Your third essay will explore some facet of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The essay will be at least 1200 words, and as with your previous paper, this one will also focus on your opinion about a topic within the play. You may choose your own topic to pursue, or you may work on one of the topics I've suggested, either in class or at the end of these criteria. If you choose your own topic, you must clear it with me first. In your introduction, name the play (underline or italicize it), briefly summarize that facet of the play you are focusing on (no more than three or four sentences), and create a thesis statement about that topic. This thesis should not be a summary of something that happens in the play. Rather, it should be your interpretation of the meaning behind the events. Focus on a character from the play who best supports your thesis. Analyze that character according to his or her motives, goals, values, etc. Of course, you'll have to mention other characters, but for the sake of unity, confine yourself to one character. Use quotations from the play to prove your points. Document your quotations as follows: "the play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king" (2.2.602-603). The virgule ( / ) indicates the end of one line and the beginning of another. The numbers in parenthesis indicate Act II, scene ii, lines 602-603. A scholarly essay like this requires that you cite your THREE outside sources . That is, three sources in addition to the paperback text we're using for the assignment. Do not use Cliff Notes, Spark Notes, or any other type of study guide. I want scholarly essays for your sources. You should use the standard MLA works cited format that you used on your previous essays. Be sure to proofread your essay thoroughly. Good ideas require effective expression. If you misspell words, quote inaccurately, and misuse the language, a reader will not consider your ideas seriously. Don't hesitate to show me a rough draft or two or three. I'm here to read your work and comment on it. Take advantage of that opportunity. And if you feel that you need some additional help writing a paper on a literary topic, follow this link. Some topics to consider: 1. The Elizabethan world was in transition from medieval thought to modern thought. Shakespeare seems to capture this transition by having the ghost of King Hamlet ask that young Hamlet avenge his father's death. This practice--an eye-for-eye justice--would have been expected (and accepted) in the medieval world. Yet the modern world would have advocated allowing the state to render justice, not the individual's taking justice into his own hands, creating chaos within the state. How is Shakespeare able to reconcile these two choices in Hamlet? 2. It has often been said that Shakespeare's villains believe in free will (In Othello, for instance, Iago is a proponent of free will), while his heroes tend to believe in fate. Discuss what you believe Hamlet's views are about free will and fate. Does he fit the pattern of the hero's resigning himself to the forces of fate? And if he does or doesn't, is he any less or more tragic as a result of his views? 3. In the closet scene between Hamlet and his mother, Shakespeare shows us that Gertrude experiences great discomfort after Hamlet holds a "mirror" up to her. What exactly is Shakespeare suggesting here? Has Gertrude been engaged in an adulterous relationship with Claudius while King Hamlet was still alive? Was Gertrude aware of Claudius' plot to kill King Hamlet? Was she in complicity with it? How far can one logically take this closet scene and incriminate Gertrude? Create a reasonable argument to support your conclusions. 4. In the sixteenth century, revenge tragedies (of which many critics say Hamlet is an example) were fairly common. Thomas Kyd's The Spanish Tragedy is an example of this genre. In the normal course of such a play, the central figure seeks his revenge, a revenge that at first seems justifiable. However, as the play progresses, the character becomes obsessive, and his perception of reality is distorted. As a result, innocent persons suffer. Usually the central figure dies in disgrace as punishment for the havoc he has created. Certainly Hamlet dies at the end of Shakespeare's tragedy, yet Shakespeare has Hamlet taken from the stage and granted military honors, as if he were indeed the hero of the story rather than the misguided character who seeks vengeance on one man and ultimately ruins many others in achieving that vengeance. What is your view about Shakespeare's honoring Hamlet's taking revenge into his own hands? Is Hamlet a hero? Or is he a misguided man, whose obsession wreaks havoc on his world? 5. If none of the above topics interests you, create your own topic. However, I will have to approve what you've chosen before you begin your essay. |
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