8/10/2019 English 1B Hamlet Essay

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English 1B: Essay 35-7 pages; 200 pts.

Workshop: November 19

Final Draft due: November 26

Choose one of the following options and compose a 5-7 page argumentative paper.

1. Think about Hamlets relationship with Ophelia. Does he love her? Does he stop loving her? Did he

ever love her? What evidence can you find in the play to support your opinion?

2. Hamlet tells his mother that he "essentially [is] not in madness, / But mad in craft" and claims to "put

an antic disposition on", but does he ever cross the line between sanity and insanity in the play? Tocomplicate matters, the world of Hamlet seems insane: the king is a murderer; the queen lusts after

her dead husband's brother; friends spy on friends; and one character (Ophelia) really does go insane.

Could Hamlet really be sane in an insane world?

3. Compare and contrast any two films of Hamlet. What are the interpretive differences in each film?

Which one does a better job of rendering the written play? Why? (We will watch the KennethBranagh version in class, but there are others. For this option, youll have to watch a different versionon your own.)

4. Some critics have asserted that irresolution is the tragic flaw in Hamlet's character. Is it a flaw tohesitate to accept a commission of revenge? Others have fixed on melancholy as the flaw. Is it a

flaw to find existence darkened by the revelation of a father murdered, an uncle the murderer, and a

mother adulterous? What, in relation to these comments, is your own view in regard to any tragic

flaw in Hamlet's character?

5. Frailty thy name is woman. What is the view of women in this play? Examine the roles of Ophelia

and Gertrude, particularly how they are treated by the men in the play, and come up with a thesisabout the view of women in the play. One example I found: Ophelia as the exiled feminine. Feminist

critics accounting for Ophelia's madness and death have suggested that she represents the female side

of Hamlet which must be rejected and killed. In this reading, as Showalter describes it: "Hamlet'sdisgust at the feminine passivity in himself is translated into violent revulsion against women and into

his brutal behavior towards Ophelia." Certainly there is a tradition of seeing Hamlet as rather

feminine and a number of female actors have taken on the role, believing that they could more fully

explore this side of his nature. It is also true that Hamlet berates himself for behaving in a toofeminine manner asking why he is unable to act but must instead, "like a whore, unpack my heart

with words."

Grading Criteria/Requirements: Is the essay at least 5 full pages in MLA format?

Does the writer have a strong and clear thesis?

Is the thesis supported through the essay with reasoning and evidence from the text?

Has the writer incorporated at least 2 outside scholarly sources from the library databases or from

Google Scholar?

Is source material integrated and cited properly according to MLA format?

Is the essay organized with an engaging introduction, logically ordered and coherent body

paragraphs, transitional elements, and a satisfying conclusion?

Is the writing clear? Has the writer avoided awkward sentences and unnecessary words?

8/10/2019 English 1B Hamlet Essay

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Is the paper relatively free from errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation?

Has a copy of the paper been uploaded on Turnitin?