Name: ______

Hamlet Study Guide

During our reading, discussion, and viewing of Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, use this study guide to analyze the play’s themes, conflicts, characters, plot, etc.

Setting:

Characters: Make a character map to show the relationships among the characters of Hamlet. Include a brief description of each character.

Hamlet

Horatio

Gertrude

Claudius

King Hamlet

Ophelia

Laertes

Polonius

Rosencrantz

Guildenstern

Conflict: List and explain the major conflicts in the play.

External / Internal

Elements of a Tragedy: Explain how each element of a tragedy is demonstrated in Hamlet.

1. At the beginning of the play something occurs that disrupts the normal order of things.

2. Chaos or disorder in society results. Extreme emotions are involved.

3. Social restraint disintegrates.

4. A climax is reached, usually with the death of the main character (and several others), before order is restored.

Tragic Hero Character Analysis

  1. The following phrases might be used to describe Hamlet. Select the one you believe describes Hamlet best, and, in a well-developed paragraph that includes three specific examplesfrom the play, explain your choice.
  • A victim of circumstance
  • A man incapable of taking action
  • An excessively ambitious prince who lusts for power
  • A person of exceptional intellect and intelligence
  • A man in the grip of insanity

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  1. How is Hamlet a tragic hero? What is his tragic flaw, and how does this lead to his downfall?

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Themes: For each theme, provide a specific example from the play in which this theme is evident.

Revenge:Hamlet searches continuously for the answer to the question of whether or not he should avenge his father’sdeath. His concern with right and wrong in religious, moral, and political terms causes him much inner turmoil.

Example:

Appearance vs. Reality: The play contains many situations in which the surface appearance of things does not always match reality. Hamlet struggles to determine who his true friends are; the players in the acting troupe assume new identities; Claudius appears to be a true and just king and Gertrude his virtuous queen.

Example:

Sanity vs. Insanity: In many ways this conflict is intertwined with the theme of appearance vs. reality. Hamlet’s sanity or insanity has baffled critics for years. Even the characters in the play discuss inconsistencies in Hamlet’s behavior, sometimes assuming he is really insane, at other times amazed by his clarity of thought.

Example:

Decay and Corruption: Among the most powerful images of the play are those which reveal disintegrating situations, both in personal terms for Prince Hamlet, and in political terms for Denmark.

Example:

Scene Analysis

After reading/viewing the following scenes, jot down notes about the scene during our class discussion.

Act I, scene i ______

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Act I, scene ii ______

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Act I, scene v ______

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Act II, scene ii ______

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Act III, scene I ______

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Act III, scene ii and iii ______

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Act III, scene iv ______

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Act V, scene ii ______

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Graphic Organizer Comparisons: Macbeth and Hamlet: You will create two graphic organizers to demonstrate your understanding of the differences between the two tragedies.

1.Graphic organizer 1: similarities and differences between the two plays

2.Graphic organizer 2: compare Macbeth and Hamlet as tragic heroes (think specifically about each character’s personality, mental state, motivation, internal conflicts, tragic flaws, etc.)