Hamlet Anticipation Guide (Grades 8–12)

Pre-Reading & Discussion Activity | PDF + Editable Google Doc

This anticipation guide for Hamlet uses 12 statements to frame student thinking before and during reading.

Students take positions, then return to those responses as the play unfolds, adjusting or defending their thinking with evidence.

The focus remains on character decisions and how those decisions shape the direction of the text rather than on previewing the plot.

Because the play is shaped by hesitation and moral uncertainty, the activity provides a clear entry point. Students consider how they would respond when faced with similar tensions and difficult choices. This approach aligns with broader work on critical thinking in the classroom.

What’s Included

• 12 Agree / Disagree / Unsure statements
• 8 instructional strategies organized for use before, during, and after reading
• Character-based applications using major figures from the play
• Research support (Duffelmeyer, 1994; Ortlieb, 2013) with brief summaries
• Common Core ELA alignment (Grades 8–12)
• PDF + editable Google Doc

Sample Statements

“Revenge is never purely justified—it always corrupts the one seeking it.”

“Inaction can be just as harmful as a wrong action.”

“Ambition without conscience is the most dangerous kind of ambition.”

“The most dangerous lies are the ones we tell ourselves.”

Instructional strategies include short examples tied to key moments in the play, including scenes involving Claudius and Hamlet.

Classroom Uses

• Pre-reading work for Hamlet
• Discussion-based lessons
• Socratic seminar
• Debate
• Small-group discussion
• Writing and argument practice

Grades & Use

Designed for grades 8–12 and adaptable across middle and high school literature units. The guide can be used in a single introductory lesson or revisited at key points during a Hamlet unit.