Hamlet: Study Guides

" ... Every essay requires a focus; you cannot write about everything in the play at once. The section on how to write an essay shows you a number of ways to turn a focus into a thesis, observations into arguments. However, the starting point is nearly always finding an initial focus and making first observations ... "

"For many students, the greatest obstacle to writing about Shakespeare is the process of reading Shakespeare. The root of the problem for many, not surprisingly, is Shakespeare's language, which is unfamiliar at times and can seem difficult to read. Like everything else, practice, patience, and a little effort will help. In the meantime, there are some things you can do that will make Shakespeare much more accessible to you. First ... "

"When writing about Shakespeare's tragedies, ... , one way of approaching the task is to start by understanding the precise nature of ... gap, in the play or plays you are treating, between what could have been and what is. Then identify, in as much detail as you can, the reasons why the darker outcomes emerged, why the brighter possibilities were eclipsed ... "

Click through the various types of essays and parts of essays to access advice and guidance from Bloom's Literature Database. You may need the password to access this article. Click on the link below.

"Timeless Shakespeare-designed for the struggling reader and adapted to retain the integrity of the original play. These classic plays retold will grab a student's attention from the first page. Presented in traditional play script format, each title features simplified language, easy-to-read type, and strict adherence to the tone and integrity of the original."

"Hamlet echoes current events in England around the turn of the seventeenth century. In 1601 Queen Elizabeth I (1533–1603), intent on preserving her reign, executed her favorite courtier, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex (1567–1601), for his role in a treasonous rebellion against her government ... "

"This lively and informative guide reveals Hamlet as marking a turning point in Shakespeare's use of language and dramatic form as well as addressing the key problem at the play's core: Hamlet's inaction ... "

"The author of this text examines the popular theatres of the day in which Shakespeare and his company first produced'Hamlet'and discusses the genre of tragedy in which it is written. The work aims to provide contexts for understanding'Hamlet''s melancholy, and the theme for revenge.

" ... Well over 400 years after William Shakespeare wrote the play between 1599 and 1601, readers and audiences are still connecting with it ... "

" William Shakespeare's Hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father's funeral. Hamlet is shocked to find his mother already remarried to his Uncle Claudius, the dead king's brother ... "

"In this series of videos from Shakespeare Uncovered, students explore the use of soliloquy as a device to reveal character and advance plot. They consider how using soliloquy perhaps more truthfully exposes character than other devices like dialogue ... "

"Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy. A tragedy is a dignified work in which the main character undergoes a struggle and suffers a downfall. In Shakespeare's plays, the main character of a tragedy is usually a person of noble heritage ... "

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"Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Created by the original team behind SparkNotes ... "

"Hamlet is a play about grief and revenge. All of the information you need about the play is divided into four sections: Story, Characters, Language and Staging. Each section has three different levels of information. Choose which level is right for you or simply move between them to find what you need ... "