Assignment

Book: Hamlet (Cambridge School Shakespeare) 3rd Edition

Part 1. Complete section "a" of the activity on p. 20 (transcribed below) regarding language in the play.

Scour the pages of the play up to this point, and see if you can identify [, in addition to "nature," "will," and "sense,"] key words that have more than one meaning and that seem central to the preoccupations of the characters. (Find at least five words.)

Part 2.

Select and complete one of the below activities. Use a mix of summary, direct quotes, and your own commentary about the quote's significance. Be sure make it clear which activity you've chosen (2-a, 2-b, or 2-c) and to clearly identify which scene and line numbers you're discussing (as in: Act I, Scene 2, 70-76).

1. Find three instances in which one character deems another character's actions inappropriate. Why does this character feel this way? What motivates him or her? How do you know?

2. Find three instances in which body parts are used metaphorically. What's the body part, to what is the part being compared, and for what purpose? For instance, does the metaphor help to reveal character? Does it move the plot forward or serve to develop a larger theme?

3. Find three instances of allusion (to the Bible and / or to Greek mythology) and discuss the purpose of each in the scene. For instance, does the allusion help to reveal character? Does it move the plot forward or serve to develop a larger theme?