Are you
struggling to understand the basics of Hamlet?
Who is Yorrick and why is he a
skull?
Why is Hamlet so depressed all the time?
What happened to Ophelia?
What is the play within the play all about?
All
these questions and more will answered in these two easy to follow adaptations of
Hamlet. The story is re-told in plain English to help you understand the
complexities of the plot. The addition of terrific illustrations is a bonus and
helps bring the story to life. This is a great introduction to the play for
students who are reading it for the first time, or are completely bamboozled by
the more mainstream versions. Don't be put off by the title - these are for everyone!
Text adapted by Richard Appignanesi, Illustrations by Emma Vieceli
Hamlet in Manga?? That's madness! But then again, there is quite a bit of madness in Hamlet. This version of Hamlet is presented in true Manga style. Set
in 2107, Earth has been devastated by global climate change and exists as a cyberworld. It's dark and grim, but that's how good Manga should be and that's what a Hamlet retelling needs. It contains great Manga illustrations by Emma Vieceli who is a leading artist
in the London Manga scene- her Vampire
Academy Graphic novels are well known. Vieceli's illustrations bring alive the
issues that Hamlet faces following the death of his father. Who can he trust? His best friend? His girl friend? The story stays
true to the play using an edited version of the text, but the manga format
provides a great visual setting with an moody backdrop that suits the tone of
the play and makes it exciting to follow.
Joint Winner, 2011 Children's Book Council of Australia Picture Book of the Year Shortlisted, 2010 Aurealis Awards - Best Illustrated Book/Graphic Novel
If you
love graphic novels you will love one. It is an award winning graphic novel by Nicki Greenberg. This novel
makes the reading of Shakespeare an amazing kaleidoscope experience of colour
and images. The illustrations are rich and lush, encompassing mixed materials
of rich fabrics, flowers and drawings.
The characters are not human but convey
all the emotions that you expect in this play. Greenberg stays true to
Shakespeare’s text, but the graphic format of breaking up the story into comic
style boxes, allows the reader to digest each tumultuous scene bit by bit. The
reader is able to get as much meaning from the images as the text.
The book is
a visual feast to be enjoyed and the images bring an extra dimension of
understanding to the underlying themes of the play.
So you are sitting at home and you have to write an essay on Hamlet. You have the text that the teacher has given you. You have no idea what it all means... I mean we don't talk like that now... You are breaking out in a sweat... You have bitten all your nails down... It all looks like gobbley gook.... What you need is the No Fear Shakespeare texts. These are available in book form, but I love the handy on line version. This is published by sparknotes, part of Barnes and Noble, and goes through each scene with a side by side translation of Shakespeare's English into every day English. Just what you need when you have to analyse the plot... now you can finally understand what they are actually saying to each other. This... ROSENCRANTZ
He does confess he feels himself distracted.
But from what cause he will by no means speak.
GUILDENSTERN
Nor do we find him forward to be sounded.
But with a crafty madness keeps aloof
When we would bring him on to some confession
Becomes this... ROSENCRANTZ He admits he feels confused, but refuses to say why. GUILDENSTERN
And he’s not exactly eager to be interrogated. He’s very sly and dances around our questions when we try to get him to talk about how he feels. (Crowther, ed. 2005)
The website also has a short 8 minute video of an animated synopsis of the play which is great way to fill in the gaps and allows you to follow the play in its entirety, rather than just as sections of text. These resources are a must for any assignment that relies on understanding the intricacies of the language. But don't forget to cite the editor if you do use them in your assignment. You don't want to get caught for plagiarising. The website also has a handy page on how you should cite the site to make it easier for you.
John Green, author of The Fault in Our Stars, brings a unique insight into Hamlet with his quirky sense of humour (and a great Scooby Do joke). This is a twelve minute video under the Crash Course Literature banner which takes you through the underlying themes of Hamlet. Is Hamlet the greatest procrastinator, or is he just a young man with a lot on his plate? This analysis is delivered in a fresh and engaging way with lots of changing scenes and graphics which make it visually interesting and easy to follow (you are not just watching a talking head). Green brings up all sorts of interesting facts to engage the viewer and lead them on to other avenues of thought (who would have thought that the Disney film - The Lion King - had Hamlet overtones?). The material is edited by educational staff so that you can be confident that it is not another Green work of fiction. This is not a resource to be used as stand alone, but to be a jumping off point into further research. There are other parts in the series to follow up on, and the Crash Course website has many other interesting topics to delve into.
This book is not for adults (and not for kids either)! The language and concepts would be too confronting for them. However if they catch you reading it they will be thrilled... you are reading Hamlet and it is by well known author John Marsden!
This is a novel adaptation of Hamlet told in a modern setting using every day language. It follows the themes of Hamlet, but with more of a focus on the issues of being a teenager in a dysfunctional family. The language can be a little full on at times, and some of the scenes are a bit graphic. It is not one for the light hearted.
There is also an audio version of this book available so you can listen to it on your ipod as well as read it.
This modern day novel adaptation is one for the girls. This unique adaptation is written from the point of view of Ophelia. It is set in a modern day royal household, where Ophelia is the daughter of a trusted royal advisor. She is the darling of the press and is splashed across magazines and tv. She is dating the Prince of Denmark, but all is not well with Hamlet. He is moody and difficult and their relationship is falling apart.
This novel has several twists on the story of Hamlet, but is told in such an engaging and fresh way, you can forgive some of the plot diversions (I don't want to give away any spoilers). The story has flashbacks to other times in the book, which make it interesting and provides a bit more of a back story to the characters.
Whilst it is truly a work of fiction, it does follow the themes that appear in the play, but in a modern days setting that teens can relate to.
by William
Shakespeare(Author), Simon Russell
Beale(Narrator), Imogen Stubbs(Narrator), Jane
Lapotaire(Narrator)
No collection of Shakespeare material would be complete without an audio book of the complete unabridged play.
This recording is a must for playing while you are reading the text. The narrators are able to bring a whole new level of understanding to the play that you don't experience by just reading the text. The mood of the play is enhanced by the dramatic reading of the play by the experienced and acclaimed actors (many of whom have performed as part of the Royal Shakespeare Company).
Get a group of friends together and listen to accomplished actors transform a complex text, into an engaging and gripping play.
From the opening scenes on the ramparts of the castle, this will grip you. This is an excellent television production by the Royal Shakespeare Company and the BBC. The cast includes well known actors David Tennant of Doctor Who fame (Hamlet), and Sir Patrick Stewart from Star Trek (Claudius). The production stays true to the original Shakespearian text, but contrasts its with a modern day setting. The quality of the acting and production make this a truly pleasurable experience and a must see for any student of Hamlet. Watching such a high standard of acting allows the viewer to fully understand the complex nuances of the play.
You have seen the Lego movie.. now watch the Lego Hamlet.
This is an imaginative and clever use of stop animation to depict the story of Hamlet. Whilst the acting is not to the standard of the Royal Shakespeare Company, it does show you what can be achieved with digital photography, some lego and lots of imagination. This would be an excellent activity for the library to run in conjunction with the local high school - students can film a scene of Hamlet using stop motion animation (whether it uses lego or clay, or any item). By creating mini films the students are engaging with the play and all its nuances. The entries can be posted on to the library website for all to share.
Shmoop is a digital publishing company that provides educational support to students on a series of topics. This is a comprehensive website that has web pages on themes, analysis, quizzes, links to other websites as well as many other Hamlet related topics. It is presented in a quirky humourous way which will engage a teen audience. This is a valuable resource which can be used as a starting point for students who are grappling with Hamlet for the first time.
This website is a conglomeration of online quizzes for students to go through and test their knowledge. They are of varying levels of quality and sophistication, but can provide a bit of light relief (and mental stimulation) after studying.
4)Lion King and Hamlet - common themes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBC4IyX3gIc
This video has been created to highlight the parallels between the Disney film, The Lion King and Hamlet. Students can then think about other well known films\books\songs which may have been influenced by Hamlet. Are the themes in Hamlet found in other famous works. Again this could be an activity that students do as a collaborative project between the library and the school. A display of the linked works could be set up in the library to share their findings with the broader public (who could also learn something new). It has the benefit of bring teens into the library, but also showing the broader library community what they have been doing. This could help break down some of the barriers that exist between the teen community and the rest of the library community who may view them as disruptive and noisy.
Reddit is a website where the content is generated by users. This is a great forum for students to use to ask questions, or to follow topics of discussions. eg,
This query resulted in a discussion of 48 comments in a relatively short space of time. Admittedly because it is user generated content, students need to put their information literacy filters on, but the discussions could spark a new way of looking at things, or a resource worth following up on.
It gives users the ability to tap into a broader knowledge base of the many global Reddit users who share a common interest.
