Problem
A literary essay requires that you successfully defend an argument based on an interpretation of the text. It is most important that you prove convincingly that your thesis is valid and well-argued. Remember, you must not provide a summary of the plot, but rather a discussion in support of your thesis. To do this successfully, you must analyze all points and include direct quotations from the play as evidence to support your thesis.
Instructions
A. Select one of the following literary essay options
B. Using quotes from the novel to support your thinking, write a essay (2-2.5 pages) using size 12 font, Times New Roman
C. Secondary sources are not required but must be cited if paraphrased or quoted
D. Use proper MLA format and include a Work Cited page with the play (see sample)
E. Use formal language
a. Avoid personal pronouns such as: I, me, my, we, us.
b. Avoid contractions (e.g. don't)
F. You must incorporate properly cited quotations from the play (1 per argument).
G. You must submit the outline provided
Options
A. Claudius says of Hamlet, "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go" (3.1. 5) and Polonius says of Hamlet, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't" (2.2. 201). Is Hamlet mad? Is he simply putting "an antic disposition on" as he suggests in Act 1.5.171? Is there a point at which his play-acting becomes truth?
B. Read about tragedy and the tragic hero in Aristotle's Elements of Tragedy. Look at other definitions of "hero." Is Hamlet a hero? Is his death a tragic death?
C. What is Hamlet's attitude toward death? Look closely at all his speeches about death. Why does he feel the way he feels? Is his death inevitable?
D. Horatio is a scholar and an honourable man. He is also Hamlet's most trusted confidante and the keeper of his secrets. At the end of the play, he reveals all of the tragedies that have occurred in Denmark to Fortinbras. Why does he command the trust of Hamlet?
E. Even though Hamlet's mother Gertrude's re-marriage is one of his chief sources of angst, the audience learns little about her. Is she an ambitious, manipulative woman? Is she weak and incomplete without a strong man? Does she fall somewhere between? Define Gertrude's character in the play.
F. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are relatively minor characters in the play. Examine Shakespeare's creation of these two characters. What is their "role" in the play? What is their significance?