I. INTERNAL EVENTS
In Hamlet, some of the most significant events are mental or psychological: awakenings, discoveries,
changes in consciousness, etc. In a well-organized essay, describe how Shakespeare manages to afford
these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external
action.
2. MINOR CHARACTER
In some works of literature, a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is nevertheless
significant. Write an essay in which you explain how such a character functions in Hamlet. You might
choose to discuss how Shakespeare uses the character to affect action, theme, or the development of
other characters.
3. SOCIAL OCCASIONS
Some works of literature often include scenes of weddings, funerals, parties, and other social occasions.
Such scenes may reveal the values of the characters and the society in which they live. Select such a scene
from Hamlet and, in a focused essay, discuss the contribution the scene makes to the meaning of the play
as a whole.
4. CONFLICTING DIRECTIONS
The eighteenth-century British novelist Laurence Sterne wrote, “Nobody, but he who has felt it, can
conceive what a plaguing thing it is to have a man’s mind torn asunder by two projects of equal strength,
both obstinately pulling in a contrary direction at the same time.” From Hamlet, choose a character (not
necessarily Hamlet) whose mind is pulled in conflicting directions by two (or more) compelling desires,
ambitions, obligations, or influences. Then, in a well-organized essay, identify each of the conflicting
forces and explain how this conflict within one character illuminates the meaning of the play as a whole.