Hamlet
2. Select a theme in Hamlet (such as spying, madness, or fathers/sons and discuss their significance in the play.
Some suggestions:
Is Hamlet insane? Be prepared to focus in on several scenes from the beginning, middle, and end of the play to prove your point.
Is the play supporting or criticizing the monarchy? What problems/gaps do we see with the system of rule in place in Denmark in the play? Think about how Claudius, not Hamlet becomes king, how Claudius is a bit of a crappy ruler, how Fortinbras takes over at the end, etc.
One of Shakespeare’s trademarks is trap setting, as in “I’ll set up this particular situation and see how this other character behaves.” Discuss 3 traps set by various characters that you see in the play and discuss their outcomes. Do the traps actually help to prove anything?
