ESSAY QUESTIONS ON HAMLET
Note:
Some of the questions are
examination-type questions;
others are questions for learners
to answer as a means to
understanding the play.
Teaching tip:
It is all too easy to deal with so
many essay topics during
teaching that one ends up
without clear topics to set as
examination questions. Solution?
Choose three or four of the most
suitable questions from this list,
print them separately and hide
them away in your exam file. You
will soon forget which you have
selected and so will not ‘teach to
the question’ but, come exam
time, you will have fresh
questions in hand, saving you
time and trouble as you set your
exam paper.
1
There are two sides to Claudius - the cowardly, treacherous villain; and the tormented sinner who longs for
redemption, is benevolent and loves his queen.
Discuss these two aspects of Claudius's character, showing which, in your opinion, is more dominant.
2
The predicaments that Hamlet faces are those that have always confronted mankind: the desire to take revenge;
rejected love; parent /child conflicts.
Do you agree?
3
Claudius is a weak king, ruled by passion and ambition. Gertrude is a foolish woman, insensitive to the effect of her
actions. They are both to blame for the corrupt kingdom in which Hamlet finds himself.
Do you agree with this assessment?
4
Had there been no women whom he loved, Hamlet would have coped perfectly well with the situation in Denmark.
Do you agree?
, 5
Polonius is not a major character in the sense that Hamlet and Claudius are: yet he is apparently a leading figure in
the court, he is directly or indirectly involved in much of the main action, and his accidental murder at Hamlet's
hands is certainly a 'major' event of considerable significance and dramatic import.
What is your view of Polonius' role in the play? Refer in particular to the dramatic importance of his death.
6
“O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,
Things standing thus unknown, shall I leave behind me!
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,
Absent thee from felicity awhile,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain
To tell my story."
Imagine that you are Horatio and that you have been invited to write an account of your dealings with Hamlet,
giving your interpretation of "his story". Decide what sort of name (reputation) you wish to have left behind for
Hamlet - and then tell his story accordingly.
7
Hamlet asks of his father's ghost in Act 3 Scene 4, lines 106 - 108:
"Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go by
The important acting of your dread command?"
To what extent do you agree with Hamlet's assessment of himself at this stage of the play? Pay particular
attention to the highlighted words.
8
Some readers believe Hamlet procrastinates after the Ghost's direct statements, " Revenge his foul and most
unnatural murder," and "The serpent that did sting thy father's life/Now wears his crown." Others say he
immediately puts his plans in action.
What is your view? Argue in support of your opinion, showing your understanding of Hamlet's procrastination or
action throughout the play.
9
Hamlet's behaviour throughout the play has consequences (for Denmark and for the people with whom he mixes)
which he would not have expected or planned.
Discuss.
10
"Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief. Your noble son is mad.
Mad call I it; for to define true madness,
What is it but to bed nothing else but mad?" (Polonius)
Note:
Some of the questions are
examination-type questions;
others are questions for learners
to answer as a means to
understanding the play.
Teaching tip:
It is all too easy to deal with so
many essay topics during
teaching that one ends up
without clear topics to set as
examination questions. Solution?
Choose three or four of the most
suitable questions from this list,
print them separately and hide
them away in your exam file. You
will soon forget which you have
selected and so will not ‘teach to
the question’ but, come exam
time, you will have fresh
questions in hand, saving you
time and trouble as you set your
exam paper.
1
There are two sides to Claudius - the cowardly, treacherous villain; and the tormented sinner who longs for
redemption, is benevolent and loves his queen.
Discuss these two aspects of Claudius's character, showing which, in your opinion, is more dominant.
2
The predicaments that Hamlet faces are those that have always confronted mankind: the desire to take revenge;
rejected love; parent /child conflicts.
Do you agree?
3
Claudius is a weak king, ruled by passion and ambition. Gertrude is a foolish woman, insensitive to the effect of her
actions. They are both to blame for the corrupt kingdom in which Hamlet finds himself.
Do you agree with this assessment?
4
Had there been no women whom he loved, Hamlet would have coped perfectly well with the situation in Denmark.
Do you agree?
, 5
Polonius is not a major character in the sense that Hamlet and Claudius are: yet he is apparently a leading figure in
the court, he is directly or indirectly involved in much of the main action, and his accidental murder at Hamlet's
hands is certainly a 'major' event of considerable significance and dramatic import.
What is your view of Polonius' role in the play? Refer in particular to the dramatic importance of his death.
6
“O God, Horatio, what a wounded name,
Things standing thus unknown, shall I leave behind me!
If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart,
Absent thee from felicity awhile,
And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain
To tell my story."
Imagine that you are Horatio and that you have been invited to write an account of your dealings with Hamlet,
giving your interpretation of "his story". Decide what sort of name (reputation) you wish to have left behind for
Hamlet - and then tell his story accordingly.
7
Hamlet asks of his father's ghost in Act 3 Scene 4, lines 106 - 108:
"Do you not come your tardy son to chide,
That, lapsed in time and passion, lets go by
The important acting of your dread command?"
To what extent do you agree with Hamlet's assessment of himself at this stage of the play? Pay particular
attention to the highlighted words.
8
Some readers believe Hamlet procrastinates after the Ghost's direct statements, " Revenge his foul and most
unnatural murder," and "The serpent that did sting thy father's life/Now wears his crown." Others say he
immediately puts his plans in action.
What is your view? Argue in support of your opinion, showing your understanding of Hamlet's procrastination or
action throughout the play.
9
Hamlet's behaviour throughout the play has consequences (for Denmark and for the people with whom he mixes)
which he would not have expected or planned.
Discuss.
10
"Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief. Your noble son is mad.
Mad call I it; for to define true madness,
What is it but to bed nothing else but mad?" (Polonius)
