I Have A Report For School....

[KnowingThePages]

I am working on my summer reading and I chose to do Hamlet and so an essay on it. However, when I do the essay I must chose one of several topics...the one I chose was Positive/Negative Characters. Could somebody please help me with this? :confused:

[Sitaram]

Is your assignment to list the positive and negative characters in the play, or the positive and negative characteristics of various characters? Positive and Negative in what sense? Good and Evil? Comely and homely? Strong and weak? Did the teacher give you any written explanation of your assignment?

[KnowingThePages]

Unfortunately she didn't. I believe though that I am to identify the positive and negative characters in the book. I'm afraid the teacher didn't give us much to work with.

[MadameGascon]

King whatshisname (hamlet's uncle) is evil and so is Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildernstein (think that's his name?)! Hamlet slighltly evil with his devious ways in which he got back at his uncle!

Ophelia, Hamlet, Queen are all good people!

Can't tell you much more info on them unless I have an idea of what kinda stuff you need to know!

[RyuKid]

King whatshisname (hamlet's uncle) is evil and so is Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildernstein (think that's his name?)! Hamlet slighltly evil with his devious ways in which he got back at his uncle!

Ophelia, Hamlet, Queen are all good people!

Can't tell you much more info on them unless I have an idea of what kinda stuff you need to know!

I disagree with you about Hamlet being lightly evil. Hamlet had to get back at his uncle in order to set things right in the world, so caos wouldn't break lose, this is in sense what most of Shakespeare's play is about. Like with Romeo and Juliet, both the characters followed their feelings above all things, that's why they died because it's wrong in Shakespeare's time (and in his mind).

[IrishCanadian]

There you have it!!! The perfect essay: was Hamlet evil???
Good luck!

[coreyg37]

Chaos broke out when Claudius killed hamlet senior. Hamlet felt that it was his duty to set the universe back in order (ptolemaic ideals). Hamlet wasn't evil at alll, his tragic flaw was his tendency to perfection. Polonius wasnt evil, he was ignorant and did what he did trying to keep his name and reputation. Gertrude was also ignorant. She is unaware of any serious foul play (obvious in bedroom scene), only that she had married her husbands brother (incest). Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are nothing, just characters made for plot.

[wooo]

i would say that Rosencrantz and guildenstren, tho just characters made to advance the plot, do also have emotional truths. they are like the queen and polonius unaware that what they are doing is wrong.
Characters
Hamlet- good and bad- he is in his eyes trying to right the world, avenge his fathers death (who was unable to confess his sins and therefore is stuck in purgortory). therefore he is mostly good. he does however hoave major flaws- he pychoanalysis himself and his reasons, he waits to commit the revenge and in this time causes more chaos- the death of polonius, the madness and death of ophelia, the death of R & G etc.
Claudius- evil- murdered his brother. oh er!!! marries his bros wife- ooooh eeer!!!!!! he does begin to reason with himself but will not give up what he has gained and therefore remains bad. plots and plans- cld b considered all his fault- the eventual death of nearly everyone.
Gertrude- good- does not see what she has done by marry bro of her late husband. when she sees reason (thro' hamlet) she is insensed and distraught.
Ghost-???
Polonius- bad, but only because of his inability to see.
Ophelia- good, she is swept along in a current- especially gd by Elizabethan audeince- follows her fathers wishes etc.
Laertes- good essentially, does show bad traits but resents them by the end. his believing claudius= most major fault.
Reynaldo- bad, does not question polonius's actions, tho we never no whether he actually carries thro' this task. good to elizabethan audience= obeys.
Horatio- good- best of friends to hamlet.
there are lots of other minor characters, i dont think they are important!
sorry if it doesnt make sense!!!! but i hope it does!