PREPARING THE CRITICAL ESSAY
Select and develop a statement for a critical essay.
Construct an outline for a critical essay.
The purpose of this project is to effectively lay the foundation for writing a critical essay on an aspect of your choice from William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. This project is the first of two required to develop and write an essay.
In this project, you will:
choose a topic
limit that topic
develop a statement
develop an outline for your paper
Now that you have completed the reading of the play Hamlet, you will have some reactions to the ideas and characters within the play. You may want to review the play again or choose to view the play on video as an aid in selecting a topic.
Note: The classic black-and-white 1948 film of Hamlet, starring Sir Laurence Olivier, is an excellent representation of the play. Not only is it consistent with Shakespeare’s original play, the film won many awards, including Academy Awards for Best Picture and for Olivier’s brilliant performance as Prince Hamlet. The film can be found at most video rental outlets, and is the only Shakespearean film to date to have won the Best Picture Oscar. There have been a number of more recent film versions of Hamlet, as well.
Reflect on an aspect of the play or a character within the play that you would like to discuss. (Examples: Hamlet’s madness, Ophelia’s plight, the destructive nature of revenge).
Limit your topic to one that can be thoroughly discussed and defended in at least 700 words. Write a statement that reflects the issue you plan to discuss and prove.
You will have to be familiar with the text of the play and cite references within the play to support and/or prove your points.
Develop an outline that shows the way in which you plan to develop and present your topic. Be sure to properly format the outline.
