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KS2 / KS3 English Literature: A retelling of Hamlet by William Shakespeare - animation

Video summary

An animated version of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in a retelling of the classic play set to modern music.

Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is distraught when his father dies.

When the ghost of the older Hamlet appears to tell his son that he was murdered, the shock waves set in a motion a deadly chain of events.

The old king has been murdered by his own brother, Claudius, who has then seized the throne and married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude.

Hamlet sets a trap for Claudius and once he knows that the new king is definitely guilty plans to get revenge.

At the same time, the young Hamlet undergoes stresses and strains in his relationships with both his mother and his girlfriend Ophelia, who is the daughter of Claudius’s minister Polonius.

Both Ophelia and Polonius die in tragic circumstances, realising that Hamlet is becoming increasingly dangerous, Claudius plots with Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, to do away with Hamlet once and for all.

By the end of the story most of the key characters have been killed; it is a tragedy of epic proportions.

This is from the series: Shakespeare in Shorts.

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Teacher Notes

Key Stage 2:

This clip could be used as an introduction to the play, consolidation of key aspects, or for revision of the plot and characters.

It could also provide a springboard for pupils to write their own modernised versions of this or another Shakespeare plays, perhaps using music or linked to developing artwork.

Key Stage 3:

This clip could form the basis for some improvisation work by students, or for learning and delivering sections of text.

It could also be used as a stimulus for creative writing tasks involving the inner thought of specific characters.

This clip will be suitable for teaching English at KS2 and KS3 in England, KS3 and English Literature GCSE in Wales, KS1, KS2 and KS3 in Northern Ireland and 2nd, 3rd and 4th level in Scotland.

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