Term Paper on "Hamlet in the Play Hamlet by William"

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Term Paper 3 pages (1039 words) Sources: 4 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Hamlet

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the role and plight of Hamlet in his family mirrors the state of the kingdom and then becomes a means of restoring order to a world in turmoil. This is in keeping with the Elizabethan idea of the Great Chain of Being so that the fate of the world and the fate of kings are tied together, with turmoil in the heavens in the form of storms and the like reflecting the turmoil that the kingdom faces politically and socially at the same time. In addition, Hamlet's character and family situation are illuminated by contrast with the family of Polonius, his father's trusted if foolish adviser.

The fact that the kingdom is in turmoil is reflected no just in the tensions in the court and the storm that may be brewing outside but even more in the fact that Hamlet's father's ghost appears. Hamlet is told what to do by the ghost of his father, whom he meets on the ramparts at night, a portent to all of things to come. Hamlet is called upon to kill Claudius and so to revenge his father's death. And this act will also restore order to the kingdom. Some see the ghost as a demonic influence who should not be trusted, and Hamlet himself hesitates as if unsure that the ghost is telling the truth. Hamlet may want revenge, but his actions are not simply attempts to get revenge. In the Eliuzabethan era, the person committing revenge endangered his own soul no matter how righteous his motives may have been (Prosser 3-7).

Justice for kings and would-be kings operates at a cosmic level. Claudio is destroyed at the instigation of supernatural forces. The order he has challenged is greater than he. It is greater than any given monar

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ch, but it protects the idea of monarchy and the order that flows from it. It is greater than Hamlet himself, and Hamlet's hesitation should be seen as part of this sense of cosmic justice. Hamlet hesitates first because of the enormity of what he is about to undertake, and he hesitates because he needs to expose Claudio in some sense. He uses the play-within-a-play to assert his own knowledge of what happened and to put Claudio in notice that he knows, after which he can act publicly to set things right. This idea is echoed by Roland Mushat Frye who notes that Hamlet deliberates rather than acting rashly, and Frye notes that being deliberate and judicious is not necessarily a bad thing in a prince:

As a liberally educated Christian humanist, Hamlet approaches his problems by thinking about them, by attempting to reason them out, before taking action. (Frye 171)

While many characters in the play may believe otherwise, the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia is not a true love story. Instead, it seems to be the sort of relationship that everyone has long assumed and that has never developed to the degree others believe it has or perhaps wish it had. Gertrude expresses such a sentiment as she places flowers on Ophelia's grave:

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Quoted Instructions for "Hamlet in the Play Hamlet by William" Assignment:

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This research paper is about Hamlet (Shakespeare). The paper must have a main thesis statement with correct avidences that will strongly support a thesis statement. Main thesis statement could be: Relationships between charaters in the play. Note the various familial relationships in Hamlet. Compare and contrast the family unit of Polonius / Laertes / Ophelia with Hamlet's relationships to the Ghost of Hamlet Sr., to Gertrude and to Claudius. Like Hamlet, Laertes and Fortinbras are sons confronted with a father's death. To what extent do they function as foils to Hamlet? What do they have in common? How do they differ?

Here is a definition for word foil, it might help!

-*Definition of foil: a dramatic foil is a minor character who resembles or is in parallel circumstances to a central figure in the play. Foils are similar enough to the main character(s) to provide a useful basis of comparison, but different enough that the comparison is meaningful: they enhance our understanding of the main character's personality traits or actions.*-

Please do not make this main thesis statement in a form of asking question.

When you use lines(qoutation) that were in the play to support a statement or avidence, use it with correct MLA format(This is very importent).

The work cited pages should include all of materials that you have looked or used. This is research paper so look up internet, journals, articles, etc. to find information that you need to make this paper better!

Here are some general things to remember when you write this paper.

1. Do not join independent clauses with only a comma, or worse, nothing at all. Always use a semicolon or a comma with a coordinating conjunction.

2. Separate nonessential dependent clauses from independent clauses with a comma.

3. Make sure your argument follows common sense. If your argument cannot be defended with facts, it may be invalid.

4. Use MLA format. Cite any sources you use in MLA style. REMEMBER TO USE IN TEXT CITATIONS!!!

5. A dash (-) is two hyphens.

6. Use colons to indicate an example or a list. Example: She bought three things at the store: bread, milk, and eggs.

7. Pronouns have to agree with their antecedents in number. Wrong: A student should always bring their book.

Right: A student should always bring his or her book.

Right: Students should always bring their books.

8. Remember that a complete sentence has a subject and a complete verb; it is not dependent on another sentence to complete its meaning. It should be able to stand alone.

Please do peer editing before you send it. Check for grammer erros, spell and run on sentences.

Thank you.

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