Drama - Spring 2016
Hamlet: The Final Analysis
Now that we have completed our reading, discussion, and viewing of Hamlet, you must make a final assessment of his character and the play.
Choose one of the following assignments below. Each requires you to produce and submit a well-written, well-organized two page essay on turnitin.com no later than Friday, March 11 at 11 p.m. This essay doubled spaced, 12pt. Times Roman.
1. Our discussion of Hamlet has focused primarily on the difficulty of analyzing Hamlet's character because his puzzling and inconsistent action (and inaction) is a result of whether he is sane, insane, or some hybrid emotional condition. In a well-thought, complete essay, discuss your final judgment about “Whassup with Hamlet? You must be quite careful how you consider this. What evidence is there that he has indeed put on an "antic disposition;" what evidence that he is indeed mad; what evidence is there that he is not mad? You must use specific detail from the play. Be careful how you cite what Hamlet says about himself, what others say about Hamlet and Hamlet's action. Be mindful of the order of events. You may not used outside sources.
2. Literary Criticism Analysis. This is same assignment that you did after we read Oedipus and Antigone. The details are located on my “Notes” page on the SFP website under” Literary Criticism Analysis.” You must research a journal article that discusses Hamlet’s emotional state. You must tread, re-read, absorb, and think about what how this critic analyzes the character of Hamlet.
3. I have mentioned how there are strong strains of Hamlet in the Disney film, The Lion King. For this option, you must watch The Lion King: as you watch, you must look for comparisons with Hamlet in the plot, in the characters, and themes. When you write your analysis, you must be specific in pointing out the similarities and differences in the two works. Note: You may not do research for this.