Activity: Deep Truth

What is the value of art?

Works of art, when done well, contain very deep profound truths These truths are usually expressed through what we think of as entertainment or engagement Art can deliver truth in a way that can be more effective than a lecture or sermon In the same way that a story can transform us, this is what art does best, when it does it well. This is why art is so powerful The best art is based on a truth.

Take an example from Romeo and Juliet: What is the deep truth inside this play? It happens toward the end of the play when Montague and Capulet stand next to their children, whom they loved more than anyone in the world, who are now dead, and they discover that they have capacity to end their family feud after more than 100 years. As human beings, no matter what has befallen us, we have capacity to somehow find reconciliation, find forgiveness and way to move forward.

What are the deep truths in Hamlet?

What is happening to truth in this era of false news?

Rumour, gossip, false pretenses. Subterfuge, gossiping people’s backs, surveillance. These themes echo repeatedly in Hamlet They existed in Shakespeare’s time and they exist in ours. However, today we have new forms of technologies that accelerate the harms that can be done. During the last few years, new terms have entered our vocabulary: “alternative facts” and “fake news.” It can be harder to know what is truth and what is a lie, especially as advances in Artificial Intelligence have developed programs that can alter voice and face recognition and allow for “deep fakes.” Just like Hamlet has difficulty deciphering what is true and what is false, we have the same challenges today.

• What technologies were used to spread news in Hamlet's time? How do they differ from today’s?

• List some examples of lies and deceit in Hamlet. Can you think of examples of lies and deceit on a larger scale in our time?

• What happens to individuals or the public when they are exposed to lies and misinformation over an extended period of time?

• Why would people, organizations, or leaders lie or mislead? What could they stand to gain?

• How do we tell the difference between truth and fiction?

• What role do the arts play, or could they play, in helping people navigate between truth and lies?

• How do the arts contribute to a healthy democracy?

Creative Challenges

Students write from the perspective of a news reporter describing an event that took place in Hamlet. The report can include facts about the location, quotes from the character, a description of the event from different perspectives, and more. Build in creative details.

Hamlet, in present-day, observes the news about the war in Ukraine. He hears reasoning from Russia, and listens to a speech from the Ukrainian president. He is asked to make a comparison to the situation in his own kingdom. In Hamlet’s voice, students write a letter to the editor of a major newspaper.