English 2332 ? Essay Exam – Hamlet

English 2332 ? Essay Exam – Hamlet

Choose TWO of the following questions and develop a well-organized essay of at least two typed, double-spaced pages for each question. Use your book for reference and supply direct quotes from the literature to support your points. No outside resources, other than your textbook, are allowed. (Each question response is worth 50 points each)

Type your responses into a Word document and upload the document to the MindTap Submission Link.

Use MLA formatting for in-text citations and Works Cited references.

Use the following heading on your paper: NAME ENGL 2332

The exam is due to Turnitin.com by the deadline indicated on the calendar of assignments. Late submissions will be accepted, but late policies apply.

Be sure to indicate which question you choose by copying and pasting the question at the TOP of your response.

1. What central theme(s) can be found in all the literature we read this semester? Use quotes from the literature to support your points.

For example, if you chose the theme of family, how is this theme represented in ALL the works we read this term?

Choose your own theme. You DO NOT have to choose the theme of family; that is just an example.

2. From Hamlet , choose a speech by any character that is at least 20 lines long. In an essay, explain the context of the speech within the play, and then analyze the speech. Identify its major themes or points and discuss the use of language in the speech. Is there specific imagery used? What effect does that imagery have? Why is there a speech at that point in the text? What purpose does it serve, and why is it long instead of just a couple of lines?

3. The play focuses a lot on death. There is the death of the old king and Hamlet’s “excessive” mourning. There is the appearance of the ghost and its description of the afterlife. There is Hamlet’s obsession with suicide and Ophelia’s apparent suicide. There is the entire graveyard scene, with its varied perspectives on death. Shakespeare puts forth many different perspectives on this topic in the play. Choose one belief or perspective that is presented in the play; explain it and identify two or three instances in the play where that belief is supported or represented.