Psychological Disorders in Shakespeare's Plays (CCSS Aligned)

This 4-Part Project-Based (PBL) Unit requires students to read Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet (or any other Shakespearean tragedy) and analyze the characters. In groups of three or four, students research and compose a documented essay (in MLA or APA format) on psychological disorders, focusing on symptoms. Then, as they read a Shakespearean tragedy, they look at the characterization for each character to determine which characters exhibit the symptoms of the disorder. Finally, students write an analytical essay in which they defend their diagnosis.

I began this unit as a cross-curricular unit (English/Psychology) and was amazed at how much more closely my students read Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet to prove their diagnosis. In addition to reading a play (Reading Literature), reading informational articles on the psychological disorders (Reading Informational), and writing a documented essay and a literary analysis essay (Writing and Language), students are also required to present their findings to the class (Speaking and Listening).

This unit was planned for Pre-AP English and Advanced Placement Literature and Composition classes, but can also be adapted to regular courses as well. While I used Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet (my Pre-AP classes read both), it will work just as well for Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear as well.