Shakespeare Literary Analysis
Name:
Directions:
Write a literary analysis about a subject of interest in Hamlet. Take a critical look at a specific
aspect of the text, research it using critical journal articles, and develop a defensible thesis that
can be supported by textual evidence from both the playtext and the articles.
Your analysis will be focused on a motif or theme we discussed in class. Look at your
annotations and class/discussion notes for appropriate topics. You will use only appropriate and
approved sources for textual evidence. You will receive at least four such sources that can be
used in your paper. If those resources are insufficient for your source and quoting needs, you
will need to do other research in the library, on Jstor.org, Ebsco Host database, etc. You must
use a minimum of five research sources plus your Hamlet playtext (for a total of six sources in
your works cited page).
No vague use of “google searching” or Wikipedia will be allowed. As we have done
extensive research, discussion, annotation, and quote-finding as a class, there is no reason to go
to the general internet for this assignment (nor will such searches or sources be allowed).
You will need to bring in a thumb/flash/disc drive to save your paper so that you can work on it
in class and at home every day.
Basic Paper Checklist/Simplified Rubric
Name:
MLA Format
20
Margins, font, format, heading, page #s, title
Quotes
20
About 4 in each paragraph (2 Shakespeare/2 article),
internal format, block format, blending, introducing quotes, linking
Grammar/Mechanics
20
No personal pronouns, spelling, no contractions, mistakes, etc.
Page length requirements, MLA Works Cited page
20
Style, clarity, organization, flow, professional, no slang, no “things,” “stuff”
20
Here is a sample MLA style header and complex title. Although some MLA editions suggest
double spaced headers, it has been my experience that most advanced college students use a
single spaced header.
SAMPLE FUNNEL INTRODUCTION
(roots of this word are: intro – into, duct – lead, tion – act or state of = the act or state of leading
your reader into your persuasive ideas). Like a physical funnel narrows liquid, a written funnel
narrows ideas from broad comments on the subject down to your focused thesis.
Joe Cool
Mr. Sieker
Engl. 1419-1101
17 December 2014
Cool 1
“The Poison of Deep Grief:”
Literal and Figurative Poison in Hamlet
England in the Renaissance is no stranger to political intrigue. Based on a variety of
religious upheavals taking place since the death of Elizabeth’s father, Henry VIII, one can
certainly understand the general religious and political anxieties of the time. Considering the
politicians of the day experienced dramatic power shifts, it is no surprise that the art of the
Elizabethan period would reflect such worries. Shakespeare’s playtexts contain numerous
examples of historical connection, and certainly the theme of political corruption is not the least
of these. Specifically, Shakespeare deals with individuals who are willing to betray, murder, and
subvert power for their own social advancement and monetary benefit. In his most famous
tragedy, Prince Hamlet must confront shocking political complexities and debilitating family
crises in the form of the murder of his father, the King of Denmark. As is often the case in high
drama, the author uses various techniques to communicate his point. In Hamlet¸ Shakespeare
addresses the murder of a successful, beloved king, who is poisoned by those closest to him for
political jealousy. Thesis:
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the author uses the motif of literal poison to illustrate the
figurative poisoning of an entire society resulting from political deception.
Here is a first body paragraph on a different topic that uses correct internal citation techniques
for blending and quoting Shakespearean poetry.
“Brief as Woman’s Love”: Hamlet and the Women of Hamlet
BODY PARAGRAPH 1:
As the careful reader will notice, Hamlet’s interactions with women are strained. This
difficulty with the female characters in the play begins most obviously with Hamlet’s
dissatisfaction with Gertrude. Since Hamlet’s mother married another man after Hamlet’s
biological father died, Hamlet is not pleased with this decision. Even though Claudius is
Hamlet’s uncle, he still cannot accept him as his new father figure because, in Hamlet’s mind,
Claudius cannot live up to how Hamlet feels about his father. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy, which
occurs very early in the playtext, Hamlet states that his father was so protective and nurturing of
his mother that “he might not beteem the winds of heaven / Visit her face too roughly” (I.ii.14546). This example is clearly an exaggeration; however, it illustrates that his father would
confront the elements in a supernatural manner if his mother required it or if it were in his ability
to do so. Not only does this quote show that King Hamlet loved Gertrude, and that Hamlet loved
his father, but also that Claudius certainly can never succeed his own father in the office of his
mother’s husband. Hamlet also continues this negative comparison in heightened language
throughout the text beginning with describing his father as a “Hyperion to a satyr” (I.ii.144).
Here Hamlet is making a double comparison in that his father is like the sun god of Greek
mythology, who is a figure to whom one looks up literally and figuratively, and conversely
Claudius is similar to a monstrous, lecherous goat-man.
NOW ASK YOURSELF IF HE TREATS THE WOMEN IN HIS LIFE THE SAME BECAUSE
OF THE FEMALE BEHAVIOR HE PERCEIVES.
-
Gertrude goes behind the back of Ham, and Ophelia does the same thing.
-
He treats them the same?
-
What textual evidence can you cite to support how Hamlet feels about Gert. and
Ophel.?
Here is sample MLA works cited with some of your sources from class reading:
Sieker 8
Works Cited
CHAPTERS IN COMPILED BOOK OF VARIOUS AUTHORS
Altick, Richard D. “Imagery.” Shakespeare for Students. Ed. Scott, Mark W. New York:
Thompson Gale, 1992. 112-119.
Cowen-Orlin, Lena. “Hamlet.” Shakespeare: An Oxford Guide. Ed. Wells, Stanley and Lena
Cowen Orlin. Oxford: Oxford University Publishing, 2003. 363-369.
Kiernan, V. G. “Human Relationships in Shakespeare.” Shakespeare in a Changing World. Ed.
Kettle, Arnold. New York: Norton, 1974. 43-63.
Muir, Kenneth. “Imagery.” Shakespeare for Students. Ed. Scott, Mark W. New York:
Thompson Gale, 1992. 119-123.
CHOOSE YOUR VERSION OF OUR CLASS SETS OF HAMLET:
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Mowat, Barbara A.
and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Bevington, David. New York: Bantam Classics, 1988.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Wright, Louis B. and
Virginia A. LaMar. New York: Folger Library, 1975.
FORMAT EXAMPLE FOR CRITICAL JOURNAL ARTICLE:
Author. “Article Title.” Journal Title. Ed. Editor. Place of Publication: Publisher. Volume
Number. Issue Number (Season/Year): Pages.