremely lacking
0 = No effort, not acceptable
______0-6 Thesis is strong and apparent.
______0-6 Persuasion Tactics- thesis is strongly supported with solid facts and relevant excerpts from text
______0-6 Grammar and Mechanics- paper is written in the form of a competent writer and is in Standard English
______0-6 Oral Presentation- presentation is entertaining, creative, as well as informative.
______0-6 Folder/Binder- all requirements are present in an organized neat order
______TOTAL OUT OF 30
______PERCENTAGE GRADE
Step- The final step in out quest for madness is to complete a final draft based on the above criteria, as well as suggestions made by preliminary audiences. As soon as our final draft, oral presentation and folder has been completed, the only thing left to do is convince your audience as to whether or not Hamlet is mad. Is he or is he not, that certainly seems to be the question on this quest.
** PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE SITES I HAVE LISTED ARE NOT THE ONLY SITES AVAILABLE. THERE IS A WHOLE BIG WORLD OF INTERNET CONNECTIONS AVAILABLE TO YOU, USE THEM TO YOUR ADVANTAGE!
Conclusion:
Make sure that all information, aides, and paper are handed in at the end of this Quest. Once again the requirements are as follows: 1- Final Draft
1- Folder/Binder maintaining rough draft and all collected information
** All visual aides and props used in oral presentation
Name: ______
Relation: ______
Date: ______
1. Did you find the presentation to be stimulating?
2. Was there a time when you were unsure of the point of the presentation?
3. Do you find the facts to be relevant and/or important to the topic?
4. Was the thesis clear?
5. Did the speaker seem at ease with his/her topic?
6. Was he/she well informed?
7. Was eye contact made?
8. On a scale of one to ten how well would you say the speaker did?
9. Did you enjoy the presentation?
10. Have you proofread the speaker’s paper?
Name: ______
Relation: ______
Date: ______
11. Did you find the presentation to be stimulating?
12. Was there a time when you were unsure of the point of the presentation?
13. Do you find the facts to be relevant and/or important to the topic?
14. Was the thesis clear?
15. Did the speaker seem at ease with his/her topic?
16. Was he/she well informed?
17. Was eye contact made?
18. On a scale of one to ten how well would you say the speaker did?
19. Did you enjoy the presentation?
20. Have you proofread the speaker’s paper?