Hamlet
Critical Essay Tips
Don’t Use Contractions
• Do not use don’t, can’t, isn’t, doesn’t
Use apostrophes to indicate
possession
• Hamlet’s misery is revealed in his first
soliloquy.
• Shakespeare’s characterisation of Claudius
helps generate sympathy for Hamlet.
• But not for ‘it’.
Add Apostrophes
• Shakespeares use of antithesis highlights the
ghosts ambiguous nature.
Do Not Dwell on 1.2
• Some essays have two pages on Act One,
Scene Two.
• Avoid this.
• Deal with Hamlet’s initial isolation and first
soliloquy in same paragraph.
Include More Discussion of Claudius
• Almost evil personified
• Metaphor used to compare him to serpent
(biblical allusion)
• Method of murder of Old Hamlet is a
metaphor for how he poisons
• Skilful, manipulative character who will do
anything to achieve his desires.
Characterisation of Claudius
• Manipulation of empty rhetoric in 1,2 (
appearance and reality)
• Description of him as snake/ serpent by the
Ghost
• Commits regicide, fratricide and incest- great
sins to Shakespeare’s audience.
• Driven on by ambition. (Look at his soliloquy
for this).
'Tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard,
A serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark
Is by a forgèd process of my death
Rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth,
The serpent that did sting thy father’s life
Now wears his crown.
Metaphor used to highlight how Denmark is
infected/ corrupted by Claudius’ actions.
Serpent is symbolic here. Represents the destruction
of Adam’s happiness in the Garden of Eden and the
introduction of sin into the world. Claudius is ‘the
serpent’ who now wears the crown.
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The reasons for Hamlet’s procrastination are
indirectly reflected on in ‘To be, or not to be’.
It is only in the final scene that Hamlet finally
takes action against Claudius.
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Particularly for the final scene, do not just
retell what happens.
Included no more than a couple of sentences
explaining the events.
Instead analyse how events, dialogue, irony,
symbolism etc. create sympathy for Hamlet.
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The clash between Hamlet’s heroic nature and the
poisonous nature of the society surrounding him is brought
to a tragic climax in the play’s final scene. Along with
several other characters, Hamlet and Claudius meet their
death at the play’s end. However, the manner in which they
meet them reveals much about their respective values.
Hamlet is no longer the tortured soul we see for much in
the play. He now has trust in God’s providence:
“There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be
now, ’tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If
it be not now, yet it will come—the readiness is all.”
He also realises that there is a time when it is correct to
take action; that it would be worse to allow Claudius to
continue to spread his ‘canker’ through Danish society.
Shakespeare’s great irony in the final scene is that Claudius,
both literally and metaphorically, dies as a result of his own
poison. In contrast, Hamlet through killing Claudius helps to
cleanse Demark of the infection that his rule has brought.
By giving his life to do so, he becomes a true tragic hero.
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Do not write: ‘Hamlet’s first soliloquy creates
sympathy for Hamlet.’
Hamlet’s first soliloquy encourages the
audience to feel sympathy for him.
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This shows, this shows, this shows, this
shows . . .
Shakespeare’s use of imagery is effective
because
I felt sympathy for Hamlet at this point
because
This highlights . . .
Shakespeare’s use of irony . . .