HOMEWORK ESSAYS

QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP THESIS STATEMENTS ABOUT AND ANSWER


1) Polonius is sometimes played as a senile old fool, sometimes as a shrewd and worldly old man. Which interpretation do you agree with and why?
2) Pick one character who could, at some point, have changed the whole chain of events. Discuss.
3) Analyze the three appearances of the ghost seen in the play. Where did he appear; to whom did he appear? How does the third appearance differ from the first two? What is the significance of this?
4) Discuss the reasons for Hamlet’s apparent delay in seeking revenge for his father. What is your opinion regarding his procrastination?
5) Compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras as avengers.
6) What is Hamlet’s attitude towards life and people? How does it affect his actions?
7) Apply the following quote to Hamlet: “A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good. Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how to not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case.” -- THE PRINCE, Machiavelli
8) Examine the reoccurring pun on sun and son. How does this symbol work in the overall meaning of the play.

Other possible questions:

9) Was Ophelia pregnant with Hamlet’s child?
10) Did Hamlet slip into madness?
11) It is Hamlet who causes the downfall of Denmark.
12) What is the meaning of the pirates?
13) Is Hamlet Jesus Christ? How is Horatio either John the Baptist or an apostle.
14) Why or how is Denmark the Garden of Eden?
15) Gertrude knows about the murder?
16) The meaning of prostitution in Hamlet?