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HamletCulminating Task

Central Question

How many ways can the same text be read?

Task Question

  1. Does the literary criticism text you have chosen to analyze represent a justifiable interpretation of Hamlet?

Choose one of three literary criticism texts written about Hamlet:

  • Political Lens: “The Claudian Globe” by Andrew Gurr

  • Feminist Lens: “Discovering Feminism through Gertrude and Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet” by Zamila Abdul Rani, Siti Hawa Muhamad, and Siti Masitah

  • Psychological Lens: “The Real or Assumed Madness of Hamlet” by Simone Augustine Blackmore

Write a well-developed, multiparagraph literary analysis essay that defends or challenges a claim from one of the literary criticisms. Support your analysis using a variety of well-selected evidence from Hamlet as well as material from the unit. Logically and sufficiently support your response with evidence from the play and the literary criticism, including direct quotations with parenthetical citations. Apply correct and effective words, phrases, syntax, usage, and mechanics to clearly communicate your analysis. Provide a works cited page with your final product.

Be sure to do the following:

  • Demonstrate a clear understanding of the themes in Hamlet.

  • Determine the central ideas and primary claim of the selected essay.

  • Evaluate the author’s reasoning and their use of textual evidence.

  • Form a claim that defends or challenges a claim of the selected essay.

  • Use textual evidence from Hamlet and the selected essay to support your claim.