Essays and Research Papers on Hamlet

A 12 page paper which compares how madness is depicted in Shakespeare's Hamlet -- a calculated gesture on the part of Hamlet who seeks to avenge his father's death as opposed to Ophelia's real madness as a result of her many tragedies. Bibliography lists 8+ sources.

A 6 page essay on Hamlet's madness describing how his spirit undergoes a tragic development from the self - destructive negation of life and of heaven's purposes to a new affirmation of the advantageous sanctity of life. No Bibliography.

A 3 page paper discussing the possible reason Hamlet warns his friends in Act I not to be surprised at his 'antic disposition'. The paper suggests that Hamlet is not planning to feign madness; rather, he is afraid he is already going mad, and hopes that his friends' silence will buy him desperately needed ...

A 5 page paper looking at the question of Hamlet's sanity in Shakespeare's play. The paper argues that Hamlet was not mad, but seemed so on the basis of his behavior because he was unable to articulate his dilemma to anyone else. No additional sources cited.

The appearance of the ghost of Hamlet's father and importance of his revelation are echoed through out the play by Shakespeare's use of the words 'hear' and 'ear' as well as other symbolism about conversation, revelations and oration. This 9 page paper provides an overview of the basic segments of Hamlet that demonstrate the ...

5 pages in length. The connection between Elizabethan ghostly superstitions and the fact that Shakespeare's Hamlet is replete with their presence is no coincidence. The writer discusses that while there is much discussion and disagreement throughout the play as to whether or not the ghosts actually exist, there is no doubt that they ...

The appearance of the ghost of Hamlet's father and importance of his revelation are echoed through out the play by Shakespeare's use of the words 'hear' and 'ear' as well as other symbolism about conversation, revelations and oration. This 5 page paper provides an overview of the basic segments of Hamlet that demonstrate the ...

9 pages worth of research and analysis illustrating Hamlet as a tragic hero. Includes introductory section describing much earlier sources of Shakespeare's play and some possible sources from which he might have taken his idea. Free outline included. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

A 3 page essay discussing how the personalities and behaviors of Fortinbras and Laertes highlight and contrast with those of Hamlet. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper on Shakespeare's very complex play. Looking specifically at the play's resolution and the characterization of Hamlet, the paper analyzes this play in terms of the rules of classical tragedy put forth in Aristotle's Poetics. It argues that while Hamlet is unquestionably a tragedy from our point of view, it does not ...

A 7 page paper discussing Hamlet's personal response to the agonies of morality and over-analysis he suffers as he contemplates the murder of Claudius. No additional sources cited.

This 10 page paper explores the possibility that the character of Hamlet, is a misogynist but concludes that he is not. Misogynist overtones as contained in the society are noted and compared and contrasted with misogyny today.The 'nunnery' scene is highlighted. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

An 11 page paper describing the decrepancies between appearance or illusion vs. reality in Shakespeare's play "Hamlet." The writer attempts to show the conflict that develops as the title character attempts to relate his own ideas about reality with the illusions of reality that appear throughout the play. Bibliography lists 15 sources.

A 3 page discussion of the theme of reality vs. illusion as it appears in Shakespeare's infamous "Hamlet." No Bibliography.

This 5 page research paper examines William Shakespeare's use of imagery in his plays, focusing exclusively upon Hamlet. Specifically discussed are the dominant images of Christian religion, disease, and nature. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page research paper examines whether or not Hamlet is a religious play. Specifically discussed are the play's religious implications, Hamlet's actions and the interpretation of their motives, and the presence of sin among all the main characters. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A five page paper analyzing the main character’s motivation in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The paper argues that Hamlet is deeply depressed, not mad as is often assumed, and that his symptoms are consistent with a diagnosis of depression. Bibliography lists four sources.

A 6 page paper which illustrates that Shakespeare's Hamlet was a man, and a play, that argued for the celebration of life and not the misery of existence. In Hamlet we see a man who is challenging tradition, a tradition that assumed the life of a man was nothing short of miserable and therefor it was allowable for ...

This 5 page paper examines the role of Hamlet as tragic hero; and discusses this tragedy as a "play within a play," as well as the role of the major character as victim, or seeker of revenge. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper which asks why it took Hamlet so long to kill Claudius. The argument presented is that Hamlet, bound by honor and a code of righteousness, could not merely kill Claudius as Claudius had done to Hamlet's father. Hamlet was obliged by personal, honorable, Biblical, and righteous standards to hesitate till the right moment. And even ...

This 3 page paper looks at the authenticity of the 1948 and 1997 versions of this Shakespearean work and compares and contrasts them. Both are compared to the play as well. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper looks at the way in which the female roles in Hamlet are developed in comparison to previous depictions of the same story and other Shakespeare plays. The aspect of weakness and evil is emphasised, whilst the results of the women's decisions are shown to result in tragedy. The bibliography cites 3 ...

Shakespeare, in the plays Henry V and Hamlet, has given a number of distinct definitions of what honor is and how people have the choice to act and react honorably or not. This 6 page paper explores the meaning of honor and examines these two plays in terms of how honor is portrayed. No additional sources ...

A 5 page paper which argues that while he seemed, under the surface, to be completely rational and methodical about his plans, Hamlet had lost some of his sanity, or perhaps never really had a grip on sanity. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

The notion of 'identity' is often interwoven with both status and character. In literature, the 'identity' of a character is developed through a number of literary devices such as dialogue, observation or the opinions of others. This 2 page paper compares and contrasts the identity of Shakespare's Hamlet and Henry James' Daisy Miller. No additional sources are ...