par⋅o⋅dy / [par-uh-dee]

noun, plural -dies, verb -died, -dy⋅ing.

noun
1. a humorous or satirical imitation of a serious piece of literature or writing: his hilarious parody of Hamlet's
soliloquy.

2. the genre of literary composition represented by such imitations.

3. a burlesque imitation of a musical composition.

4. any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc.

verb (used with object)

7. to imitate (a composition, author, etc.) for purposes of ridicule or satire.

8. to imitate poorly or feebly; travesty.

Origin:
1590–1600; < L parōdia a parody < Gk parōidía a burlesque song or poem. See PAR-, ODE, -Y 3

After reading Shakespeare’s longest and possibly most famous tragedy, Hamlet, you are to
create your own commentary on the tragic hero and events presented by Shakespeare. You
are to create a parody that pokes fun at Hamlet, his tragic flaw, his over-thinking nature and
ultimately his tragic error and fall. Your parody can take on whatever form you wish. It must
look “professional.” You must use some form of media to present your parody. It can be either
a film, a filmed play or soliloquy, a website, a song, a music video, a television show, an
interview, an advertisement…the list goes on and on. You must show that you have analyzed
Hamlet’s character and are commenting on his virtues as well as his vices. You must also use
humor in an intelligent way. Draw upon Shakespeare’s language and show me you are aware
of the themes Shakespeare is dealing with.

Rubric
Answer the questions below to ensure you are on track!

Do you understand what a tragic hero is?

Knowledge Do you understand what makes Hamlet a tragic hero?
Do you understand what a parody is?
Do you select the most important parts of Shakespeare’s play to use
in your presentation? (This might include, lines, themes, character
Thinking references, etc.)
Do you work collaboratively with group members to create your
presentation?
Does your final product show insight and creativity?
Does your final product use humour to comment on the play and
Communica character?
tion Does your final product flow logically? Is it well-organized and
presented in a professional manner?
Application Can you make connections between the text we have read in class
and the themes or ideas being dealt with?
Can you apply your knowledge of parody to Hamlet?
Can you connect the themes/ideas being dealt with in Shakespeare
to the themes/ideas that are relevant and important to a modern
audience?