a discussion

How old is "young Hamlet"?

At the beginning of the play, we learn that he is still
attending university and throughout the play he
seems to be treated as a petulant young man. And yet
the Grave-digger seems to suggest that Hamlet is 30.
Or does he? In the First Folio version, the Gravedigger says, in talking about himself, that he has "bin
sixeteene heere, man and boy thirty years" which can
be read as meaning he has worked as a grave-digger
for 16 years and he has been a man and boy for a
total of 30 years. This would make Hamlet 16! You
decide, what makes more sense in the play - a young
or old Hamlet?

How old is Hamlet's university friend Horatio?

In Act One, scene 1, we are told that he saw Hamlet's
father on the day that he defeated King Norway. In Act
Five, scene 1, the Grave-digger tells us that this event
occurred 30 years previous (or did it?).

Does Hamlet really love Ophelia?

He says he does and he says he doesn't. What do
you think? Before answering, ask yourself if Hamlet
ever mentions Ophelia when she is not around. Does
he ever refer to her in any soliloquy? Does he
mention her after her funeral?

Is Hamlet mad?

He does say that he will put on an antic disposition
but is that as far as it goes? Some argue that it is
more than just an act. What do you think?

Did Ophelia really commit suicide?

Did she willingly take her own life, or was she a victim
of her “witless” condition and her heavy, wet clothing?

Why can Hamlet be ruthless with the likes of
Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and yet
he seems incapable of acting against Claudius?

Does Hamlet suffer from an Oedipus Complex? Much
has been written on this topic and many stage and film
versions of the play capitalize on this theme.
 “in psychoanalytic theory, a subconscious sexual
desire in a child, especially a male child, for the parent
of the opposite sex, usually accompanied by hostility to
the parent of the same sex”
 “a complex of males; desire to possess the mother
sexually and to exclude the father; said to be a source
of personality disorders if unresolved”

The play Hamlet takes well over four hours to read straight
through without intermission. Was the play performed in its
entirety during the Elizabethan period? Would the
Elizabethans have sat or stood through a complete
performance or were audiences given a shorter version of
the play to watch? How long were typical stage plays
during the Elizabethan period?

Some scholars believe that Hamlet, as we have it today,
was intended to be read rather than performed. This may
explain the presence of scenes and speeches that some
consider unnecessary and un-dramatic in the play. In other
words, the play is similar in effect to a novel. What do you
think? Did Shakespeare intend that the play be presented
in its entirety or did he add scenes and lines for his reading
public?

(15) true/false

(20) multiple choice

(8) matching character with description

(7) matching item with description

(30) multiple choice

(20) two Shakespeare excerpts with MC
Chosen by the Amazon.ca editors as one
of the 50 Canadian essentials in DVD.