Vocabulary Activity

Guide students through an exploration of absurdism and existentialism—two philosophies central to Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

Philosophy Vocabulary Activity

• Activity Preparation
  • Supplies
    • Paper and writing utensils (one per student)  
  • Set-Up
    • Prepare to display the definitions of absurdism and existentialism. 
    • Queue up the videos:
      • The philosophy of absurdism | What is the point of life? | A-Z of ISMs Episode 1 – BBC Ideas
      • What is existentialism? | A-Z of ISMs Episode 5 – BBC Ideas
    • Prepare to use the closed captioning feature, adjust the video playback speed, or play the videos twice in order to support student learning. 

• This activity will take approximately 50 minutes.

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• Learning Sequence
  1. Prompt students to free write in response to the following question: What is the meaning of life? As desired, have students share their answers with a partner, or invite a few of them to share their responses aloud with the class. (~7 minutes)
  2. Share with students that philosophy is a field of study that tries to understand ideas around truth, the world, people, and meaning. The roots of the word are love (‘philo’) and knowledge (‘sophia’). (~1 minute)
  3. Inform students that Rosencrantz And Guildenstern are Dead explores philosophies related to life’s meaning: absurdism and existentialism. Display each of these words, asking students to identify the root words in each (absurd and existential or exist, respectively). (~2 minutes) 
  4. Ask: What views or ideas about life might relate to absurdism and existentialism? Remind students that it’s okay for them to share ideas that they’re unsure about or that might end up being incorrect! (~5 minutes) 
  5. Display the definition of absurdism:
     • Absurdism (n): a philosophical theory that the universe is irrational, meaningless, and chaotic; the belief that life is purposeless, and that searching for meaning only leads to conflict. (~1 minute)
  6. Clarify that absurdism, in short, believes that there is no meaning in life. Show this three-minute video to help students understand the definition more fully. (~5 minutes)
  7. Have students turn and talk:
     • Do you agree with part or all of the philosophy of absurdism? 
     • What do you disagree with? 
     • Put yourself in the shoes of someone who believes fully in absurdism. How might this belief system impact their behavior and attitudes? 
     • Note: If students have strong gut reactions to the beliefs of absurdism, encourage students to think about positive, negative, and neutral behaviors/attitudes that might be associated with absurdism. (~5 minutes) 
  8. Provide students an opportunity to share their thoughts with a wider group – either by partnering pairs to make groups of four, or by inviting them to share aloud with the class. (~5 minutes) 
  9. Display the definition of existentialism:
     • Existentialism (n): a philosophical theory that meaning in life is created by individuals and does not come from God, government, or any authority; the belief that individuals have free will and personal choice. (~1 minute)
  10. Show this three-minute video explaining existentialism in greater detail. (~5 minutes) 
  11. Have students turn and talk:
      • Do you agree with part or all of the philosophy of existentialism? 
      • What do you disagree with? 
      • Put yourself in the shoes of someone who believes fully in existentialism. How might this belief system impact their behavior and attitudes? 
      • Note: If students have a strong gut reaction to existentialism, encourage them to think about positive, negative, and neutral behaviors/attitudes that might be associated with the belief system. (~5 minutes) 
  12. Give students an opportunity to share their thoughts. (~5 minutes) 
  13. Have students return to their paper and free write once more in response to the following question: Based on your understanding of existentialism and absurdism, how have your views on the meaning of life changed or stayed the same? If time allows, have students brainstorm characters from books, television, or movies who may consider themselves absurdists or existentialists. (~5 minutes)

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• This activity addresses the following standards:
  • Illinois Arts Learning Standards
    • Anchor Standard 8: Construct meaningful interpretations of artistic work.
    • Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
  • Common Core State Standards
    • CCSS.ELA.W4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
    • CCSS.ELA.W7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
    • CCSS.ELA.L4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Posted on March 28, 2024 in Learning Guides, Productions