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Top 83 Hamlet Essay Topics and Questions

Aug 15, 2021 | 0 comments

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Aug 15, 2021 | Topics | 0 comments

The tragedy of Hamlet has been debated for centuries. Some say it was written by William Shakespeare, while others argue that it may have been composed in his lifetime or even after death.
The story follows characters as they fight to gain power and influence over each other’s lives, often interfering with moral justice along the way; all these crescendos into a “flawless tempest” (writer) of abuse, disorderliness, and maybe madness. One perplexing aspect about this production is its heroes: some believe Hamlet should be king because he is child old ruler’s son who also happens to be a legitimate heir.
The perfect essay follows the general guidelines for writing a piece. Depending on what you’re trying to say, it can be easy or hard. For instance, if your work revolves around something with which you are familiar, people will find it interesting (like Hamlet), then it’s relatively straightforward; otherwise, more research might be needed!
Hamlet, one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, lends itself as fodder for an argument either way: people from all walks of life will find interesting essay topics and learn more about this play through my exploration.
Here are some topics that you could use for your Hamlet essay.

Best Hamlet Essay Topics

1.      How do Hamlet’s seven soliloquies reveal his character?
2.      Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Horatio. How alike or dislike are they and why?
3.      How important is the general setting of Denmark to the overall play.
4.      Discuss Hamlet’s relationship with Gertrude.
5.      Compare and contrast the characters of Hamlet and Fortinbras. Is Fortinbras a valuable character in his own right, or does he serve only to highlight aspects of Hamlet’s personality?
6.      In the Act scene, Hamlet remarks, “His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.” Explain Hamlet’s motivation behind this comment and examine his remark’s true.
7.      The character Claudius has been compared to Macbeth. How similar are these two characters? In what ways are they similar?
8.      Conflict is essential to drama. Show that Hamlet presents both an outward and inward conflict.
9.      Discuss the references to the English stage of Shakespeare’s own time in Act II.
10. What is Goethe’s opinion of Hamlet? Do you agree with his famous conclusions?
11.  Of what significance is Ophelia to Hamlet? Was Hamlet truly in love with Ophelia?
12.  Is Hamlet primarily a tragedy of revenge?

Expository Topics for a “Hamlet” Essay

1.      Explore the use of descriptions and images in the play.
2.      Explore the use of comedy in the play.
3.      Explore suicide as an important theme in the play.
4.      Do you think Ophelia’s decision to commit suicide was unwise? Did she have another choice? What would you recommend her to do instead?
5.      Shakespeare explores the conflict between appearance and reality in ‘Hamlet.’ The essential theme of the play is Hamlet’s unwillingness to put up with reality. Give your evaluation.
6.      Should we suppose Hamlet is an indecisive person? Why did he refuse to take revenge? Comment on his intentions to commit suicide.
7.      Explore Hamlet’s relationship with Ophelia. Does he love her?
8.      The main theme of ‘Hamlet’ is the struggle between good and evil. Do you agree with this statement? Analyze opposing characters.
9.      Explore Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s role in “Hamlet.”
10. Explore the role of the minor characters in the play. Think about their significance in revealing the main subject and the major figures.

Analytical Essay Topics “Hamlet”

1.      Analyze Hamlet’s attitude toward women. You can pick either Ophelia or Gertrude and describe what impact the character has on Hamlet, the conflict, and the outcome of the play. Does the character change throughout the play?
2.      What happens to Hamlet by the end of the play? Does Hamlet’s character change? What age is Hamlet by the end of the play? What role does the setting play in “Hamlet”?
3.      Analyze a particular theme and how Shakespeare develops it throughout the play. Tell why the chosen theme is significant and worth analyzing. Find the place where the theme appears first. How does the theme develop throughout the play? Does the theme have variations? Use citations to support your point of view.
4.      Analyze the progression of Hamlet’s character. Use monologues as a basis for your analysis. You can focus on a specific character trait or belief that changes throughout his monologues or analyze his character entirely.
5.      Analyze the definition of justice by analyzing the play “Hamlet.” Can a family influence one’s understanding of justice? Can Hamlet’s revenge be justified?
6.      Analyze how Hamlet is a better example of the Oedipus Complex than Oedipus himself. What omens, prophecies, and superstitions are used in “Hamlet” and “Oedipus Rex”?
7.      Analyze the betrayal/friendship/love in “Hamlet.” What does the play reveal about this motif? Base the essay on a close exploration of one or more of the motifs.
8.      Analyze Act 5, Scene 2, and explain how this passage demonstrates Hamlet’s final step in emotional and psychological development. Why is it this scene that defines the play’s ending as inevitable?
9.      Analyze how Hamlet perceives death. Support your analysis with at least three quotes from any source.
10. Analyze the character of Hamlet from the perspective of a hero and a villain.
11. Explain how the articles “Darkness Visible: Dante’s Clarification of Hell” and “Dante’s Justice? A Reappraisal of the Contrapasso” relate to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and the theme of revenge.
12. Analyze the nature of Hamlet’s madness. Has Hamlet imitated this illness? Or has he become a victim of his madness? Was he motivated for these actions? Has he managed to control his actions? State your arguments and provide citations that support your point of view.
13. How does Hamlet go through both an outer and inner conflict?
14. Hamlet, Polonius, and Laertius are looking for the truth. How does each character understand the truth? What is their way (method) to arrive at the truth?
15. Analyze Polonius as a character. Can he be treated as a good courtier? Does he have the attributes of a good courtier described in “The Book of the Courtier” by Castiglione? State your arguments and support it with examples and direct quotes in both texts.
16. Analyze the film version of “Hamlet” by answering three simple questions posed by Goethe: What was the artist trying to do? How well has the artist doing it? Was it worth doing?
17. Discuss Hamlet’s treatment and attitude toward women. How might this help clarify some of the thematic issues of the play? In what way does Hamlet talk about sex and sexuality?
18. Analyze the play “Hamlet” as a work where nothing can be taken at face value. How is the intended audience deceived? What kinds of deceptions are aimed to keep the secret? What is the importance of deception in the play?
19. How does Shakespeare uses imagery in act three of “Hamlet”? How does it influence the rest of the story?
20. List the names of Hamlet’s various foils. What role do they play? What importance do they play?
21. Analyze how Hamlet’s character and the play’s plot develop with his ideas of sin and salvation.
22. Analyze the relationships between Hamlet and Claudius. Does Hamlet see through other moves made by Claudius? Do you think Claudius knows what Hamlet is capable of? What moments of the play reveal their awareness? Can you find quotes that support this thought? How has this knowledge (or its absence) made them behave in a certain way?
23. Analyze the power of introspection and its ability to inform life-changing actions in Hamlet’s speech. Support your ideas with citations.
24. Analyze Hamlet’s speech from the perspective of nihilism and his decision to move from active to passive.
25. Analyze the inner reasons why Hamlet is an indecisive man. Is Hamlet for or against being indecisive? As a support, you can analyze the versions of the “Hamlet” movie by Mel Gibson (1990) and Kenneth Branagh (1996).
26. Analyze how Hamlet relates to King Lear. You can choose the perspective that the main characters of both plays were victims of society and were dangerous.
27. Analyze how Hamlet’s mood swings throughout the play. What influences his mood directly and indirectly?
28. Analyze honor and corruption from the examples of Claudius, Fortinbras, Hamlet, Laertes, and the dead King Hamlet. Are there any modern personalities treated as corrupt and honorable individuals?

Compare and Contrast Topics for “Hamlet”

1.      Compare the two film adaptations by Kenneth Branagh (1996) and Franco Zeffireli (1990). Analyze the following elements: sound, plot, setting, and cinematography and their effects on the main story. Emphasize two scenes of Hamlet’s monologue (Act III, Scene I) and the scene of Gertrude and Hamlet (Act III, Scene IV).
2.      Compare “Life of Pi” and “Hamlet.” What life lessons do the main characters learn? Are they similar? What are the main themes in both works?
3.      Compare the friendships of Hamlet, Rosencranz, Guildenstern, and Horatio.
4.      Titus Andronicus vs. Hamlet. Compare the real madness of Titus and the feigned madness of Hamlet.
5.      Compare one of the films of “Hamlet” and “Rumble Fish.”
6.      Compare and contrast the characters of Fortinbras/Candide and Hamlet. Is Fortinbras an important character? Or was his character created to highlight certain personality traits of Hamlet?
7.      Compare “Hamlet” and “Wuthering Heights” in the context of the archetype apocalypse.
8.      Compare and contrast “Hamlet” and “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” in the context of fate and free will.
9.      Compare “Child of God” and “Hamlet” regarding one same aspect.
10. Compare and contrast characters: Hamlet and Laertes. What is the main difference? What role does madness play in their relationship? Examine their relationships throughout the entire play and analyze Hamlet’s actions.
11. Compare and contrast “Hamlet” and “Alice in Wonderland” in the context of insanity.
12. Compare “Hamlet” and “The Censors.” Analyze the characters of Juan and Hamlet. They both try to take power and lose due to decisions they make.
13. Compare the main themes found in “Crime and Punishment” and “Hamlet.”
14. Compare and contrast two characters from “Hamlet” with different views on revenge and justice. Whose view is more moral than the other?
15. Compare Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and “Measure for Measure.” How has Shakespeare offered the study of sovereignty through theatrical performance?
16. Compare the characters from “Hamlet” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey. For example, you can discuss the origins of the madness of McMurphy and Hamlet.
17. Compare and Contrast “Hamlet” and “Antigone” by Sophocles.
18. It is believed that immoral decisions will come back and haunt the people who make them. Discuss how this idea applies to three characters in Hamlet, how it influences their decisions, and whether those decisions came back to them.
19. Compare “Hamlet” and “The Alchemist” (play by Ben Jonson).
20. Compare and contrast the main themes for “Hamlet” and “The Great Gatsby.”
21. Compare “Amleth, Prince of Denmark” by Saxo Grammaticus and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare.
22. Compare the text of “Hamlet” and one of its film versions. Discuss how the screenwriter has changed the text and influenced the overall idea. What are the main issues of such interpretation?
23. Compare and contrast “Hamlet” and “Doctor Faustus.” What are the peculiarities of view on the supernatural, spirits, and the afterlife?
24. Compare the influence and roles of Gertrude on Hamlet’s life and Lady Macbeth on Macbeth’s life.
25. Compare and contrast Hamlet with Eleanor from “Lion in the Winter” by James Goldman.
26. Compare “Hamlet” and “Fifth Business” in the context of child-parent relationships, the theme of guilt, personal ambitions, or attitudes toward women.
27. Compare and contrast Hamlet and Othello. Why are they not considered evil characters, even when they do terrible things?
28. Compare Hamlet to Claudius. Analyze the actions, intelligence, behavior, and emotions of the characters. Which character is better developed? Why? Use citations to prove your point of view.
29. Compare and contrast Hamlet with Gatsby from “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. What are the cultural changes in the times of “The Great Gatsby” and “Hamlet”?
30. Compare and contrast “Hamlet” and “The Stone Angel.” Compare the love and anger of the main characters. Which emotions are dominating for the main characters? Do they hide their true feelings or not?
31. Compare “Hamlet” and “Cinderella.” Compare themes, settings, and conflicts. What life lessons do the main characters learn?
32. Compare and contrast “Hamlet” and the animated movie “Lion King.”
33. Compare and contrast couples’ relationships: Hamlet and Ophelia vs. Romeo and Juliet.
 

Essay Questions On Hamlet

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