How to Write a Hamlet Essay:
An In-Depth Look at The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
It eventually comes around. The dreaded, the terrible Hamlet essay. Universally assigned to college, high school and junior high students, the Hamlet essay is one that can inspire fear and dread in even the most studious, put-together students. Yet why this fear and dread? Shouldn't Shakespeare be fun? Indeed, while many enjoy the tale of Hamlet, many shudder when it comes to actually putting pen to paper. And why should this be? It turns out that many people simply don't know where to begin when writing a Hamlet essay. Fortunately, there are a number of topics and possibilities that one can choose to write about, from comedy in Hamlet to characterization. When it comes down to it, there are a number of topics to choose from when writing your Hamlet essay.
One major topic to write on for a Hamlet essay is the role that characterization plays in the story of Hamlet. Characterization shapes the plot of the play, the interactions of the characters and sometimes, playwrights use characterization to make a commentary on society. Some topics that might fall under this category include: How do Hamlet's friends (Horatio, Fortinbras, Claudius and Laertes) play off of Hamlet to advance the plot of the play? What characterizes the relationship between Queen Gertrude and Hamlet? Describe Ophelia's relationship with the men in her life; are they healthy? Another approach to writing a Hamlet essay might be to look at some of the major issues in Hamlet.
Some major issues in Hamlet are Hamlet's inability to act. One writing a Hamlet essay might explore why Hamlet is so inactive (or is he?) while discussing possibilities for action that might be reasonable. Another major issue is the madness experienced by two major characters in the play - Hamlet and Ophelia. One might take a look at how this madness was brought out, what might have reasonably addressed the condition, and whether or not the Hamlet and/or Ophelia were feigning madness, truly experiencing it, or somewhere in between. For such an intense play, Shakespeare wrote a number of amusing scenes in Hamlet.
One major amusing scene that one could write about in a Hamlet essay might be the gravedigger's scene. Why might Shakespeare have placed the gravedigger's scene where he did? How is it an amusing scene? Other scenes that might be considered for their humor might be scenes between Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the players' scenes or even scenes with Polonius. Exploring Shakespeare's use of humor in one's Hamlet essay might make for an interesting composition. Another possible Hamlet essay might be an investigation of the possible alternate endings of Hamlet.
More times than not, we as readers are not as engaged as we could be when we read plays, novels, poems or other written works. Asking questions about alternate endings is a good exercise to explore the playwright's own choices and examine them in a fresh way. Some questions we might ask are whether Hamlet had to die, or Ophelia, or Gertrude and Claudius or Laertes or Polonius? What might have happened had these major players stayed alive in the play? These unanswerable questions are certainly interesting to explore and provide some major fodder for new ideas about Shakespeare and the play.
Without a doubt, a number of possible topics exist for anyone's Hamlet essay. From writing about Hamlet's inability to act to the comedy in Hamlet to asking about characterization and what might have happened if things hadn't turned out the way they did, all questions about Hamlet lead to a greater understanding of the play, itself, which ideally is what writing a Hamlet essay is all about.
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