Overview

Lesson Procedure

65-70 minutes of class time across 5 phases.

1. Warm-Up5 minutes
2. Direct Instruction20 minutes
3. Guided Practice15 minutes
4. Independent Practice20 minutes
5. Closure5-10 minutes

1. Warm-Up5 minutes

   Warm-Up Prompt

   "Think of a word with two very different meanings, such as 'bank,' 'bright' or 'cold.' Write one sentence in which both meanings work at the same time."

   Share three or four sentences. Point out that when both meanings work at once, the sentence says two things with one word; that is a pun or a double meaning. Tell students that Shakespeare's characters often use double meanings to say something polite and something bitter in the same breath, and that today they will analyze why such choices, and language that is especially fresh or beautiful, matter to meaning and tone.

2. Direct Instruction20 minutes

   Terms for the lesson.

   • Multiple meanings: a word that carries more than one sense in the same place. A pun plays on two meanings of one word or on two words that sound alike.
   • Figurative meaning: meaning created through comparison or imagery (metaphor, simile, personification).
   • Connotation: the associations and feelings a word carries beyond its dictionary meaning.
   • Fresh language: an unexpected word, image or sound that makes a reader see something newly. To call language fresh, name what is new about it.
   • Changed meanings: some words meant something different around 1600. Use the glosses and a historical dictionary; don't assume the modern sense.

   Set the scene: King Claudius has married Hamlet's mother soon after the death of Hamlet's father, the old king, and has just called Hamlet "my cousin Hamlet, and my son." Read the exchange aloud with three voices.

   1Ham. [Aside] A little more than kin, and less than kind.
   King. How is it that the clouds still hang on you?
   Ham. Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun.
   Queen Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,
   5And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.
   Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
   Seek for thy noble father in the dust:
   Thou know'st 'tis common; all that lives must die,
   Passing through nature to eternity.
   10Ham. Ay, madam, it is common.
   Queen. If it be,
   Why seems it so particular with thee?
   Ham. Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not 'seems.'
   'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
   15Nor customary suits of solemn black,
   Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
   No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
   Nor the dejected haviour of the visage,
   Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
   20That can denote me truly: these indeed seem,
   For they are actions that a man might play:
   But I have that within which passes show;
   These but the trappings and the suits of woe.

   • Multiple meanings: a pun

     The King has just called Hamlet "my cousin Hamlet, and my son." Hamlet's aside: "A little more than kin, and less than kind" (line 1). What two meanings of "kind" are at work?

     Result: "Kind" means kindly or loving, and it also means of the same kind or nature (as in "kindred"). Claudius is now more than kin, uncle and stepfather at once, but Hamlet feels neither affection for him nor any natural bond. The jingle of kin and kind makes the insult sound like a riddle.

   • Multiple meanings and figurative language

     The King asks, "How is it that the clouds still hang on you?" Hamlet answers, "Not so, my lord; I am too much i' the sun" (lines 2-3). How does Hamlet turn the King's metaphor against him?

     Result: The King's "clouds" are a metaphor for gloom. Hamlet takes the weather image and reverses it: he is in too much sunshine, the warm favor of the court, and "sun" also sounds like "son," the title he has just been given. The pun lets him refuse both the King's cheer and his new role.

   • Meaning in context and tone

     The Queen asks why death "seems" so particular to him. Hamlet: "Seems, madam! nay, it is; I know not 'seems'" (line 13). What does he do with the word?

     Result: He seizes on "seems" and splits appearance from reality: his grief does not merely seem, it is. By repeating the word three times he makes it the key term of the speech, and the tone turns sharp and insistent, as the list of outward signs that follows only "seem."

   Model the reading of fresh language with the first line of Keats's "To Autumn," which students will read in full during Independent Practice:

   • Connotation and fresh language

     Keats's first line: "Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness." What do the connotations of "mellow" add, and why is the line fresh?

     Result: "Mellow" suggests ripe, soft and sweet, and also calm and gentle in mood. Instead of the usual picture of autumn as decline, the line opens with abundance, and the soft repeated m sounds (mists, mellow) slow the reader down. The line is fresh because it makes autumn a time of fullness rather than loss.

3. Guided Practice15 minutes

   Read Hamlet's soliloquy from Act III aloud twice, first straight through and then slowly. Pairs mark every word they think is used in an older or double sense. Work through these three passages together, asking pairs to explain each before you confirm:

   1To be, or not to be: that is the question:
   Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
   The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
   Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
   5And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
   No more; and by a sleep to say we end
   The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks
   That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
   Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
   10To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
   For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
   When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
   Must give us pause: there's the respect
   That makes calamity of so long life;
   15For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
   The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
   The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
   The insolence of office, and the spurns
   That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
   20When he himself might his quietus make
   With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,
   To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
   But that the dread of something after death,
   The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
   25No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
   And makes us rather bear those ills we have
   Than fly to others that we know not of?
   Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
   And thus the native hue of resolution
   30Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
   And enterprises of great pitch and moment
   With this regard their currents turn awry
   And lose the name of action.

   1. "The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles" (lines 3-4). Teacher note: fortune is pictured as an archer, and troubles as an ocean that one fights with weapons. The mismatch (no one can defeat the sea with arms) makes the struggle seem hopeless, which is part of the line's force.
   2. "To die: to sleep; / No more" (lines 5-6). Teacher note: "No more" can mean "nothing more than that" (death is only sleep) and "never again." Both meanings fit, and the comfort of the first is shadowed by the second.
   3. "'tis a consummation / Devoutly to be wish'd" (lines 8-9). Teacher note: "consummation" means a completion or final ending, and "devoutly," a religious word, makes wishing for that ending sound like a prayer. The formal, Latin-based words make a dangerous thought sound calm.

   Pairs choose one more phrase from lines 15-19 and write two sentences: what it means, and what the word choice adds to the tone. Share two or three answers.

4. Independent Practice20 minutes

   Students read Keats's complete ode "To Autumn" (1820) on their own and complete three tasks on the handout: (1) choose three words whose connotations are unexpected in context and explain each; (2) find one example of personification in each stanza and say what it adds; (3) choose the single phrase they find most fresh or beautiful and explain why in three sentences. Diagram 2 can be shown after students finish. The quiz questions on the poem work as a check.

   1Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
   Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
   Conspiring with him how to load and bless
   With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
   5To bend with apples the moss'd cottage-trees,
   And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
   To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
   With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
   And still more, later flowers for the bees,
   10Until they think warm days will never cease,
   For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells.

   Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
   Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
   Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
   15Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
   Or on a half-reap'd furrow sound asleep,
   Drows'd with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
   Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
   And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
   20Steady thy laden head across a brook;
   Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
   Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.

   Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
   Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,--
   25While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
   And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue;
   Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
   Among the river sallows, borne aloft
   Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
   30And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
   Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
   The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
   And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.

5. Closure5-10 minutes

   Exit ticket: (1) Quote one word from today's texts that carries two meanings, and give both. (2) In one sentence, explain the difference between calling a phrase "beautiful" and analyzing why it is.

   Teacher note on content and language: the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy weighs whether to go on living and refers to ending one's life with a dagger. Tell students before reading, keep the discussion on the language, and know your school's procedures and where students can find support, such as the school counselor, in case a student is affected. The texts keep the spellings and speaker labels of the 1866 Cambridge edition and the 1918 first edition of Hopkins; "God's Grandeur" is a religious poem, and students analyze its language without being asked to share its beliefs.

   For homework: students read Gerard Manley Hopkins's sonnet "God's Grandeur" below, which the homework uses.

   1The world is charged with the grandeur of God.
   It will flame out, like shining from shook foil;
   It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil
   Crushed. Why do men then now not reck his rod?
   5Generations have trod, have trod, have trod;
   And all is seared with trade; bleared, smeared with toil;
   And wears man's smudge and shares man's smell: the soil
   Is bare now, nor can foot feel, being shod.

   And for all this, nature is never spent;
   10There lives the dearest freshness deep down things;
   And though the last lights off the black West went
   Oh, morning, at the brown brink eastward, springs--
   Because the Holy Ghost over the bent
   World broods with warm breast and with ah! bright wings.

Differentiation Strategies

Assessment Guidance

1. Question 1 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   The Queen tells Hamlet that death is "common; all that lives must die" (line 8), and he answers, "Ay, madam, it is common" (line 10). Given his bitter aside in line 1, what second meaning of "common" does his reply most likely carry?

   A"Vulgar and cheap," a sneer at how lightly the court has taken his father's death B"Owned jointly," as in land that everyone in a village has the right to use for grazing C"Frequent," meaning that deaths happen often in the royal family of Denmark D"Polite," meaning that it is good manners to mourn for a short time only

2. Question 2 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   The Queen asks Hamlet to "cast thy nighted colour off" and not to look for his father "with thy vailed lids" (lines 4-6). What do these phrases describe?

   AHis sunburn and his eyes squinting in the strong light of the court BHis black mourning clothes and gloomy face, and his lowered eyelids CA black flag hung over the castle and a veil across the window DHis dark hair and the veil he wears to hide his face

3. Question 3 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Among the outward signs of grief, Hamlet lists "the fruitful river in the eye" (line 17). What does the metaphor refer to?

   AA river near the castle where his father's body lies BA disease that makes his eyes water in the cold CHeavy, flowing tears DThe reflection of the river in his eyes

4. Question 4 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Hamlet says, "But I have that within which passes show; / These but the trappings and the suits of woe" (lines 22-23). What does "passes show" mean here?

   AWalks past the show the court is putting on for him BSurpasses anything that can be shown on the outside CDies quietly without showing anything to anyone DPasses a test that proves his grief to the court

5. Question 5 of 20 · Short Answer

   Hamlet calls sighs a "windy suspiration of forced breath" (line 16) and his clothes "the trappings and the suits of woe" (line 23). Explain the connotations of "windy," "forced," "trappings" and "suits," and how these word choices shape the meaning and tone of the speech.

   Show model answer

6. Question 6 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub" (line 10). In Shakespeare's time a "rub" in the game of bowls was a bump or unevenness that knocked the ball off course. What does "rub" mean in Hamlet's line?

   AA gentle touch that soothes the body into a restful sleep BAn obstacle: the fear of what dreams may come in death CA quarrel between Hamlet and the King over the throne DA clever joke that Hamlet plans to play on the court

7. Question 7 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   "When we have shuffled off this mortal coil" (line 12). In Shakespeare's English, "coil" often meant turmoil or fuss. Which reading best fits the line?

   AWhen we have walked away slowly, dragging our feet as we go BWhen we have untied a long rope that was wound tightly around our bodies CWhen we have danced a slow country dance at a funeral DWhen we have gotten rid of the troubled bustle of mortal life

8. Question 8 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   "When he himself might his quietus make / With a bare bodkin" (lines 20-21). "Quietus" was a legal term for the settlement of a debt, and a "bodkin" could be a dagger or a large needle. What does Hamlet mean?

   AA man could settle his account with life, and end it, with nothing more than a dagger. BA man could make himself quiet by sewing his mouth shut with a needle and thread. CA man could pay off all his debts by selling his dagger and his other weapons. DA man could stay quiet and calm even when he is unarmed and in danger.

9. Question 9 of 20 · Multiple Choice

   Hamlet calls death "The undiscover'd country from whose bourn / No traveller returns" (lines 24-25). What does "bourn" mean in this line?

   AA small stream BA newborn child CA boundary or border DThe capital city of a country

10. Question 10 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all" (line 28). Which meaning of "conscience" best fits this line?

    AGuilt over a crime Hamlet has already committed in secret BThe play Hamlet will stage later to trap the King COnly the rules of the church, which forbid people to fight DAwareness and reflection, such as fear of what follows death

11. Question 11 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    "And thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought" (lines 29-30). What does this figurative language suggest?

    AHamlet is physically ill and has turned pale from a long fever. BThe group of actors who will visit the castle cannot decide which play to perform. CResolve, naturally healthy and ruddy, turns sickly pale under too much thought. DThe native people of Denmark have lost their healthy color because of the cold.

12. Question 12 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    "And enterprises of great pitch and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry / And lose the name of action" (lines 31-33). Which paraphrase keeps the meanings of "pitch" and "moment" that fit the line?

    ALofty, important plans turn aside like streams and never become deeds. BPlans covered in black pitch are delayed for a moment and then carried out. CGreat musical pitches last only a moment before the currents of sound fade away. DImportant business trips are cancelled because the ocean currents are dangerous.

13. Question 13 of 20 · Short Answer

    In the middle of elevated language, Hamlet asks "who would fardels bear, / To grunt and sweat under a weary life" (lines 21-22). A "fardel" is a bundle or burden. Explain the impact of the words "fardels," "grunt" and "sweat" on the meaning and tone of this part of the speech.

    Show model answer

14. Question 14 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Keats calls autumn the "Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun; / Conspiring with him how to load and bless / With fruit the vines" (lines 2-4). What is the effect of the word "Conspiring"?

    AIt suggests that autumn and the sun are secretly planning to destroy the harvest. BA word for plotting harm here names a friendly secret plan to create plenty. CIt shows that the speaker distrusts the sun and fears the coming winter storms. DIt means that autumn and the sun are breathing together in the warm evening air.

15. Question 15 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    Stanza 1 ends with the bees, who think "warm days will never cease, / For Summer has o'er-brimm'd their clammy cells" (lines 10-11). Why is "clammy" a fresh word choice here?

    AIt shows that the bees are sick and damp from the cold autumn rain. BIt refers to tiny prison cells where the bees have been locked up for the winter. CIt shows that the speaker finds the bees disgusting and wants them to leave. DA usually unpleasant word gives an exact, sticky sense of honeycomb overflowing.

16. Question 16 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    In stanza 2 autumn is found "sitting careless on a granary floor, / Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind" (lines 14-15). What does "careless" mean here?

    ASloppy and likely to make mistakes BUnloved and ignored by everyone CUnable to take proper care of the harvest DFree from care, relaxed and at ease

17. Question 17 of 20 · Multiple Choice

    "Or by a cyder-press, with patient look, / Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours" (lines 21-22). How do the word choices in the second line affect its meaning?

    AThe quick, light words speed up the line, showing that the cider is made in a rush. BHarsh words show that the cider press is broken and the juice is being wasted. CSlow, heavy sounds and the repeated "hours" make time drip past like the juice. D"Oozings" is meant to disgust the reader, so that autumn seems ugly and unpleasant.

18. Question 18 of 20 · Short Answer

    "While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, / And touch the stubble-plains with rosy hue" (lines 25-26). Explain why this language is particularly fresh or beautiful, and how it shapes the tone of the final stanza.

    Show model answer

19. Question 19 of 20 · Short Answer

    "Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn" (line 27). Explain the connotations of "wailful," "choir" and "mourn," and decide whether the poem ends in grief. Support your answer with at least one other line from stanza 3.

    Show model answer

20. Question 20 of 20 · Short Answer

    Choose one phrase from either Hamlet passage and one from "To Autumn" that you find particularly fresh, engaging or beautiful. For each, explain what makes the language fresh (for example an unexpected word, a double meaning, a sound pattern or an image) and what it adds to the meaning or tone of its passage.

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These standards connect to RL.11-12.4: prerequisites to review first, parallel standards at the same level, and next steps that build on it.

Standard text: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.