Does Hamlet ever become truly mad, or does he feign madness throughout the play, as he implies that he will to Horatio and Marcellus in act 1, scene 5? Later, even Polonius senses about Hamlet that “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t” (2.2.203-04). Could one argue that Hamlet’s supposed “madness” actually represents his enactment of purpose on a higher plan of existence from the basic “reality” of the play? Consider making use of Stephen Greenblatt’s essays, “Shakespearean Tragedy” and “Hamlet”. Your essay should be in the form of a well-reasoned argument (clearly-framed thesis statement developed by well-articulated points and supporting evidence) that makes specific use of the primary text as well as suggested secondary materials. You may, of course, bring other secondary sources into your writing, but be sure they are of high quality.
LENGTH, FORM, AND RELATED MATTERS
Four pages in length.
Because of space limitations, you should avoid using quotations that take up more than three lines or so (such brief quotations will be part of your text).
You will need a separate “Works Cited” page that includes, in proper MLA form, entries for the play and all other sources actually used in the paper.
The paper should have a content-specific title, one that includes the title of the play, Shakespeare’s name, and the general direction of the essay’s content. An ineffective title, because of its vagueness, would be something like “Richard’s Ambition” (Richard who? Ambition for what? What literary work?). A better title, because it is more specific, would be “The Erotic Nature of Richard’s Ambition in Shakespeare’s Richard III.”
All quotations must be introduced properly; that is, quotations must fit into your sentences both grammatically and syntactically. Provide context for each quotation from the primary text(s) and comment on their significance in terms of the point you are making.