A) For Hamlet, I know very little. I know that Mel Gibson played the titular role in the movie "Hamlet", and that at the end of the play, everyone else essentially dies. I know for a fact that Hamlet dies due to a poisoned stab wound, but other than that, I got nothing.
B) I know that Shakespeare was a poet who wrote in iambic pentameter. I know that he wrote "A Midsummer's Night Dream", "Hamlet", "Macbeth", "Julius Caesar", and "Romeo and Juliet". I also know that he married Anne Hathaway and had three children. But that's essentially it.
C) With students, the name Shakespeare brings back memories of a childhood event they try to forget, but can't because it's always brought up. "They remember what they want to forget, but forget what they want to remember." - Cormac McCarthy. Shakespeare is that old man who speaks in a tongue that no longer exists. He constantly reminds you of how great he is, but his work is so archaic it's hard to get behind it. You know he' a legend, but you can't understand why.
D) Perhaps usage of alternate media, and maybe even acting it out might make a big difference between rolling your eyes and actually looking forward to reading "Hamlet".
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