Dia DeLos Muertos

Yorick’s Skull Project

“To Be or Not To Be, That is the Question”- Act III Scene 1

What is Symbolism??

Symbolism is the practice or art of using an object or a word to represent an abstract idea. An action, person, place, word, or object can all have a symbolic meaning. When an author wants to suggest a certain mood or emotion, he can also use symbolism to hint at it, rather than just blatantly saying it.

However symbols do not always have one concrete meaning, unless symbols are universal symbols can often have an endless number of meanings.

Universal symbols are symbols that are recognized worldwide and bridge the gap between cultures. For example if you are in a foreign country to which you have never been before and you see a door with a female silhouette on it what do you think this means? If you guessed the ladies bathroom you would be correct. Symbols such as these can be understood regardless of culture or language.

Examples of symbolism in everyday life and literature include:

  • a green light tells you it is your turn to go
  • Love is a jewel: This is symbolic because it suggests that love is rare and precious.
  • Life is a roller coaster: This is symbolic because it indicates that there will be ups and downs in life that you have to weather.
  • Black is used to represent death or evil.
  • Blue represents peacefulness and calm.
  • A chain can symbolize the coming together of two things.
  • Roses stand for romance.
  • Lilies stand for beauty and temptation.

Character Analysis

What is a character analysis? Character analysis is the scholarly examination of the physical, social, psychological, and other elements of a character within a fictional text.

Keep in mind there are two character types to keep in mind, static characters and dynamic characters.

  • A staticcharacterdoes not change physically or psychologically in the midst of a conflict.
  • A dynamiccharacter, on the other hand, is explicitly altered in some way by the struggle or conflict.

Now you’re probably wondering how on earth I expect you to perform this illusive character analysis stuff. Well it’s really simple, In character analysis’s you choose one character (usually your favorite or the one you’re most interested in) and describe their personality, roles in the book (antagonist or protagonist) and in society, determine whether the character is static or dynamic and why, etc.

Here are some easy questions to get you started:

1. Give the character’s name, age, social situation and a physical description.

2. How does the character feel about him/herself? Why does he/she feel that way?

3. If others were asked to describe the character, what would some comments be?

4. How does the character feel about the other characters? Why?

5. How do the other characters feel about this character? Why? Is there one character that this character particularly dislikes? Why?

6. What situation does the character find him/herself in? How did he/she get into this situation and how is the situation resolved?

7. How does the character react to the situations he/she is in? Why does he/she react that way? What background makes him/her behave that way?

8. Find ten words to describe the character.

9. What kinds of relationships does this character have or has this character had?

Also Use the graphic organizer below to

Record and organize your thoughts

What You Really Want To Know

Now that your character analysis is complete and you understand what symbolism is you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with Hamlet. The answer is quite simple my dear, using this newly acquired knowledge each one of you is going to create your own Dia Los Muertos, or day of the dead, sugar skulls representing the character you chose to complete your analysis on.

A little background

Dia de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is a holiday celebrated on November 1. Although marked throughout Latin America, Dia de los Muertos is most strongly associated with Mexico, where the tradition originated.

Dia de los Muertos honors the dead with festivals and lively celebrations, a typically Latin American custom that combines indigenous Aztec ritual with Catholicism, brought to the region by Spanish conquistadores.

Assured that the dead would be insulted by mourning or sadness, Dia de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the deceased with food, drink, parties, and activities the dead enjoyed in life. Dia de los Muertos recognizes death as a natural part of the human experience, a continuum with birth, childhood, and growing up to become a contributing member of the community. On Dia de los Muertos, the dead are also a part of the community, awakened from their eternal sleep to share celebrations with their loved ones.

The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations.

Quick Question

So reading this short excerpt what are some symbols of life, love, and happiness that you see on some of these elaborate skulls?

What you’re going to need:

4” x 3” blank skull

A pencil

Your completed character analysis

Paint, markers, etc.

Paint brushes

Embellishments

How to create your masterpiece

1. Have your character analysis completed on one character from Hamlet of your choosing.

2. Once your skull has been issued to you use the pencil to sketch your ideas on the skull, you only get one skull so it is wise to sketch your ideas before using permanent decorations.

3. After you are satisfied with your sketch you may begin coloring, painting, decorating etc.

Things to keep in mind/ Requirements

Your skull should contain the following:

  • Your characters name
  • A quote from that character
  • Symbols representing that character
  • COLOR!! I shouldn’t be able to see any primed surface once you’re done
  • 3 adjectives describing your character

In order to get the best grade possible

  • Make sure you’re skull meets all the requirements above
  • Shows thoughtfulness and effort on your part
  • Clearly represents and symbolizes the character you chose

Dia De Los MuertosYoricks Skull Project Rubric

Student Name______

Date Submitted______

Student Score______/ 16

Criteria / 4 Points / 3 Points / 2 Points / 1 Point
Reflection of Analysis / Skull reflects thorough, detailed, and accurate character analysis. / Skull reflects character analysis and most details pertaining to the selected character. / Skull reflects little character analysis and some details pertaining to the selected character. / Skull does not reflect character analysis and/or multiple details pertaining to the selected character.
Creativity / Skull demonstrates creative and original design through décor and color / Skull demonstrates creative design and contains multiple decorative elements. / Skull demonstrates some design and contains few decorative elements. / Skull lacks design or creativity and may not contain decorative elements.
Accuracy / Skull accurately and clearly represents and symbolizes the chosen character. / Skull clearly represents and symbolizes the chosen character. / Skull somewhat represents or symbolizes the chosen character. / Skull does not accurately represent or symbolize the chosen character.
Overall / Skull contains all required elements, shows thoughtfulness and effort, and is submitted on time. / Skull contains at least 4 of the 5 required elements, shows effort, and is submitted on time. / Skull contains at least 3 of the 5 required elements and shows some effort. / Skull contains less than 3 of the 5 required elements and lacks effort or thoughtfulness.

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