ASSIGNMENT

2. Select a theme in Hamlet (such as spying, madness, or fathers/sons and discuss their significance in the play. Some suggestions:

• Is Hamlet insane? Be prepared to focus in on several scenes from the beginning, middle, and end of the play to prove your point.

• Is the play supporting or criticizing the monarchy? What problems/gaps do we see with the system of rule in place in Denmark in the play? Think about how Claudius, not Hamlet becomes king, how Claudius is a bit of a crappy ruler, how Fortinbras takes over at the end, etc.

• One of Shakespeare’s trademarks is trap setting, as in “I’ll set up this particular situation and see how this other character behaves.” Discuss 3 traps set by various characters that you see in the play and discuss their outcomes. Do the traps actually help to prove anything?