i am writing a research paper on love in hamlet

[thatshowido45]

I was just wandering does anyone have any suggestions on what I should cover? And are there and important things i should cover. This paper has to be 4-5 pages typed so I will take all the suggestions i can get.
Thank you,
Tyler

[Redzeppelin]

Well, according to your title, I suppose you should "cover" "love in Hamlet." Your post is very vague - and it almost sounds like you want someone to hand you a topic. What did you observe in Hamlet regarding "love"?
Some questions:
1. Who shows "love" in the play? To whom? Why? How?
2. What different kinds of "love" does the play present to us? Which kind of love seems to take the most prominent role?
3. Does the play critique love, defend love, or ignore love?
4. Does the play question love? Does it attack love?

Give a bit more and perhaps I can help.

[thatshowido45]

Well I don't need a topic. I am going to be breaking down each relationship and analyzing them. For example, I am going to write about Hamlet's love for his father and how that is one of the reasons for all the problems in the play. I am also going to write about Hamlet's love for Ophelia. Like does he love her or does he not? I am also writing about revenge in Hamlet. For example, Hamlet's revenge for his fathers death, and the Ghost's revenge on his brother and wife. I was just wandering about important things that i need to put in here.
Thanks,
Tyler

[Redzeppelin]

Well I don't need a topic. I am going to be breaking down each relationship and analyzing them. For example, I am going to write about Hamlet's love for his father and how that is one of the reasons for all the problems in the play. I am also going to write about Hamlet's love for Ophelia. Like does he love her or does he not? I am also writing about revenge in Hamlet. For example, Hamlet's revenge for his fathers death, and the Ghost's revenge on his brother and wife. I was just wandering about important things that i need to put in here.
Thanks,
Tyler

I may be the wrong guy to talk to on this topic. I'm not certain that "love" is a strong presence in the play. Hamlet's desire to revenge his father is not based so much in "love" as it is the Norse idea of vengeance - a blood debt. Elizabethan/Jacobean tragedies were about revenge - pure and simple. Even Romeo and Juliet was a revenge play. Hamlet feels it is his "duty" to revenge his father's death. Perhaps love drives him - but do you have substantial textual evidence? Papers can't be written on what we reasonably assume is driving a character: we have to have statements the character makes in order to create a convincing argument.

In terms of Ophelia - their relationship is sketched very lightly. We know Hamlet wrote her love letters, and we know from 3.1 that they once felt deeply for each other and that her death affects Hamlet (though not as deeply as Laertes' bombastic grief at the grave does) - but beyond that? Do either of them say anyting that points to love? I'm not certain. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[Layka]

Try reading Ophelia.