Hamet - characters or themes? (1 Viewer)

[mrpotatoed]

I just started writing a generic draft essay and having several problems structuring it... The question relates to what I think contributes to the timelessness of Hamlet.

The major problem is that I don't know whether to focus more on themes or characters. If I do themes, how do I give my own interpretation on I? (as is the requirement for mod b)


Also, if I choose to analyse themes, and one of my paragraphs is on morality, should I talk a little on multiple scenes, or focus just on one scene, such as in act 5 where Hamlet hold's Yorick's skull. If I do several scenes, how would I make the paragraph coherent?

 

[Kaido]

Solid advice, thanks hawkie

 

[mrpotatoed]

It's best to have your textual evidence spanned across the plot, as it indicates your holistic grasp of play. Otherwise, just quoting from the first half and not the rest won't give you full marks, in my opinion. As for you last question, it really depends on how you phrase your sentences to convey your point really; try experiment to see how it might work since you don't always have to do your body paragraphs in the form of Q/T/E/L. At times, I use integrated quotes throughout my analysis to explain what X theme shows, thereby allowing the coherence of my argument to be sustained.

Good luck!

So you would suggest talking about multiple scenes for a single theme? Therefore, you would also have several techniques right? If, say, I used the "to be or not to be speech" and also the Yorick skull scene would you ideally go QQ/TT/EE/LL or Q/T/E/L and then Q/T/E/L/ again in a single paragraph?

My concern with going with a thematic approach is that you would thereby ignore the characterisation and development of Hamlet, which is the most important bit of the play right?

 

[RivalryofTroll]

So you would suggest talking about multiple scenes for a single theme? Therefore, you would also have several techniques right? If, say, I used the "to be or not to be speech" and also the Yorick skull scene would you ideally go QQ/TT/EE/LL or Q/T/E/L and then Q/T/E/L/ again in a single paragraph?

My concern with going with a thematic approach is that you would thereby ignore the characterisation and development of Hamlet, which is the most important bit of the play right?

Repeat Q/T/E as many times as desired in the paragraph.

Topic Sentence
Q/T/E multiple times
Linking Sentence

It'd be the "to be or not to be" soliloquy (there's your technique).

In the Yorick Skull scene (the skull being symbolic), you can argue that Hamlet is pondering about life and death (thematic concern of mortality).

You can still talk about character development through a thematic approach.

For example, let's say Corruption is our theme.

Hamlet believes that Claudius' takeover has caused the disruption of the natural order and Elsinore to become a corrupted place (as illustrated in the weeded garden imagery).
Hamlet not only wants to avenge his father but also wants to get rid of the source of corruption (Claudius).
Hamlet (as well as the succession of Fortinbra) restores the natural order in the corrupted Elsinore when Claudius dies.

Corruption in Elsinore has affected Hamlet during the progression of the play.

I guess something to that effect.