full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Iseult Gillespie: Why should you read "Hamlet"?

Unscramble the Blue Letters

Written by William saerheaspke between 1599 and 1601, "Hamlet" dcpetis its titular character hutnaed by the past, but immobilized by the future. Mere months after the sudden dtaeh of his father, haemlt returns from school a stranger to his own home, and deeply unsure of what might be lurking in the shadows. But his bnodriog takes a turn when he’s visited by a ghost that bears his father’s face. The phantom claims to be the victim of a “murder most foul,” and convinces Hamlet that his uncle Claudius uuseprd the throne and stole queen Gertrude’s heart. The prince’s mourning turns to rage, and he begins to plots his revenge on the new king and his court of conspirators.

Open Cloze

Written by William ___________ between 1599 and 1601, "Hamlet" _______ its titular character _______ by the past, but immobilized by the future. Mere months after the sudden _____ of his father, ______ returns from school a stranger to his own home, and deeply unsure of what might be lurking in the shadows. But his ________ takes a turn when he’s visited by a ghost that bears his father’s face. The phantom claims to be the victim of a “murder most foul,” and convinces Hamlet that his uncle Claudius _______ the throne and stole queen Gertrude’s heart. The prince’s mourning turns to rage, and he begins to plots his revenge on the new king and his court of conspirators.

Solution

  1. shakespeare
  2. death
  3. depicts
  4. hamlet
  5. usurped
  6. brooding
  7. haunted

Original Text

Written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601, "Hamlet" depicts its titular character haunted by the past, but immobilized by the future. Mere months after the sudden death of his father, Hamlet returns from school a stranger to his own home, and deeply unsure of what might be lurking in the shadows. But his brooding takes a turn when he’s visited by a ghost that bears his father’s face. The phantom claims to be the victim of a “murder most foul,” and convinces Hamlet that his uncle Claudius usurped the throne and stole queen Gertrude’s heart. The prince’s mourning turns to rage, and he begins to plots his revenge on the new king and his court of conspirators.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

Important Words

  1. bears
  2. begins
  3. brooding
  4. character
  5. claims
  6. claudius
  7. conspirators
  8. convinces
  9. court
  10. death
  11. deeply
  12. depicts
  13. face
  14. father
  15. foul
  16. future
  17. ghost
  18. hamlet
  19. haunted
  20. heart
  21. home
  22. immobilized
  23. king
  24. lurking
  25. mere
  26. months
  27. mourning
  28. phantom
  29. plots
  30. queen
  31. rage
  32. returns
  33. revenge
  34. school
  35. shadows
  36. shakespeare
  37. stole
  38. stranger
  39. sudden
  40. takes
  41. throne
  42. titular
  43. turn
  44. turns
  45. uncle
  46. unsure
  47. usurped
  48. victim
  49. visited
  50. william
  51. written