Hamlet Complete Unit of Work PowerPoint

A complete, ready-to-teach unit of work for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, designed specifically for a Fifth Year Higher Level Leaving Certificate English class.

This comprehensive PowerPoint takes students through Hamlet scene by scene, while continually developing the analytical and essay-writing skills required for Higher Level English.

Rather than focusing on plot alone, the unit encourages students to move from WHAT happens → HOW Shakespeare presents it → WHY it matters to character, theme, audience and the play as a whole.

What is included?
Introduction to the world of Hamlet
Key character overview
Revenge tragedy conventions
Shakespeare’s dramatic methods
Scene-by-scene teaching of the entire play
Plot clarification and key moments
Important quotations
Close-analysis activities
Writing tasks throughout
Higher Level discussion questions
Character development
Themes and motifs
Shakespeare’s imagery and dramatic techniques
Act-by-act revision and comparison
Whole-play connections
Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras as foils
Appearance versus reality
Revenge and justice
Madness and grief
Mortality
Corruption and decay
Action versus inaction
Essay-focused analytical activities
Thesis and paragraph-writing practice
Revision and assessment opportunities