ENG4U
J. Lucas/H. Chown
Hamlet Essay Assignment
*** All components of the essay package are to be completed (packages to come next
week). You will submit your package with all the necessary components at the beginning
of class on Tuesday, March 25th. 10% will be immediately deducted for late submission.
There will be conferences in class leading up to this date.
Assignment: Students will choose one of the following questions and write a wellstructured, fully supported essay, utilizing the point/proof/analysis method.
Your final essay will be typed and utilizing MLA good copy format.
Questions:
1.
Anne Righter states that Metatheatre is included within a play for three reasons; to
show the depth of the play world, to define the relationship between the play’s
world and the reality of the audience, and to remind us of elements of illusion
with our lives. Discuss and define the main purpose of metatheatre within Hamlet
2.
Some argue the central relationship in the play is between Hamlet and his mother
even in those scenes where Gertrude does not appear. By examining the
“Nunnery Scene”, the “Mouse Trap Scene” and the “Closet Scene”, demonstrate
the validity of the statement above.
3.
“Character is destiny.” To what extent does this statement explain Hamlet’s fate?
Consider 1 or all 3 of Hamlet’s tragic flaws discuss in class: Idealistic
Egocentricity, Over Intellectualizing, and Melancholic Disillusionment.
4.
Characters within Hamlet are constantly being misled by illusions. Choose one
character, and discuss how their inability to identify reality leads to their
destruction.
5.
Examine the role of minor characters in the play. What purpose do they serve?
Consider their connection to the class’s themes.
6.
Discuss in detail any three of Hamlet’s soliloquies, showing how and in what
ways each reveals Hamlet’s character and innermost thoughts. Be sure to
consider why no soliloquies occur after his return from sea.
7.
Examine the role of the Ghost in the play. How are his appearances a catalyst, or
not, for the subsequent tragedies within the play?
8.
Hamlet – A Man Unfit to be King?