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.
