Hamlet Questions. NEED HELP!

[shadman]

Hey all, just read Hamlet, and now I have a few questions that I have to do for my essay.


Choice B:
"Write an essay demonstrating how Shakespeare reveals that a character's experiences, beliefs, morals, and/or needs affect his/her behaviour and choices."

I would like some ideas on how i can develop some topics to discuss, and which pieces from the play I SHOULD use.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

[bree]

I would go for choice B. Because of Hamlet's beliefs and morals he believes he has to avenge the death of his father. This in essence affects the whole play as we witness his indecision and hesitance when making vital choices.

[shadman]

Actually you make a good point. I think I will do choice B.

[shadman]

I think I'm going to discuss in my three body paragraphs about the three sons and how they reacted with their fathers' deaths. I feel that the most important message that I got from Shakespeare's writing in this play is that at times we let emotion control how we think, and this changes our view on everything. In the end we never accomplish the task at hand because we get so side tracked with all this built up emotion.

What do you all think? Do you think I should focus on something else?

[Gladys]

Hamlet hesitates in killing Claudius to avenge his father, and kills Polonius. Why?

Laertes, who advised, "to thine own self be true", stoops to a poison-tipped rapier to kill Hamlet and avenge his father. Why?

Fortinbras, the son of a king, is on a mission to reclaim lands lost, has some success and ends with the blessing of Hamlet, the son of a king.

[shadman]

I hope everyone knows that I'm not trying to use this as a way to get you guys/girls to do my assignment for me.

This is just a way for me to get some ideas. It helps when you have people discuss what they thought about the play, regarding the topic.

[shadman]

Hamlet hesitates in killing Claudius to avenge his father, and kills Polonius. Why?

Laertes, who advised, "to thine own self be true", stoops to a poison-tipped rapier to kill Hamlet and avenge his father. Why?

Fortinbras, the son of a king, is on a mission to reclaim lands lost, has some success and ends with the blessing of Hamlet, the son of a king.

Maybe Hamlet was afraid of the consequences of killing Claudius.

I don't know how to answer that, nor do I know why he would do that.

So in the end, the one who didn't act with revenge, succeeded.

[Gladys]

Maybe Hamlet was afraid of the consequences of killing Claudius.

Timing is an issue because Hamlet wants to kill an impenitent Claudius and, unlike Laertes, intends to cover all bases before he acts. For Hamlet, there are moral issues of huge complexity.

I don't know how to answer that, nor do I know why he would do that.

Unlike Hamlet, Laertes, lacking moral depth, is easily led.

So in the end, the one who didn't act with revenge, succeeded.

Both Hamlet and Fortinbras, the warrior, had vowed to take revenge following the death of their fathers.