Hamlet research paper?

Question

Ok. I need to write a reserach paper on Hamlet and if he was guilty for the 9 deaths. Is there somewhere I can find stuff about it besides the book or the movies?

Answer 1

Hamlet by William Shakespeare
(STUDY GUIDES.)

In case you have more question on the play, I am including a lot more information that I hope will be useful to you.

I have found 10+ summaries for you to look at, click the link below. I have included a short extract to give you a taste of what the reviews have to offer..!!!

http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/

http://www.absoluteshakespeare.com/guides/hamlet/hamlet.htm

http://litsum.com/hamlet/

http://www.cliffsnotes.com/WileyCDA/LitNote/id-121.html

http://www.antistudy.com/search.php?title=Hamlet+

http://www.freebooknotes.com/book.php3?id=167

http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/hamlet001.html

http://www.clicknotes.com/hamlet/index.html

http://www.jiffynotes.com/Hamlet/HistoricalContext.html

http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/index.htm

An analysis of the play by Shakespeare

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/playanalysis/hamlet.html

http://www.theatrehistory.com/british/hamlet001.html

Characters
.
Protagonist: Hamlet

Antagonist: Claudius

Foils of Hamlet: Laertes, Fortinbras, Polonius

Hamlet: Son of a murdered Danish king (who was also named Hamlet) and nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet suffers great mental anguish over the death of his father, the marriage of his mother to the suspected murderer (Claudius), and the clash between his moral sense and his desire for revenge against his father’s murderer.

http://www.cummingsstudyguides.net/xHamlet.html#Hamlet

Enjoying "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

http://www.tk421.net/hamlet/hamlet.html

http://www.lynchmultimedia.com/hamlet_parallel.html

http://www.pathguy.com/hamlet.htm

Welcome to the Web's first edition of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare. This site has offered Shakespeare's plays and poetry to the Internet community since 1993.

http://www-tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/

The Indecision of Hamlet (Essay)

http://www.123helpme.com/assets/4563.html

Answer 2

The following questions have been derived from the Bedford Introduction to Literature by Michael Meyer. I am grateful to him for providing us with them so that we can better understand this play.

1. In the first act, Claudius urges Hamlet to leave behind his "obstinate condolement" and give up grieving for his dead father because it represents stubbornness. Consider Claudius' advice to his nephew (lines 87-117). Is it sensible? Why does not Hamlet heed his words?

2. Are Polonius' s admonitions to Laertes and Ophelia in Act I, Scene iii good advice? What does this advice suggest about life at court, given that Polonius is the chief counselor to the king?

3. What does the ghost demand of Hamlet--and why does he react the way that he does?

4. What do we know about the kind of person Hamlet was before his father's death? How does the news of his father's murder and his mother's hasty remarriage affect his behavior and view of life? Is he "mad," as Polonius assumes, or is he feigning madness so that he can investigate the crime and be in a better position to take revenge, once he is ready?

5. Why does Hamlet find avenging his father's death so difficult? Why doesn't he take decisive action as soon as he is convinced of Claudius's guilt?

6. What is the purpose of the "play within the play?" How does it work as a commentary on the larger action of the play itself? What does it show us about Shakespeare as a dramatist?

7. What purpose does Ophelia serve in the play--and why does Hamlet treat her so cruelly? In any way can she be seen to be a "mother surrogate" for him--and thus the object of his scorn. (In other words, a kind of replacement or substitute for Gertrude?) Why does she go mad and end up floating down the river?

8. Does Hamlet see his mother Gertrude as being as guilty as Claudius in his father's death? Why is he so thoroughly disgusted with her in Act III, Scene iv? What is your opinion of her character and behavior?


9. How does Hamlet's character change, develop, grow--in Acts IV and V? In what ways does he mature over the course of the play? How do his perceptions of himself and the world shift? How can we reconcile our sympathy for him with the realization that he is in some way responsible for the deaths of the following characters: Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Claudius, and Gertrude? Does he die a moral man?

10. Despite the fact that this is a tragedy that is filled with murder and dreadful emotions, it does have its moments of comic relief. Where do you see those moments occurring--and what effect do they have on you as a reader of the play? How would they act upon a live audience?


**
Just as with the Macbeth paper, this one could be developed from any of the study questions shown above--as long as the topic were focused sufficiently to allow for in-depth exploration and not just a broad and superficial treatment. Again, do check with me if you have any concerns about your choice or how to approach it in a way that produces a satisfying writing experience for you.

1. Some critics have commented on the seemingly contradictory aspects of Hamlet's personality. Throughout the play, as he puts on his "antic disposition," we can see him, by turns, acting the true "noble" man that he was raised to be--polite, courteous, tender, loving, kind. But, almost without warning, he can mutate into someone who is barbaric by comparison--rude, brutal, merciless, vicious. Similarly, this "melancholy Dane" is famous for his reflective and intellectual ways, hesitating throughout the play to take action. Yet, at moments, he can be inexplicably powerful, bold, and aggressive. How do you account for this contrasts in his personality? Has he truly gone mad?

2. Examine several of Hamlet's soliloquies; there you should find keys to understanding the secret workings of his mind, a revelation of his true sentiments, unguarded and direct. Looking at these speeches within the unfolding sequence of the play's actions, can you detect a pattern to them? For instance, by tracing their themes and tones, can you track the deterioration of his mind? Or, do you see a man who is becoming, bit by bit, aware of the destiny that he will not be able to escape?

3. What is your opinion of the women depicted in the play--Ophelia and Gertrude? Are they deserving of the appellation, "Frailty, thy name is woman"--or are they merely pawns in a high-stakes game being played by the powerful men dominating the main action? Does either one of them or both act with wisdom, decorum, or love? Or, are they, too, simply focused on achieving their desires, while remaining oblivious to the torment that Hamlet (as son and potential lover) is experiencing?

4. Like every other Shakespearean play, Hamlet is rich with powerful imagery that communicates with the audience at a visceral level. True to his genius, the playwright crafts his language is such a powerful way that we are drawn into the sensory experience of the characters--with them, seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling the ripeness of the plays' events and emotions. Take a closer look--and listen to-- the imagery of this play. Consider especially the following: images concerning paintings, portraits, and mirrors--or, alternatively, of diseases, rotting, weeds, and decay. How does the imagery you have chosen affect your reading of the play? How does it work to translate abstract themes about chaos, confusion, and loss, for instance, into concrete terms?

5. In what ways are Laertes, Fortinbras, and Horatio used as foils for Hamlet? In other words,as his contemporaries and peers, how do they compare to him? Does Shakespeare create these roles to highlight Hamlet's deficiencies, to illustrate how aggressively he should be acting? Or, are they simply there to mirror or shadow him? How do the family relationships of Laertes and Fortinbras--and their dedication and loyalty to family causes--contrast with Hamlet's seeming hesitation to act?
**
http://global.cscc.edu/engl/299/ResearchEXEssays.htm




Good luck