Choose ONE of the three prompts below and write an essay.

Prompt #1

In Hamlet some of the most significant events are mental or psychological; for example, awakenings, discoveries, changes in consciousness. In a well-organized essay, describe how the author manages to give these internal events the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action.

PROMPT #2

In Hamlet a character who appears briefly, or does not appear at all, is a significant presence. Write an essay in which you show how such a character functions in the work. You may wish to discuss how the character affects action, theme, or the development of other characters.

Prompt #3

The British novelist Fay Weldon offers this observation about happy endings: “The writers, I do believe, who get the best and most lasting response from the readers are the writers [like Shakespeare] who offer a happy ending through moral development. By a happy ending, I do not mean mere fortunate events—a marriage or a last-minute rescue from death—but some kind of spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation, even with the self, even at death. [Hamlet] has the kind of ending Weldon describes.

In a well-written essay, identify the “spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation” evident in the ending and explain its significance in the work as a whole.

In your responses you should do the following:

Respond to the prompt with a thesis that presents a defensible interpretation.

Provide evidence to support your line of reasoning.

Explain how the evidence supports your line of reasoning

Use appropriate grammar and punctuation in communicating your argument.