What’s up with Hamlet? Why doesn’t he do what he says he is going to do? Why does he do what he does? What are his motivations? What inhibits him? What prompts him to act? Why do so many people die at the end of this play? What’s the tragedy? How much is Hamlet to blame?
Develop a thesis that answers some or all of these questions. Write a five-page essay to support your thesis. Use textual evidence to support what you say, just as you always would. First, though, research what others have said about this question. Much has been written over the years about Prince Hamlet. In this essay of literary criticism (lit crit essay), please use at least two secondary sources (as well as the text) to either support your argument or to serve as a counterpoint.