Peek into Kimberly Perillo’s Manhattanville English 12 class, and you might see students “frozen” in place, capturing a moment in time from Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The exercise has students tapping into characters’ emotions and deepening their understanding of the play.
When it comes to choosing a scene, the possibilities are endless. They are up to Act 3, Scene 2 which is jam packed with intrigue, drama, spies, a possible ghost, and a play within a play. As a way to mix up the reading and check comprehension, students are asked to strike a pose on a single moment in the scene: Hamlet v. Ophelia; Claudius’ reaction to the play; Polonius with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; Hamlet v Horatio.
In groups of three and four, students have minutes to pick a moment in time from the scene for the challenge. They are allowed to use props from the room and immediately get to work cutting out and stapling crowns out of printer paper and assembling staffs out of markers. There is no speaking allowed, so poses need to be exaggerated and clear.
“I’ll be Hamlet sitting behind the action to symbolize my authority,” said Jayron Sandoval.
With a background of the inside of Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, students freeze in their scene.
One group freezes the part where Gertrude and Claudius are concerned about Hamlet's behavior and send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. Hamlet suspects they are spying. They are frozen looking suspicious, angry and paired together in camps.
Another group freezes the play within a play, which is considered a key moment in the plot as it allows Hamlet to gather evidence against Claudius without directly confronting him. One student is frozen on a beanbag playing dead, another student is Claudius frozen with a guilty expression.
After each scene, the groups are asked to explain the emotions of their character and a key line from the scene.
“Gertrude feels a mix of guilt and discomfort when watching the play” said one student.
“Hamlet feels frustration by his own inaction in the face of his father's murder,” said another student.
Clearly students are comprehending the plot twists of Hamlet.
“It’s been difficult reading Hamlet,” said Will Dignan, “it’s like learning a whole new language, but there’s never a dull moment.”
