ICC English

Hamlet Essay Questions

-Your assignment is to choose two of the following questions and respond to each in the form of a brief essay. Your responses must be typed, double-spaced, thorough, and thoughtful. Each of your responses must be prefaced with a thesis statement that "frames" your response. Moreover, each response must include specific illustrations from the play. As the Concise Guide to Writing asserts, “it is important to integrate bits of the text you are evaluating or interpreting into your own text [. . .] to effectively support [. . .] your argument’s thesis and reasons.” Please keep in mind that all quotes must be cited using the MLA format.

1. To what extent (if any) does Hamlet's status as a prince impact his attitude and actions in the play? (Be sure to include several specific examples from the play to illustrate your response.)

2. Was Hamlet crazy, or was he (as he argued) "mad in craft"? (If he was only pretending to be crazy, was this an effective strategy for avenging the death of his father? Explain.) Is it possible that Hamlet merely "slips" into madness on occasion? (If so, when?)

3. Considering his role in the play's outcome, what would you characterize as Hamlet's "tragic flaw"? (What characteristic was most responsible for Hamlet's downfall?)

4. What is your reaction to Hamlet's character? (Is Hamlet a hero? Is he a victim? a coward? a normal person?) How do you think Hamlet sees himself?

5. What is your reaction to Gertrude? To what extent, if any, do you think she was aware of her (second) husband's treachery? Do you see her as a villain or a victim (or neither)? Is it possible that she knowingly drank the poison intended for Hamlet at the end of the play? Explain.

6. React to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. (Are they victims of circumstance? Do you feel sorry for them? (Hamlet didn't!) Was it acceptable for Hamlet to treat them like he did? To what extent are they to blame for their own demise?) Are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern even necessary in the play? (Would the play be significantly altered without them?)