J. Hamilton

Hamlet Test Part II (Discussion and Essay)

AP English

Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Make sure to use sufficient elaboration to support your conclusions.

  1. Is Hamlet mad? This is a question that is still hotly debated today. What are your thoughts on this? Do you believe that Hamlet is completely sane throughout the entire play or do you believe there is a point where his methods do become madness? Choose a side. Use at least three specific examples from the text to supportyour claim. Points: 15
  1. Shakespeare is strategic in his writing of tragedies. Select three of his revenge elements to discuss. Where do you see evidence of the elements at work in the play? How do the elements contribute to Shakespeare’s intended message of Hamlet? Points: 15
  1. The “To be, or not to be” soliloquy in Act III, scene I (lines 56-90) is perhaps the most famous monologue in the English language, yet its meaning is much debated. Write a close analysis in which you interpret the speech (What has prompted him to discuss his feelings? What is the tone of the speech? How does Hamlet really feel? Why is he so indecisive?). Consider Hamlet’s prior soliloquy at the end of Act II, scene ii; is this monologue a continuation of that scene or a separate line of thought? Is Hamlet aware of his audience (Claudius and Polonius, hidden behind a tapestry), or is he speaking to himself on the assumption that he is alone? Points: 20

Select one of the following essays to write. It will be scored using the 0-9 scale (Rubric is on my website. Click on AP Literature and Composition and find the timed writing rubric.).

A recurring theme in literature is "the classic war between passion and responsibility." For instance, a personal cause, a love, a desire for revenge, a determination to redress a wrong, or some other emotion or drive may conflict with moral duty.

Using Hamlet, select a character who confronts the demands of a private passion that conflicts with his or her responsibilities. In a well-written essay, show clearly the nature of the conflict, its effects upon the character, and its significance to the work.

______

Using Hamlet, select a conflict between a parent (or a parental figure) and a son or daughter. Write an essay in which you analyze the sources of the conflict and explain how the conflict contributes to the meaning of the work. Avoid plot summary.

______

In a novel by William Styron, a father tells his son that life “is a search for justice.”

Using Hamlet, choose a character who responds in some significant way to justice or injustice. Then write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the character’s understanding of justice, the degree to which the character’s search for justice is successful, and the significance of this search for the work as a whole.