1. Select a theme in Hamlet (such as spying, madness, or fathers/sons) and discuss their significance in the play. Some suggestions:
Is Hamlet insane? Be prepared to focus in on several scenes from the beginning, middle, and end of the play to prove your point.
Is the play supporting or criticizing the monarchy? What problems/gaps do we see with the system of rule in place in Denmark in the play? Think about how Claudius, not Hamlet becomes king, how Claudius is a bit of a crappy ruler, how Fortinbras takes over at the end, etc.
One of Shakespeare’s trademarks is trap setting, as in “I’ll set up this particular situation and see how this other character behaves.” Discuss 3 traps set by various characters that you see in the play and discuss their outcomes. Do the traps actually help to prove anything?
Note for Topics: You should not only define and discuss the themes in broad terms (overall importance/function in the play), but you should explain how they function specifically in the play (where they are seen, why and how they are used, and to what effect).
Requirements:
Minimum Quotations:
6 direct quotations from the play itself
2 direct or indirect quotations from an outside source**(research requirement)
Outside Source:
In addition to the primary text (play), you must use at least 1 outside source. This source must be from a book (e-book or regular book) or an article from one of the online databases (accessed through TTC library homepage).
You may use additional (reliable) sources from the Internet as long as you first meet the book/database requirement. Please see Sources for more on how to find reliable sources.
Do NOT use websites such as Wikipedia, SparkNotes, Enotes, 123helpme, Schmoop, etc.
(Attached below are sources that should be used to meet the research/database requirement)
Citations:
Use proper parenthetical citations for all words taken from text. Note: the parenthetical citations and quotation format will differ depending on which work you chose.
If you are using Hamlet, be sure to use the author’s last name, act, scene, and line number in the citation (not page number) and use a slash mark to indicate the line breaks (since the play is in poetic form).
For example: Hamlet muses, “To be, or not to be, that is the question,/Whether ‘t is nobler in the mind to suffer/ The slings and arrows of the outrageous fortune…” or to fight against them (Shakespeare 3.1.64-66).
Works Cited Page:
Required, and may not count as part of the page/word requirement. Follow MLA guidelines. Hamlet and A Doll’s House will be cited as a work in an anthology–that’s the MLA template you need. Death of a Salesman is not in our book. See the checklist for this paper for how to cite everything.
Reminders:
MLA Format
Don’t use a lot of contractions.
Do NOT use the personal pronouns I, ME, YOU, YOUR
Integrate your quotations properly – no stand-alone quotations, commas splices, etc.
Use proper parenthetical citations for all words taken from the text or outside sources.
Do not merely summarize the plot of the play.
Be sure to have an original title, a complete introduction with a thesis statement as the last sentence of your intro paragraph (full name of author and full title of work must be in the thesis)and a complete conclusion paragraph (no new info in the conclusion).
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