Directions: Write an essay of 3-4 pages in which you answer one of the following questions about the play Hamlet:

1. Does Hamlet really love Ophelia?
2. Is Claudius completely evil?

1. Does Ophelia commit suicide?
2. Does Gertrude redeem herself by the end of the play?
3. Is Hamlet a coward?
4. Does Hamlet really go crazy?
5. Was Old Hamlet a good father, husband, and king?
6. Is the Ghost real or a figment of Hamlet’s imagination?

Note that answering any of these questions will require that you define the terms used in the question. Structure your essay as an argument. You should include the following elements:

–a title that reflects your thesis

–an introduction, in which you explain the critical problem you have chosen and state your position on it, that is, your answer to the question, and you must give a definite answer;

–your reasons for your position with evidence from the play that supports or proves your argument, including brief quotations (no more than 3 lines at a time); write a paragraph on each reason;

—reasons that support the other side of the argument, that is, the answer opposite to yours, with evidence that supports it, including brief quotations, in one full paragraph;

–a conclusion in which you consider why this issue is important to our understanding of the play.

While you will spend more time on your position than the opposing one, be sure to devote a full paragraph to the other side of the argument. Please do not read any critical studies, books, or website articles about the play. Instead you should rely on your own reading of the play to answer the question you choose.