TODAY IN CLASS
First, yesterday (Wednesday):

• A quick run-through of the content of p. 324 and 340-347 in the big lit book, mostly to show you that the brief references to Macbeth don't matter.  Nearly everything there is equally useful for preparing you to read Hamlet. It's direct, clear reading, and was assigned last Friday along with the Renaissance intro (294-305), but not everyone had a chance to finish reading it in class. However, you're responsible for it.  I'll do my best to get the link working (the "Accessible Pages" for linking textbook to the blog is a quirky mess).  But if I don't, there will be some time specifically allotted on either Friday or Monday for students to read/study this material, or to have some class time for reading Hamlet.
• We got the Hamlet books. IF YOU'VE BEEN ABSENT, you need to pick up the copy during open hours for the bookroom--see the library door.  Please do this ASAP.  If you are in 1st/2nd, be sure to ask for the "Folger Edition" of the play.  If you are in 5th, you need to ask for the "McDougal-Littell" text. 

Today--

We started thinking about the play by tracing through a series of life circumstances; I asked students to think of themselves, away at college, and then being called home to encounter and experience a stunning array of unexpected events.  The events more or less track what happens to Hamlet, and the idea was help understand that in many ways, this is a young adult who suddenly has to deal with a rapid-fire series of disorienting events and threatening situations.  How would YOU feel?

Then four students read parts for most of Act I, Scene i, and then we doubled back to talk about key information/ideas along the way. 1st period got about five minutes farther along (yes, we have 5 more minutes to work with!), so we did the first thing listed below in class, but I'm writing this for what 2nd/5th needs to do.

5th period--also note that for certain reasons, the line numbering in your edition is slightly different.  I have not picked up a copy of your text for me yet, so the lines below may not be precisely accurate.  But know that we are dealing with what Marcellus asks (all of the lines) and what Horatio answers (the whole thing) that are found pretty much in the lines listed.

So--

For Marcellus (81-90), be able to paraphrase--restate in clear, direct, modern English--the precise questions he asks ("tell me, he that knows . . .").  

For Horatio's long answer (end of 90-119), do the following:  Re-read it, and keep stopping to read all the explanatory notes on the left hand side.  Then read it one more time to put the new information into context,  Be able to follow most of the explanation Horatio gives.  DON'T WORRY much about the legal document--we will unravel its complexity together.

Finally--I should have asked you in class (but didn't) to re-read the next chunk of Horatio's response (124-137) in the same way.  We'll work on this together, but you'll still have a headstart if you review it yourself.  (Those who read Julius Caesar instead of Macbeth in 10th grade will have an advantage here!)