This single page will guide the students through close reading of the text of Act 1 Scene 1 of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It asks specific questions to focus the students learning, as well as differentiated extension tasks of a variety of types of activities - writing, research, drama and wider reading. Aimed at GCSE or possibly AS or A level students. A close reading of the texts is essential for analysing and understanding ways in which meaning is shaped in literary texts. This is a simple word document, no fancy graphics, but ideal for getting to the heart of the issues.