PROJECT: “To be, or not to be”

“To be, or not to be, that is the question…” (3.1.63)

THE TIME HAS COME to tackle the most famous soliloquy — nay, the most famous speech in the history of the English language, period!

Why is it so famous?  Perhaps your commentary from this project will hold the answer…

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Suggested timetable for this project (CLICK TO VIEW FULL SIZE)

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This project is divided up into 3 parts:

(1) Essay, Part 1: In your own words, explain what Hamlet’s “to be, or not to be” soliloquy means.

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(2) Create YOUR own interpretation.

Examples of options for how to approach this include:

• a LIVE performance (much like the Angry Video Game Nerd movie auditions)
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• a recorded performance, either film or music-based (much like my filmed version posted here on Vimeo, also featured at the end of this post)
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• an animated or graphic novel/comic version (much like Neil Babra’s graphic novel)
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• a still-picture presentation accompanied by a voiceover or live reading (much like the webseries Extra Credits)—- 

(3) Essay, Part 2: Explain the inspiration behind #2.  (I included an example of this for my filmed version on Vimeo, which you can read straight off of Vimeo here.)

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NOTES ON GRADING:

• #1 and #3 will count as composition grades and will be assessed according to the Reader’s Response Rubric that we’ve been using all year (although note that I will be revising this rubric shortly to add in more criteria and more opportunities to earn points).
  

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• Brave souls can take on the challenge of combining #1 and #3 above into one genuine college-level essay (aka the type of writing you will actually be expected to produce next year!).  There is so much that can be taken from this infamous soliloquy that a mere single two-chunk paragraph would hardly scratch the surface.  Any brave soul who takes on the challenge to write a genuine college-level essay will be RECOGNIZED and AWARDED for their tremendous effort!—–
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• Given that this is a soliloquy that we’re talking about here, you may recruit classmates to help you out with #2 in terms of recording your performance, making props, etc, BUT you must produce YOUR OWN interpretation of the soliloquy.  NO EXCUSES.
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  • #2 will be graded according to the following points:
    • Creativity
      ———(out of 10 points)
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    • Consistency with #1
      —-(i.e. your performance/production should reflect what you wrote in #1)
      ———(out of 5 points)
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    • Accuracy
      —-(i.e. Your performance/production follows the plot of Hamlet read thus far, reflects Hamlet’s state of mind, etc.  If you are performing the speech, you have the option to do an “English translation” of what Hamlet is saying rather than deliver the speech verbatim.  If you choose this option, you must “translate” the WHOLE soliloquy.)
      ———(out of 15 points)

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Project model: Your interpretation of Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be…” from Jeremy Yanofsky on Vimeo.