Educator Resources: Hamlet, Prince of Cuba

• Stop at 17:54- At the end of “To Be” speech
  • What did you see, what hear, what did you feel? 
  • So far, how do you see Cuba and the Cuban culture in this show? 
  • How did Hamlet react to the ghost’s revelation? What do you think Hamlet will do next? 
  • How was the ghost different in this production than when you read the play or watched it otherwise? (Teachers learn more about the ghost and Santerían on the Cultura Page or in the Educator Resources below) 
  • How was listening in Spanish and reading Shakespearean English for you? 
     
• Stop at 30:11- Right before Polonius and the Players entrance
  • What has happened so far? 
  • Do you think Hamlet is actually insane or is he pretending? 
  • What jokes or comedic relief did you notice in these scenes? 
  • Why did Shakespeare and the director include humor in a tragedy? 
     
• Stop at 39:36- At end of the speech  
  • What is Hamlet's Plan? 
    • Do you think it will work?
  • Content warning at 43:16- imitation of sex/rape (Hamlet sits on top of Ophelia and thrusts. Duration 17 seconds.) 
     
• Stop 57:12- At blackout 
  • How are the women in this play treated by Hamlet?  
    • Why do you think this is so? 
• Hamlet says the play-within-a-play is called "The Mousetrap".
  • Why do you think this is the title? 
• What changes can you see in Hamlet's madness and his relationships? 
• What will happen next? 
   

• Stop at 1:09- At blackout. 
• Which characters are you rooting for?
• What proof do we have of Claudius’s guilt? 
• What type of relationship do you think Hamlet had with his parents before the action in this play? 
• What will the king and queen do next? 
   
• Stop at 1:15- Intermission Blackout 
• How do you expect Hamlet to act in the second half of this play? 
• What do you think will happen next? 
   
• Stop at 1:24- At Claudius, Laertes, and Gertrude’s exit 
• How is Ophelia’s madness different from Hamlet's? 
• Both Hamlet and Laertes are sons seeking revenge for their father’s murder. How are they similar, how are they different? 
   
• Stop at 1:31- After Ophelia’s death is announced 
• Do you think Claudius’s plot will work? Why? Why not?
• Why do you think Shakespeare chose to kill Ophelia? 
   
• STOP at 1:40- After Ophelia’s grave is closed 
• Why does Shakespeare include the comedic gravedigger scene right in the middle of the climax of the play? 
• Did Hamlet truly love Ophelia?
   
• STOP at 1:58-End of Play 
• How is Hamlet's friendship with Horatio different from his friendship with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's?
  • Would he have reacted differently if Horatio had betrayed him? 
• What is a foil in literary terms? How has Shakespeare set Hamlet and Laertes up to be foils of each other? 
• Was Hamlet getting his revenge satisfying for you? Why or why not? 
• Fortinbras appears at the end and looks very different from all the other characters. Why do you think that is? Who do you think he represents in the context of Cuban Revolution? (Teddy Roosevelt when he was an American Rough Riders fighting in the Cuban Revolution) 
• Why do you think we still tell the story of Hamlet today? 

Did you know Hamlet was the first Shakespearean play to be translated into Spanish in the 18th Century?!  

Find external articles and information exploring the translation of Shakespeare below. These resources enhance the "Palabras, Palabras, Palabras..." curriculum page.

• The Production of Hamlet, Prince of Cuba was featured in the book Shakespeare Studies, Vol. XLIV in the chapter "From West Side Story to Hamlet, Prince of Cuba: Shakespeare and Latinidad in the United States" by  Carla Della Gatta. 
  • Find excerpts of the chapter and buy the book here
  • Request a digital copy of the chapter from a university library. 
• A scholarly article on translating Hamlet.
• Strategies and considerations for adding a second language to a production.
• Article exploring the power of reinventing Shakespeare in the Spanish language. 
• Traduciendo Shakespeare a el Espanol 

In our production of Hamlet, Prince of Cuba the ghost of King Hamlet appears to his son through the practice of Santería. Learn more about this religion and its impact on Cuban culture through the links and articles below. These resources enhance the "Cultura" curriculum page. 

• General information on the Cuban practices of Santería
• A scholarly article exploring the Santería practice of "Oricha speech" which we see in the production of Hamlet, Prince of Cuba.
• La Historia de la Santería en Cuba. 

This production is set in Cuba in the 1800's as Cuba fights for its independence. Learn more about Cuban Revolution and this time period through the articles and links below. These resources enhance the "Cultura" curriculum page. 

• A timeline of The Cuban Revolution- Handy Printout from the show's Playbill. 

•  Cronologí Puntos de importancia en la Historia de Cuba

• Short and sweet summary of the Cuban Revolution. 
• Timeline of Cuba and the war of independence and the conflict between America, Cuba, and Spain. 
• A look at Cuba in 1898 
• Artículo sobre la Guerra de Independencia de Cuba

José Martí was a Cuban writer and national hero who was known for translating and adapting universal stories. His poetry and stories are a huge part of Cuban culture. Not only was José Martí working and writing during the time period that Hamlet, Prince of Cuba is set, but he also worked as a part of the Cuban Revolution. See how the production used Martí as an inspiration on the "Cultura" page.

Resources: 

• Learn more about his life and work here

• Read more of Jose Marti's poetry here! 

• A Scholarly article on Jose Marti and his impact on Cuban culture

• Jose Marti y la Poesia 

One of Martí's Most Famous Poems: 

• LAFS. 4-8.RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

•  LAFS. 4-8.RL.3.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

• LAFS. 4-8.RL.1.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.

• LAFS.910.RL.1.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme.

• LAFS.4-8.L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

• LAFS.910.RI.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).

   

• LAFS.1112.RL.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
   

• LAFS.1112.RL.3.7

  Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)

• TH.68.S.2.3 Analyze the relationships of plot, conflict, and theme in a play and transfer the knowledge to a play that contrasts in style, genre, and/or mood.

• TH.68.H.1.5 Describe one’s own personal responses to a theatrical work and show respect for the responses of others.

• TH.912.C.1.3 Justify a response to a theatrical experience through oral or written analysis, using correct theatre terminology.

• TH.912.H.1.1 Analyze how playwrights’ work reflects the cultural and socio-political framework in which it was created.

• TH.912.H.1.4 Interpret a text through different social, cultural, and historical lenses to consider how perspective and context shape a work and its characters.

• TH.912.H.1.5 Respect the rights of performers and audience members to perform or view controversial work with sensitivity to school and community standards.

• TH.912.H.2.1 Research the correlations between theatrical forms and the social, cultural, historical, and political climates from which they emerged, to form an understanding of the influences that have shaped theatre.

• TH.912.H.2.2 Research and discuss the effects of personal experience, culture, and current events that shape individual response to theatrical works.

• TH.912.H.2.6 Explore how gender, race, and age are perceived in plays and how they affect the development of theatre.

• WL.K12.IM.1.2 Demonstrate understanding of the main idea and supporting details of presentations on familiar topics.

• WL.K12.AL.1.2 Follow presentations on familiar and unfamiliar topics in different situations. 

• WL.K12.AM.1.3 Demonstrate understanding of presentations even when idiomatic, technical, or slang expressions are used.

• WL.K12.AM.1.4 Demonstrate understanding of the underlying meaning of culturally authentic expressions as presented through a variety of media.

• WL.K12.AH.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of extended speech and short lectures on a variety of topics.

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  WL.K12.SU.1.6 Follow information from recorded authentic complex passages.