Research Essay: William Shakespeare’s Hamlet
You should already be reading William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. For your research essay, you will have
several topics from which to choose:
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Why does Hamlet delay killing Claudius? What are the reasons for his hesitation? How valid
are they? What does his delaying reveal about his nature?
Discuss the attitude towards death of any three characters in the play. How do they view
death and the afterlife and how does this express the beliefs of the Renaissance period?
Analyze the nature of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship. Is there evidence that this
relationship is mutual, genuine, and realistic? How might Hamlet’s mother’s actions influence
his ability to feel for Ophelia?
Compare and contrast the three pairs of fathers and sons in Hamlet. Draw conclusions about
the nature of each relationship and its influence on the character of the son.
Research:
 Your essay will have at least 5 sources: one primary source (the play) and four secondary sources
(critical articles) of which one must be a printed book.
There are plenty of resources available for your research.
 Shakespeare-Online would be an acceptable peer-reviewed website.
 Other critical resources can be found in the library’s “electronic holdings” on Netlibrary (on-line
books).
 Finally, you should search the online databases for critical articles in Infotrac— Expanded
Academic or in Jstor. Also check out Literature Online and Literature Resource Center for
criticism of Shakespeare’s play.
Documentation
 All sources must be represented within the text of the essay, which means that you must cite
each source at least once (including the play). You will follow the MLA format for citing these
sources. And you must use quotations from the play (the primary source) to support your
analysis.
 Pay attention to your parenthetical citations within the paper, checking that they coordinate with
the proper Works Cited entry.
 Your essay must also have a Works Cited page that lists the sources used in your essay. It will be
written according to the MLA format. It does not count toward the required length of the essay.
Other Requirements:
 Your essay should be at least 4 pages (approximately 1000 words using 12 font) in
length. The Works Cited does not count in this total.
 Any form of plagiarism may result in some form of academic penalty.
Due Dates
2/28B & 3/3A
Annotated Bibliographies & Works Cited Pages (in class)
3/10B & 3/17A
Rough Drafts, Peer Editing (in class)
3/14B & 3/21A
Research Papers Due (3:00pm folder/Midnight email)