Hamlet’s Decline
English IV AP / Mrs. Ramos
Every great literary figure encounters setbacks. Hamlet is a tragedy mainly because the title
character cannot overcome his misfortunes. To examine the depths of Hamlet’s downfall, it is
important to trace his thoughts throughout the entire drama.
Hamlet’s Soliloquies & Major Speeches
1. ‘O that this too sullied flesh would melt’ (I, 2)
2. ‘O all you host of heaven’ (I, 5)
3. ‘O what a rogue and peasant slave am I!’ (II, 2)
4. ‘To be, or not to be, that is the question’ (III, 1)
5. ‘Now might I do it pat’ (III, 3)
6. ‘Look here upon this picture and on this’ (III, 4)
7. ‘How all occasions do inform against me’ (IV, 4)
8. ‘Give me your pardon, sir” (V, 2)
Project
Ultimately, this analysis will result in a creative project that depicts Hamlet’s shifting thoughts
which result in his unfortunate end. For today, however, you need to do some ‘big picture’
work.
The Big Picture
We have been tracing Hamlet’s thoughts through his soliloquies with careful work at
paraphrasing and analysis of his private words. Take the time now to look at the span of these
thoughts. Your goal is to determine Hamlet’s “path to destruction”, his reasoning process, the
progression of his thoughts.
The following questions are meant to guide you.
1.
What directly precedes each soliloquy? Can you make any connections between
soliloquies based on what causes them to begin?
2. What is the focus of each soliloquy? Is there a singular focus in each or multiple
elements Hamlet addresses?
3. What symbols are present in Hamlet’s soliloquies? What do these objects represent? (If
they are repeated, they are called motifs and are even more significant because of
their repetition. Note this.)
4. Are there words that are repeated with such frequency that they take on new
significance? What is the significance?
5. Do you notice changes in Hamlet’s thought patterns?
6. In what ways does the tone of Hamlet’s soliloquies shift as the play progresses?
7. Look at the kinds of sentences Hamlet uses in each soliloquy. Are they short and to the
point? What does that signify? Are there multiple questions or long, descriptive
portions? What might this represent?
8. What kinds of images are presented in each soliloquy? Are any more imagery-rich than
others? What might this mean?
If you have worked your way through these ideas, you probably already have some ideas
about the ways Hamlet crumbles. Here’s the assignment. Find a way to represent what you
see happening to Hamlet throughout the play, Act by Act. Use at least one of the senses in
your representation. Some possibilities include:
 Time-lapse photography collage
 Hamlet’s iPod playlist Act by Act (you’ll have to provide the songs and lyrics)
 A series of original poems, one to represent each Act / phase of Hamlet’s progression
 Storyboard
 Your own (equally challenging) idea