HAMLET
1. Discuss the place of religion within the play’s dramatic action. Would the play make sense in an
atheistic society? How would the absence of heaven, hell, or the supernatural effect the story? What
effect do ideas of sin and salvation have on the development of character and the movement of the plot?
2. Discuss the role and impact of madness in the play. Is Hamlet culpable for the death of Polonius? In
playing madness, does Hamlet, in fact, become mad?
3. Think about Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia. Does he love her? Does he stop loving her? Did he
ever love her? What evidence can you find in the play to support your opinion? How have actors
responded to these questions? Support your conclusions with evidence from stage productions or film
adaptations.
The paper should be in basic MLA format:
• Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you
choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are
recognizable one from another. The font size should be 12 pt.
• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your
instructor).
• Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.
• Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use
the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.
• Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch
from the top and flush with the right margin. (Note: Your instructor may ask that you omit the number
on your first page. Always follow your instructor’s guidelines.)
• Use italics throughout your essay for the titles of longer works and, only when absolutely necessary,
providing emphasis.
If you have any endnotes, include them on a separate page before your Works Cited page. Entitle the
section Notes (centered, unformatted).