Description: Interested in Shakespeare, but intimidated by the language? Do you agree that plays are meant to be experienced—not only read—but find that difficult to accomplish in your homeschool? How should a Christian approach literature such as Shakespeare, as a Christian?

This one-semester course treats Hamlet as a living script rather than a static document. Following a "flipped classroom" model, students spend time outside of class engaging with the play’s narrative, historical context, and thematic depth. Home assignments focus on building a foundation of vocabulary and comprehension through curated resources, ensuring every student arrives prepared for collaborative work.

In-person sessions are dedicated to a "Rehearsal Hall" experience, through dramatic read alouds and time for retelling and dramatic exercises the physical staging of key scenes. Beyond the play, students will explore the structure of Shakespearean sonnets and the cultural landscape of the Elizabethan era, allowing them to inhabit the characters while grappling with timeless questions of justice, mercy, and the human condition. The course emphasizes the skill of recitation and culminates in Shakes-Fest, a celebratory showcase where students perform ensemble scenes and individual soliloquies for a live audience.

Tutor: Amanda Gonsalves has a BA in English and German from Iowa State University with a Secondary Education teaching degree. She has taught in public schools, in homeschool coops and various Bible studies. Her desire is to help students bring the light and life of Jesus into each of their contexts through critical thinking and clear communication. "Mrs. G" lives and homeschools in Bloomington, where she enjoys reading, creating, and spending time with her four daughters and husband.

Cost: $233, $243 or $253 per semester (depending on registration date)
Level: Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Writing 2 or equivalent
Homework: 2-3 hours per week
Books (to be purchased by parents):

• The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark (William Shakespeare) (Folger Shakespeare Library)  ISBN: 978-0-7434-7712-3
• The Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide to Six Shakespeare Plays (Peter J. Leihart) ISBN-13: 978-1-885767-23-4

Supplies:  Three ring binder and a folder for class handouts.