Pre-Will Questions

a)       What do you know about Hamlet, the "Melancholy Dane"?  

My knowledge of Hamlet is very limited. But I had heard the famous quote from the play many times; “To be or not to be, that is a question.” I know Hamlet is one of four great tragedies wrote by Shakespeare. The play is very dramatic and gothic. The protagonist Hamlet who is the Prince of Denmark tries revenge for the murder of his father. And I know nothing about “Melancholy Dane”.

b)       What do you know about Shakespeare?

I know Shakespeare is been known as the greatest renaissance playwright, poet. He was born in Stratford, England; the exact date of his birth is still remain unknown. Shakespeare’s writing was been recognize by aristocrats. The famous works of Shakespeare are Roman Juliet, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar…etc.

c)     Why do so many students involuntarily frown when they hear the name "Shakespeare"?

I think the diction and syntax of Shakespeare makes really difficult to read. He used lots of literary element in his writing, which means that we need to read in between the lines and analyze it to get meaning behind it. I had read Julius Caesar and The Taming of Shrew by Shakespeare; I actually like both of them. I like the plot of the play, and the historical elements behind it.

d)       What can we do to make studying this play an amazing experience we'll never forget?

Since it is a play, I think we should watch the theater version of Hamlet. I remembered that I had seen the original performance in theater of the play The Taming of Shrew, it was hilarious. It was from many years ago, they don’t have any advance technologies/materials to decorate the background/stage. But, it is still fun to watch it.