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A Guide to Writing an Outstanding Shakespeare Essay

By: Max Malak

There is hardly a person who has not heard the name of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest authors in history who has made a large contribution to the development of the English language. Given that Shakespeare's figure is monumental for English and global literature, it comes as a mandatory part of the curriculum in high schools and on other academic levels.

The Life of William Shakespeare: Information to Use in an Essay

Shakespeare essay sample, no clear thesis statement, lack of linking structures, not enough of essential details, weak conclusion, an essay about william shakespeare: possible topics.

If you don't have any prior knowledge of Shakespeare's works and his biography, worry not! This guide will take you through all the essential information needed to create an A+ William Shakespeare essay, alongside a written work sample, tips on improving it, and a list of topics to explore.

Research is one of the critical parts of the essay writing process that should not be disregarded. To make the task easier for you, we have collected some facts from William Shakespeare's biography that can prove to be useful in your essay:

• Full name: William Shakespeare, also known as the Bard of Avon
• Date of Birth: Unknown
• Baptized: 26 April 1564
• Hometown: Stratford-upon-Avon, England
• Date of Death: 23 April 1616
• Parents: Mary Arden and John Shakespeare
• Spouse: Anne Hathaway in 1582
• Children: twins Judith and Hamnet, daughter Susanna

William Shakespeare was the greatest playwright of his time and created around 37 plays . Here are some of the most renowned Shakespeare's plays sorted by year of writing:

• The Taming of the Shrew (1590)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)
• The Life and Death of King John (mid-1590s)
• Romeo and Juliet (1594-96)
• 1 Henry IV (1596)
• The Merchant of Venice (1596-98)
• Much Ado About Nothing (1598-99)
• Julius Caesar (1599)
• Othello (1603)
• King Lear (1605-06)
• Hamlet (1606)
• Macbeth (1609)
• The Winter's Tale (1609)
• The Tempest (1611)

Besides, here are a few of Shakespeare's most recognized quotes :

• " To be, or not to be, that is the question." - Hamlet
• "All that glisters is not gold." - The Merchant of Venice
• "If music be the food of love, play on." - Twelfth Night
• "Brevity is the soul of wit." - Hamlet
• "Hell is empty and all the devils are here." - The Tempest
• "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves." - Julius Caesar

The aforementioned information can be used to create argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays. Check out an example below!

There is a wide variety of essay topics connected with the life of William Shakespeare. Here is one prompt sample:

Describe William Shakespeare's biography and life as an actor and playwright in Tudorian England.

Shakespeare is a globally beloved playwright with an intriguing biography, which makes such an essay topic rather common in educational institutions. Here is an example of a descriptive essay on this topic:

The Shakespeare biography is a mystery that contains a lot of uncertainty. The great writer's date of birth remains unknown, but it is clear that he was born in 1564, during the Tudor period in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon. There is not much information on William Shakespeare's early years. It is believed he had a good childhood. Seven years of records on his life, starting from 1585, are non-existent. This period is often called "the lost years" by historians.

In 1592 Shakespeare reappeared in London as an actor, where he first performed at "The Theatre". He was a part of the company known as Lord Chamberlain's Men at that time. However, after facing controversy with the landlord, the building was taken apart and rebuilt as "The Globe", an open-air theater across the river. Shakespeare's plays were extremely successful and earned him a big fortune. He was in favor of Queen Elizabeth I and performed his plays at the royal court.

William Shakespeare died on 23 April 1616, and there are speculations that it might have been his birthday. Even after death, the great writer, playwright, and actor managed to leave a mystic aura around his persona, leaving a curse written on his gravestone.

A Few Shortcomings and How Can This Essay Be Improved

The sample essay you have just read through is an example of a text that is likely to receive a B- or B grade. But what are the downsides of this written work that hold it back from receiving an A+ assessment?

A thesis statement of a descriptive essay must introduce the reader to the central idea of your essay. However, the sample Shakespeare essay provides a fraction of what the work focuses on. Here is an example of a better thesis statement:

William Shakespeare's life as a renowned dramatist, poet, playwright, and actor appears as a mix of glory and mystery.

This sentence provides the readers with brief information on the person to be discussed in the essay while highlighting the specific aspects of his biography that will be covered.

The sample essay sticks to the chronological order of events in Shakespeare's life. However, the transition from one paragraph to another is not gradual, making the structure seem inconsistent. This can be done by embedding linking words and phrases in the text, such as:

• In spite of
• Furthermore

The list goes on! Integrating such words would enable the essay author to avoid choppy sentences and improve the text flow. Here is an example:

While the great writer's date of birth remains unknown, it is clear that he was born in 1564, during the Tudor period, in the English town of Stratford-upon-Avon. Even though the information on William Shakespeare's early years is not sufficient, it is believed he had a loving upbringing. Besides , for seven years of his adulthood, the great playwright did not appear in any records. That is why this time of Shakespeare's life is often referred to as "the lost years" by historians.

As you can see, linking words make the text significantly easier to read and comprehend.

Besides, it is crucial to keep the thesis statement in mind throughout the whole written work and provide information to support it. The task requires to describe Shakespeare's life as a playwright, which is hardly possible without mentioning at least several of his plays beloved by the public. Here is an example of how the sample Shakespeare essay could be refined in this regard:

Shakespeare's plays were extremely successful already at his time and earned him a big fortune. Notably, early Modern London's public loved his historical plays Henry IV Part I and Richard III.

Even such small alterations create significant changes in the essay, providing more value to the reader.

The essay's conclusion should remind the reader of the thesis statement and be a summary of all the key ideas of the text. The sample essay's final paragraph appears as if it were a part of the written work's main body. Here is what could be added to wrap up the essay in a masterful manner:

While being a public person known to the majority of his contemporaries, Shakespeare remains a mysterious figure. Nevertheless, William Shakespeare's literary works, including his iconic plays, continue to amaze people generation after generation.

This version of the conclusion finalizes the essay while tackling all the topics that have been discussed in it.

Now that you've read through the tips to perfect your William Shakespeare essay, you will be able to create an excellent text deserving the top grade. What's left is to select an interesting topic for your essay if it has not been provided by your teacher or professor. Here are some ideas for your written work's theme:

• How Did Shakespeare Interpret Historical Events?
• The Impact Shakespeare's Acting Career Had on His Playwrighting
• The Perception of Women in Tudorian England As Shown in Shakespeare's Works
• What Do the Sonnets Tell Us About Shakespeare?
• Speculations on Shakespeare's Persona and Literary Works
• The Impact of Shakespeare's Masterpieces on Modern English Literature
• Why Are Shakespeare's Works Considered to Be a Significant Milestone in Literature?
• Shakespeare's Contribution to the Development of English Language

You can take any of the mentioned topics as a basis for your essay about the life of William Shakespeare and his literary achievements. However, if you feel like you are in a bind and don't have enough time or energy to stick to the assignment deadline, you can always turn to the help of a writing service , such as Studybay.

Our experienced authors are ready to help you with any homework and will follow all requirements. Reach out now to get started!

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Jeffrey R. Wilson

Essays on hamlet.

Written as the author taught Hamlet every semester for a decade, these lightning essays ask big conceptual questions about the play with the urgency of a Shakespeare lover, and answer them with the rigor of a Shakespeare scholar. In doing so, Hamlet becomes a lens for life today, generating insights on everything from xenophobia, American fraternities, and religious fundamentalism to structural misogyny, suicide contagion, and toxic love.

Prioritizing close reading over historical context, these explorations are highly textual and highly theoretical, often philosophical, ethical, social, and political. Readers see King Hamlet as a pre-modern villain, King Claudius as a modern villain, and Prince Hamlet as a post-modern villain. Hamlet’s feigned madness becomes a window into failed insanity defenses in legal trials. He knows he’s being watched in “To be or not to be”: the soliloquy is a satire of philosophy. Horatio emerges as Shakespeare’s authorial avatar for meta-theatrical commentary, Fortinbras as the hero of the play. Fate becomes a viable concept for modern life, and honor a source of tragedy. The metaphor of music in the play makes Ophelia Hamlet’s instrument. Shakespeare, like the modern corporation, stands against sexism, yet perpetuates it unknowingly. We hear his thoughts on single parenting, sending children off to college, and the working class, plus his advice on acting and writing, and his claims to be the next Homer or Virgil. In the context of four centuries of Hamlet hate, we hear how the text draws audiences in, how it became so famous, and why it continues to captivate audiences.

At a time when the humanities are said to be in crisis, these essays are concrete examples of the mind-altering power of literature and literary studies, unravelling the ongoing implications of the English language’s most significant artistic object of the past millennium.

Publications

Why is Hamlet the most famous English artwork of the past millennium? Is it a sexist text? Why does Hamlet speak in prose? Why must he die? Does Hamlet depict revenge, or justice? How did the death of Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, transform into a story about a son dealing with the death of a father? Did Shakespeare know Aristotle’s theory of tragedy? How did our literary icon, Shakespeare, see his literary icons, Homer and Virgil? Why is there so much comedy in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy? Why is love a force of evil in the play? Did Shakespeare believe there’s a divinity that shapes our ends? How did he define virtue? What did he think about psychology? politics? philosophy? What was Shakespeare’s image of himself as an author? What can he, arguably the greatest writer of all time, teach us about our own writing? What was his theory of literature? Why do people like Hamlet ? How do the Hamlet haters of today compare to those of yesteryears? Is it dangerous for our children to read a play that’s all about suicide? 

These are some of the questions asked in this book, a collection of essays on Shakespeare’s Hamlet stemming from my time teaching the play every semester in my Why Shakespeare? course at Harvard University. During this time, I saw a series of bright young minds from wildly diverse backgrounds find their footing in Hamlet, and it taught me a lot about how Shakespeare’s tragedy works, and why it remains with us in the modern world. Beyond ghosts, revenge, and tragedy, Hamlet is a play about being in college, being in love, gender, misogyny, friendship, theater, philosophy, theology, injustice, loss, comedy, depression, death, self-doubt, mental illness, white privilege, overbearing parents, existential angst, international politics, the classics, the afterlife, and the meaning of it all. 

These essays grow from the central paradox of the play: it helps us understand the world we live in, yet we don't really understand the text itself very well. For all the attention given to Hamlet , there’s no consensus on the big questions—how it works, why it grips people so fiercely, what it’s about. These essays pose first-order questions about what happens in Hamlet and why, mobilizing answers for reflections on life, making the essays both highly textual and highly theoretical. 

Each semester that I taught the play, I would write a new essay about Hamlet . They were meant to be models for students, the sort of essay that undergrads read and write – more rigorous than the puff pieces in the popular press, but riskier than the scholarship in most academic journals. While I later added scholarly outerwear, these pieces all began just like the essays I was assigning to students – as short close readings with a reader and a text and a desire to determine meaning when faced with a puzzling question or problem. 

The turn from text to context in recent scholarly books about Hamlet is quizzical since we still don’t have a strong sense of, to quote the title of John Dover Wilson’s 1935 book, What Happens in Hamlet. Is the ghost real? Is Hamlet mad, or just faking? Why does he delay? These are the kinds of questions students love to ask, but they haven’t been – can’t be – answered by reading the play in the context of its sources (recently addressed in Laurie Johnson’s The Tain of Hamlet [2013]), its multiple texts (analyzed by Paul Menzer in The Hamlets [2008] and Zachary Lesser in Hamlet after Q1 [2015]), the Protestant reformation (the focus of Stephen Greenblatt’s Hamlet in Purgatory [2001] and John E. Curran, Jr.’s Hamlet, Protestantism, and the Mourning of Contingency [2006]), Renaissance humanism (see Rhodri Lewis, Hamlet and the Vision of Darkness [2017]), Elizabethan political theory (see Margreta de Grazia, Hamlet without Hamlet [2007]), the play’s reception history (see David Bevington, Murder Most Foul: Hamlet through the Ages [2011]), its appropriation by modern philosophers (covered in Simon Critchley and Jamieson Webster’s The Hamlet Doctrine [2013] and Andrew Cutrofello’s All for Nothing: Hamlet’s Negativity [2014]), or its recent global travels (addressed, for example, in Margaret Latvian’s Hamlet’s Arab Journey [2011] and Dominic Dromgoole’s Hamlet Globe to Globe [2017]). 

Considering the context and afterlives of Hamlet is a worthy pursuit. I certainly consulted the above books for my essays, yet the confidence that comes from introducing context obscures the sharp panic we feel when confronting Shakespeare’s text itself. Even as the excellent recent book from Sonya Freeman Loftis, Allison Kellar, and Lisa Ulevich announces Hamlet has entered “an age of textual exhaustion,” there’s an odd tendency to avoid the text of Hamlet —to grasp for something more firm—when writing about it. There is a need to return to the text in a more immediate way to understand how Hamlet operates as a literary work, and how it can help us understand the world in which we live. 

That latter goal, yes, clings nostalgically to the notion that literature can help us understand life. Questions about life send us to literature in search of answers. Those of us who love literature learn to ask and answer questions about it as we become professional literary scholars. But often our answers to the questions scholars ask of literature do not connect back up with the questions about life that sent us to literature in the first place—which are often philosophical, ethical, social, and political. Those first-order questions are diluted and avoided in the minutia of much scholarship, left unanswered. Thus, my goal was to pose questions about Hamlet with the urgency of a Shakespeare lover and to answer them with the rigor of a Shakespeare scholar. 

In doing so, these essays challenge the conventional relationship between literature and theory. They pursue a kind of criticism where literature is not merely the recipient of philosophical ideas in the service of exegesis. Instead, the creative risks of literature provide exemplars to be theorized outward to help us understand on-going issues in life today. Beyond an occasion for the demonstration of existing theory, literature is a source for the creation of new theory.

Chapter One How Hamlet Works

Whether you love or hate Hamlet , you can acknowledge its massive popularity. So how does Hamlet work? How does it create audience enjoyment? Why is it so appealing, and to whom? Of all the available options, why Hamlet ? This chapter entertains three possible explanations for why the play is so popular in the modern world: the literary answer (as the English language’s best artwork about death—one of the very few universal human experiences in a modern world increasingly marked by cultural differences— Hamlet is timeless); the theatrical answer (with its mixture of tragedy and comedy, the role of Hamlet requires the best actor of each age, and the play’s popularity derives from the celebrity of its stars); and the philosophical answer (the play invites, encourages, facilitates, and sustains philosophical introspection and conversation from people who do not usually do such things, who find themselves doing those things with Hamlet , who sometimes feel embarrassed about doing those things, but who ultimately find the experience of having done them rewarding).

Chapter Two “It Started Like a Guilty Thing”: The Beginning of Hamlet and the Beginning of Modern Politics

King Hamlet is a tyrant and King Claudius a traitor but, because Shakespeare asked us to experience the events in Hamlet from the perspective of the young Prince Hamlet, we are much more inclined to detect and detest King Claudius’s political failings than King Hamlet’s. If so, then Shakespeare’s play Hamlet , so often seen as the birth of modern psychology, might also tell us a little bit about the beginnings of modern politics as well.

Chapter Three Horatio as Author: Storytelling and Stoic Tragedy

This chapter addresses Horatio’s emotionlessness in light of his role as a narrator, using this discussion to think about Shakespeare’s motives for writing tragedy in the wake of his son’s death. By rationalizing pain and suffering as tragedy, both Horatio and Shakespeare were able to avoid the self-destruction entailed in Hamlet’s emotional response to life’s hardships and injustices. Thus, the stoic Horatio, rather than the passionate Hamlet who repeatedly interrupts ‘The Mousetrap’, is the best authorial avatar for a Shakespeare who strategically wrote himself and his own voice out of his works. This argument then expands into a theory of ‘authorial catharsis’ and the suggestion that we can conceive of Shakespeare as a ‘poet of reason’ in contrast to a ‘poet of emotion’.

Chapter Four “To thine own self be true”: What Shakespeare Says about Sending Our Children Off to College

What does “To thine own self be true” actually mean? Be yourself? Don’t change who you are? Follow your own convictions? Don’t lie to yourself? This chapter argues that, if we understand meaning as intent, then “To thine own self be true” means, paradoxically, that “the self” does not exist. Or, more accurately, Shakespeare’s Hamlet implies that “the self” exists only as a rhetorical, philosophical, and psychological construct that we use to make sense of our experiences and actions in the world, not as anything real. If this is so, then this passage may offer us a way of thinking about Shakespeare as not just a playwright but also a moral philosopher, one who did his ethics in drama.

Chapter Five In Defense of Polonius

Your wife dies. You raise two children by yourself. You build a great career to provide for your family. You send your son off to college in another country, though you know he’s not ready. Now the prince wants to marry your daughter—that’s not easy to navigate. Then—get this—while you’re trying to save the queen’s life, the prince murders you. Your death destroys your kids. They die tragically. And what do you get for your efforts? Centuries of Shakespeare scholars dumping on you. If we see Polonius not through the eyes of his enemy, Prince Hamlet—the point of view Shakespeare’s play asks audiences to adopt—but in analogy to the common challenges of twenty-first-century parenting, Polonius is a single father struggling with work-life balance who sadly choses his career over his daughter’s well-being.

Chapter Six Sigma Alpha Elsinore: The Culture of Drunkenness in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Claudius likes to party—a bit too much. He frequently binge drinks, is arguably an alcoholic, but not an aberration. Hamlet says Denmark is internationally known for heavy drinking. That’s what Shakespeare would have heard in the sixteenth century. By the seventeenth, English writers feared Denmark had taught their nation its drinking habits. Synthesizing criticism on alcoholism as an individual problem in Shakespeare’s texts and times with scholarship on national drinking habits in the early-modern age, this essay asks what the tragedy of alcoholism looks like when located not on the level of the individual, but on the level of a culture, as Shakespeare depicted in Hamlet. One window into these early-modern cultures of drunkenness is sociological studies of American college fraternities, especially the social-learning theories that explain how one person—one culture—teaches another its habits. For Claudius’s alcoholism is both culturally learned and culturally significant. And, as in fraternities, alcoholism in Hamlet is bound up with wealth, privilege, toxic masculinity, and tragedy. Thus, alcohol imagistically reappears in the vial of “cursed hebona,” Ophelia’s liquid death, and the poisoned cup in the final scene—moments that stand out in recent performances and adaptations with alcoholic Claudiuses and Gertrudes.

Chapter Seven Tragic Foundationalism

This chapter puts the modern philosopher Alain Badiou’s theory of foundationalism into dialogue with the early-modern playwright William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet . Doing so allows us to identify a new candidate for Hamlet’s traditionally hard-to-define hamartia – i.e., his “tragic mistake” – but it also allows us to consider the possibility of foundationalism as hamartia. Tragic foundationalism is the notion that fidelity to a single and substantive truth at the expense of an openness to evidence, reason, and change is an acute mistake which can lead to miscalculations of fact and virtue that create conflict and can end up in catastrophic destruction and the downfall of otherwise strong and noble people.

Chapter Eight “As a stranger give it welcome”: Shakespeare’s Advice for First-Year College Students

Encountering a new idea can be like meeting a strange person for the first time. Similarly, we dismiss new ideas before we get to know them. There is an answer to the problem of the human antipathy to strangeness in a somewhat strange place: a single line usually overlooked in William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet . If the ghost is “wondrous strange,” Hamlet says, invoking the ancient ethics of hospitality, “Therefore as a stranger give it welcome.” In this word, strange, and the social conventions attached to it, is both the instinctual, animalistic fear and aggression toward what is new and different (the problem) and a cultivated, humane response in hospitality and curiosity (the solution). Intellectual xenia is the answer to intellectual xenophobia.

Chapter Nine Parallels in Hamlet

Hamlet is more parallely than other texts. Fortinbras, Hamlet, and Laertes have their fathers murdered, then seek revenge. Brothers King Hamlet and King Claudius mirror brothers Old Norway and Old Fortinbras. Hamlet and Ophelia both lose their fathers, go mad, but there’s a method in their madness, and become suicidal. King Hamlet and Polonius are both domineering fathers. Hamlet and Polonius are both scholars, actors, verbose, pedantic, detectives using indirection, spying upon others, “by indirections find directions out." King Hamlet and King Claudius are both kings who are killed. Claudius using Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet mirrors Polonius using Reynaldo to spy on Laertes. Reynaldo and Hamlet both pretend to be something other than what they are in order to spy on and detect foes. Young Fortinbras and Prince Hamlet both have their forward momentum “arrest[ed].” Pyrrhus and Hamlet are son seeking revenge but paused a “neutral to his will.” The main plot of Hamlet reappears in the play-within-the-play. The Act I duel between King Hamlet and Old Fortinbras echoes in the Act V duel between Hamlet and Laertes. Claudius and Hamlet are both king killers. Sheesh—why are there so many dang parallels in Hamlet ? Is there some detectable reason why the story of Hamlet would call for the literary device of parallelism?

Chapter Ten Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Why Hamlet Has Two Childhood Friends, Not Just One

Why have two of Hamlet’s childhood friends rather than just one? Do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have individuated personalities? First of all, by increasing the number of friends who visit Hamlet, Shakespeare creates an atmosphere of being outnumbered, of multiple enemies encroaching upon Hamlet, of Hamlet feeling that the world is against him. Second, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are not interchangeable, as commonly thought. Shakespeare gave each an individuated personality. Guildenstern is friendlier with Hamlet, and their friendship collapses, while Rosencrantz is more distant and devious—a frenemy.

Chapter Eleven Shakespeare on the Classics, Shakespeare as a Classic: A Reading of Aeneas’s Tale to Dido

Of all the stories Shakespeare might have chosen, why have Hamlet ask the players to recite Aeneas’ tale to Dido of Pyrrhus’s slaughter of Priam? In this story, which comes not from Homer’s Iliad but from Virgil’s Aeneid and had already been adapted for the Elizabethan stage in Christopher Marlowe’s The Tragedy of Dido, Pyrrhus – more commonly known as Neoptolemus, the son of the famous Greek warrior Achilles – savagely slays Priam, the king of the Trojans and the father of Paris, who killed Pyrrhus’s father, Achilles, who killed Paris’s brother, Hector, who killed Achilles’s comrade, Patroclus. Clearly, the theme of revenge at work in this story would have appealed to Shakespeare as he was writing what would become the greatest revenge tragedy of all time. Moreover, Aeneas’s tale to Dido supplied Shakespeare with all of the connections he sought to make at this crucial point in his play and his career – connections between himself and Marlowe, between the start of Hamlet and the end, between Prince Hamlet and King Claudius, between epic poetry and tragic drama, and between the classical literature Shakespeare was still reading hundreds of years later and his own potential as a classic who might (and would) be read hundreds of years into the future.

Chapter Twelve How Theater Works, according to Hamlet

According to Hamlet, people who are guilty of a crime will, when seeing that crime represented on stage, “proclaim [their] malefactions”—but that simply isn’t how theater works. Guilty people sit though shows that depict their crimes all the time without being prompted to public confession. Why did Shakespeare—a remarkably observant student of theater—write this demonstrably false theory of drama into his protagonist? And why did Shakespeare then write the plot of the play to affirm that obviously inaccurate vision of theater? For Claudius is indeed stirred to confession by the play-within-the-play. Perhaps Hamlet’s theory of people proclaiming malefactions upon seeing their crimes represented onstage is not as outlandish as it first appears. Perhaps four centuries of obsession with Hamlet is the English-speaking world proclaiming its malefactions upon seeing them represented dramatically.

Chapter Thirteen “To be, or not to be”: Shakespeare Against Philosophy

This chapter hazards a new reading of the most famous passage in Western literature: “To be, or not to be” from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet . With this line, Hamlet poses his personal struggle, a question of life and death, as a metaphysical problem, as a question of existence and nothingness. However, “To be, or not to be” is not what it seems to be. It seems to be a representation of tragic angst, yet a consideration of the context of the speech reveals that “To be, or not to be” is actually a satire of philosophy and Shakespeare’s representation of the theatricality of everyday life. In this chapter, a close reading of the context and meaning of this passage leads into an attempt to formulate a Shakespearean image of philosophy.

Chapter Fourteen Contagious Suicide in and Around Hamlet

As in society today, suicide is contagious in Hamlet , at least in the example of Ophelia, the only death by suicide in the play, because she only becomes suicidal after hearing Hamlet talk about his own suicidal thoughts in “To be, or not to be.” Just as there are media guidelines for reporting on suicide, there are better and worse ways of handling Hamlet . Careful suicide coverage can change public misperceptions and reduce suicide contagion. Is the same true for careful literary criticism and classroom discussion of suicide texts? How can teachers and literary critics reduce suicide contagion and increase help-seeking behavior?

Chapter Fifteen Is Hamlet a Sexist Text? Overt Misogyny vs. Unconscious Bias

Students and fans of Shakespeare’s Hamlet persistently ask a question scholars and critics of the play have not yet definitively answered: is it a sexist text? The author of this text has been described as everything from a male chauvinist pig to a trailblazing proto-feminist, but recent work on the science behind discrimination and prejudice offers a new, better vocabulary in the notion of unconscious bias. More pervasive and slippery than explicit bigotry, unconscious bias involves the subtle, often unintentional words and actions which indicate the presence of biases we may not be aware of, ones we may even fight against. The Shakespeare who wrote Hamlet exhibited an unconscious bias against women, I argue, even as he sought to critique the mistreatment of women in a patriarchal society. The evidence for this unconscious bias is not to be found in the misogynistic statements made by the characters in the play. It exists, instead, in the demonstrable preference Shakespeare showed for men over women when deciding where to deploy his literary talents. Thus, Shakespeare's Hamlet is a powerful literary example – one which speaks to, say, the modern corporation – showing that deliberate efforts for egalitarianism do not insulate one from the effects of structural inequalities that both stem from and create unconscious bias.

Chapter Sixteen Style and Purpose in Acting and Writing

Purpose and style are connected in academic writing. To answer the question of style ( How should we write academic papers? ) we must first answer the question of purpose ( Why do we write academic papers? ). We can answer these questions, I suggest, by turning to an unexpected style guide that’s more than 400 years old: the famous passage on “the purpose of playing” in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet . In both acting and writing, a high style often accompanies an expressive purpose attempting to impress an elite audience yet actually alienating intellectual people, while a low style and mimetic purpose effectively engage an intellectual audience.

Chapter Seventeen 13 Ways of Looking at a Ghost

Why doesn’t Gertrude see the Ghost of King Hamlet in Act III, even though Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, Marcellus, and Prince Hamlet all saw it in Act I? It’s a bit embarrassing that Shakespeare scholars don’t have a widely agreed-upon consensus that explains this really basic question that puzzles a lot of people who read or see Hamlet .

Chapter Eighteen The Tragedy of Love in Hamlet

The word “love” appears 84 times in Shakespeare’s Hamlet . “Father” only appears 73 times, “play” 60, “think” 55, “mother” 46, “mad” 44, “soul” 40, “God" 39, “death” 38, “life” 34, “nothing” 28, “son” 26, “honor” 21, “spirit” 19, “kill” 18, “revenge” 14, and “action” 12. Love isn’t the first theme that comes to mind when we think of Hamlet , but is surprisingly prominent. But love is tragic in Hamlet . The bloody catastrophe at the end of that play is principally driven not by hatred or a longing for revenge, but by love.

Chapter Nineteen Ophelia’s Songs: Moral Agency, Manipulation, and the Metaphor of Music in Hamlet

This chapter reads Ophelia’s songs in Act IV of Shakespeare’s Hamlet in the context of the meaning of music established elsewhere in the play. While the songs are usually seen as a marker of Ophelia’s madness (as a result of the death of her father) or freedom (from the constraints of patriarchy), they come – when read in light of the metaphor of music as manipulation – to symbolize her role as a pawn in Hamlet’s efforts to deceive his family. Thus, music was Shakespeare’s platform for connecting Ophelia’s story to one of the central questions in Hamlet : Do we have control over our own actions (like the musician), or are we controlled by others (like the instrument)?

Chapter Twenty A Quantitative Study of Prose and Verse in Hamlet

Why does Hamlet have so much prose? Did Shakespeare deliberately shift from verse to prose to signal something to his audiences? How would actors have handled the shifts from verse to prose? Would audiences have detected shifts from verse to prose? Is there an overarching principle that governs Shakespeare’s decision to use prose—a coherent principle that says, “If X, then use prose?”

Chapter Twenty-One The Fortunes of Fate in Hamlet : Divine Providence and Social Determinism

In Hamlet , fate is attacked from both sides: “fortune” presents a world of random happenstance, “will” a theory of efficacious human action. On this backdrop, this essay considers—irrespective of what the characters say and believe—what the structure and imagery Shakespeare wrote into Hamlet say about the possibility that some version of fate is at work in the play. I contend the world of Hamlet is governed by neither fate nor fortune, nor even the Christianized version of fate called “providence.” Yet there is a modern, secular, disenchanted form of fate at work in Hamlet—what is sometimes called “social determinism”—which calls into question the freedom of the individual will. As such, Shakespeare’s Hamlet both commented on the transformation of pagan fate into Christian providence that happened in the centuries leading up to the play, and anticipated the further transformation of fate from a theological to a sociological idea, which occurred in the centuries following Hamlet .

Chapter Twenty-Two The Working Class in Hamlet

There’s a lot for working-class folks to hate about Hamlet —not just because it’s old, dusty, difficult to understand, crammed down our throats in school, and filled with frills, tights, and those weird lace neck thingies that are just socially awkward to think about. Peak Renaissance weirdness. Claustrophobicly cloistered inside the castle of Elsinore, quaintly angsty over royal family problems, Hamlet feels like the literary epitome of elitism. “Lawless resolutes” is how the Wittenberg scholar Horatio describes the soldiers who join Fortinbras’s army in exchange “for food.” The Prince Hamlet who has never worked a day in his life denigrates Polonius as a “fishmonger”: quite the insult for a royal advisor to be called a working man. And King Claudius complains of the simplicity of "the distracted multitude.” But, in Hamlet , Shakespeare juxtaposed the nobles’ denigrations of the working class as readily available metaphors for all-things-awful with the rather valuable behavior of working-class characters themselves. When allowed to represent themselves, the working class in Hamlet are characterized as makers of things—of material goods and services like ships, graves, and plays, but also of ethical and political virtues like security, education, justice, and democracy. Meanwhile, Elsinore has a bad case of affluenza, the make-believe disease invented by an American lawyer who argued that his client's social privilege was so great that it created an obliviousness to law. While social elites rot society through the twin corrosives of political corruption and scholarly detachment, the working class keeps the machine running. They build the ships, plays, and graves society needs to function, and monitor the nuts-and-bolts of the ideals—like education and justice—that we aspire to uphold.

Chapter Twenty-Three The Honor Code at Harvard and in Hamlet

Students at Harvard College are asked, when they first join the school and several times during their years there, to affirm their awareness of and commitment to the school’s honor code. But instead of “the foundation of our community” that it is at Harvard, honor is tragic in Hamlet —a source of anxiety, blunder, and catastrophe. As this chapter shows, looking at Hamlet from our place at Harvard can bring us to see what a tangled knot honor can be, and we can start to theorize the difference between heroic and tragic honor.

Chapter Twenty-Four The Meaning of Death in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

By connecting the ways characters live their lives in Hamlet to the ways they die – on-stage or off, poisoned or stabbed, etc. – Shakespeare symbolized hamartia in catastrophe. In advancing this argument, this chapter develops two supporting ideas. First, the dissemination of tragic necessity: Shakespeare distributed the Aristotelian notion of tragic necessity – a causal relationship between a character’s hamartia (fault or error) and the catastrophe at the end of the play – from the protagonist to the other characters, such that, in Hamlet , those who are guilty must die, and those who die are guilty. Second, the spectacularity of death: there exists in Hamlet a positive correlation between the severity of a character’s hamartia (error or flaw) and the “spectacularity” of his or her death – that is, the extent to which it is presented as a visible and visceral spectacle on-stage.

Chapter Twenty-Five Tragic Excess in Hamlet

In Hamlet , Shakespeare paralleled the situations of Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras (the father of each is killed, and each then seeks revenge) to promote the virtue of moderation: Hamlet moves too slowly, Laertes too swiftly – and they both die at the end of the play – but Fortinbras represents a golden mean which marries the slowness of Hamlet with the swiftness of Laertes. As argued in this essay, Shakespeare endorsed the virtue of balance by allowing Fortinbras to be one of the very few survivors of the play. In other words, excess is tragic in Hamlet .

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Structuring the Shakespeare Essay ( AQA GCSE English Literature )

Revision note.

Structuring the Essay

Answering just one essay question can seem daunting. However, examiners just want to see your ideas and opinions on the Shakespeare play you have studied. The guide below will enable you to best express these ideas and opinions in a way that will gain the highest marks. It includes guides on:

Answering the question

Planning your essay, writing your essay.

As Paper 1 requires you to answer two questions in 1hr 45min, you have 52 and a half minutes to plan, write and check your Shakespeare essay. A good rule of thumb is to spend:

• 7 minutes analysing the question and the extract
• 7-10 minutes of planning
• 30-35 minutes of writing

It is always a good idea to use the rest of your time to review what you’ve written, make any adjustments and check your spelling and grammar. Remember – SPaG in this question is worth 4 marks.

Students usually think that spending more time on writing will gain more marks, but this isn't true: more essay doesn’t mean more marks! Examiners prefer shorter, well-planned responses that have a clear argument throughout.

Indeed, long essays that are unstructured and sprawling can in fact lose marks for being unfocused. Therefore, it is vital to always set aside time to write a plan.

Regardless of which Shakespeare play you study, the type of question you’ll need to write an essay for will be the same. You will be asked a question that asks you to analyse and write in detail about an aspect of the play. Your answer will need to address both an extract from the play that you will be given and the play as a whole.

It is tempting to jump straight in and start analysing the extract immediately. However, completing the steps below first will ensure you answer the question in the way that examiners are looking for.

6 key steps to answer the Shakespeare exam question effectively:

1. The very first thing you should do once you open your exam paper is to look at the question:

• This sounds obvious, but it’s really crucial to read through the question a few times 
• Why is this important? Regardless of what subject you’re being examined in, the single biggest mistake most students make in their exams is not reading the question through carefully enough that they answer the question they think they’re being asked, rather than the question they’ve actually been asked 
• It’s especially important to get this right in your GCSE English Literature exams, because you only have five essay questions to answer across two papers, so if you misread a question, you’re potentially costing yourself a large number of marks

2. Identify the keywords of the question

• The keywords are the focus of the question: the specific themes, ideas or characters the examiners want you to focus on
• For the above question, the keywords of the question are “the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families” 
• This is the theme the examiners want you to explore in your essay
• Do not be tempted to write a question on a related theme, even if you have revised more for it: this will affect your overall mark badly, as you won’t be directly answering the question! 
• Although this is a related theme, your answer won’t be focused on the question and will lose you marks

3. Critically evaluate the idea or theme of the question in terms of the play as a whole

• Think: what is this question asking, and what is it not asking?
• It is asking you to explore conflict – an ongoing fight or struggle – between the two families
• The question is not asking you to explore any other conflict, for example, conflict among families (Juliet’s conflict with her own family)
• Again, writing about related ideas will actually lose you marks as you aren’t answering the exact question you have been set. The examiner isn’t going to reward you extra marks for information that is factually correct or demonstrates a great understanding of the play if the information is not relevant to the question being asked

4. Now you have identified and evaluated the key idea or theme of the question, read the contextual information above the extract:

• At this point in the play, the Prince has arrived…
• This information, alongside your knowledge of what the theme the examiners are asking you to explore in the question, are vital clues that help you decode the extract

5. Contextualise the extract further yourself, before reading it

• Think: what else happens before and after this point in the play?
• Which characters are involved?
• How does it link to other parts of the text?
• Therefore, even at this stage, it is good to think about how the theme of the question develops before and after this point in the play

6. Read the extract with all of the above information (the keywords from the question; the context) in mind

• This will enable you to pick out quotations and analyse only the most relevant parts of the extract in the context of the play as a whole, and the question you have been set

Planning your essay is absolutely vital to achieving the highest marks. Examiners always stress that the best responses are those that have a logical, well-structured argument that comes with spending time planning an answer. This, in turn, will enable you to achieve the highest marks for each assessment objective. The main assessment objectives are:

• Your plan should include all aspects of your response, covering all of the assessment objectives, but mainly focusing on AO1:
• Your overall argument, or thesis (AO1)
• Your topic sentences  for all your paragraphs (AO1)
• The quotations you will be using and analysing from the extract (AO1)
• The quotations you will be using and analysing from elsewhere in the play (AO1)
• A sense of why Shakespeare makes the choices he does (AO2)
• A sense of what contextual factors give further insight into the ideas and theme presented in the question (AO3)
• Therefore, a plan may look like the following:

Some other tips:

• The questions have been designed to enable as many students as possible to write essays 
• Examiners say that the inclusion of a counter-argument is often unnecessary and unhelpful
• It can affect your AO1 mark negatively
• Think of the extract as a stepping stone to the whole text
• Examiners prefer an “integrated approach”:  paragraphs which include related analysis of both extract and the whole play 
• Examiners dislike essays which treat the extract and the rest of the play as “separate entities”: when students analyse the extract in the first half of their essays, and then the rest of the play in the second half of their response – t his would mean your answer doesn’t cover the full scope of the question, and your AO1 mark would be affected 

Given the time pressure of the exam, there is always a temptation for students to do without a plan, especially if they feel they understand the focus of the question well. However, this is a mistake. 

The exam board states: “Where students have written a plan, there is often a sense of a coherent and organised response, for which references and quotations have been selected to support the student’s argument.”

What this means is that writing a plan not only enables you to achieve the highest AO1 marks (for organisation of argument) but also helps you select the most precise quotations and references, which will lead to a more relevant analysis of the writer’s methods (AO2).

Once you have read and evaluated the question, read and analysed the extract and created a clear plan, you are ready to begin writing. Below is a guide detailing what to include.

Your essay should include:

• An introduction with a thesis statement
• A number of paragraphs (three is ideal!), each covering a separate point. It’s a great idea to start each paragraph with a topic sentence  
• A conclusion

Introduction

• Your introduction should aim to answer the question – clearly and briefly
• The best way to do this is to include a thesis statement
• A thesis statement is a short statement (one or two sentences) that summarises the main point or claim your argument is making:
• You should include the exact words from the question in your thesis statement
• Examiners want to see your own opinion : your interpretation of what Shakespeare is trying to show
• Your thesis statement should also attempt to explain why you think Shakespeare has presented his characters in the way he has: what is he trying to say overall? What is his message?:
• A good way to think about this is to ask: what is Shakespeare’s one big idea in terms of the characters or themes addressed in the question?
• Include contextual ideas and perspectives to help explain Shakespeare’s intentions
• Including Shakespeare’s message or one big idea helps create a “conceptualised response”, for which examiners award the highest marks
• An example of a thesis statement:

Thesis statement:

“Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as destructive and ultimately self-defeating. He does this to challenge contemporary ideas on family ties and honour, suggesting that conflicts such as these only end in an inescapable cycle of violence.”

• You will not be rewarded for including the same information twice, so don’t waste time repeating yourself
• “I believe that Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict…” ❌
• “Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as … in order to show …” ✅
• This will ensure your response is to what examiners call the “full task”
• A topic sentence is an opening sentence which details the focus of its paragraph
• It should include the words of the question
• All topic sentences must relate to your thesis
• They should be seen as sub-points that provide a more specific and narrower focus than your thesis statement
• Everything that follows a topic sentence in a paragraph must support the point it makes

Example of a topic sentence:

“Shakespeare presents the effects of conflict between the Capulets and the Montagues as fatal, even for those characters who do not wish to fight.”

• This is what examiners call an “integrated approach”
• Don’t separate your analysis of the rest of the play into different paragraphs
• The examiners stated that the best students “dip in and out of both the extract and the whole text to select details which support their argument as appropriate”
• You may have learned PEE, PEAL, PEED or other structures for your paragraphs
• However, examiners often say that although these are excellent for learning what to include in essays, they can be limiting in an exam
• Instead, be led by the ideas in the text, and prove your own argument (both the overall thesis, and your topic sentences)
• This can result in improved marks for AO1
• A conclusion for a Shakespeare essay should only summarise the proof you have provided for your thesis
• It only needs to be two or three sentences long
• It should include the words of the question and your thesis
• Remember, you do not get rewarded for including the same information twice

An example of a conclusion:

“In summary, Shakespeare presents the effects of the conflict between the Capulet and Montague families as disastrous, not just for those directly involved in the struggle, but even for those characters who wished to escape the conflict. Romeo and Juliet’s deaths – as well as the untimely murders of Mercutio and Tybalt – show how irrational family ties and ideas about honour bring about only endless violence and destroy even the youngest and most innocent bound up in these conflicts.”

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Author: Nick

Nick is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and King’s College London. He started his career in journalism and publishing, working as an editor on a political magazine and a number of books, before training as an English teacher. After nearly 10 years working in London schools, where he held leadership positions in English departments and within a Sixth Form, he moved on to become an examiner and education consultant. With more than a decade of experience as a tutor, Nick specialises in English, but has also taught Politics, Classical Civilisation and Religious Studies.

Twelfth Night

By william shakespeare, twelfth night essay questions.

To what extent is Twelfth Night related to the holiday after which it is named?

Twelfth Night is titled after a holiday celebration that takes place on the last night of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Many speculate that Shakespeare wrote the play to be performed during Twelfth Night festivities, though its composition history is largely uncertain. The play does share elements in common with the holiday, however, notably through its focus on food/indulgence and role reversal. Traditionally, Twelfth Night festivities were a time to imagine a topsy-turvy society in which gender could be performed and social status was not fixed. Both the cross-dressing character of Viola and the ambitious servant Malvolio embody these themes.

How do Viola and Olivia both represent instances of gender role-reversal?

While the discourse around gender roles in the play usually focuses on Viola because of her cross-dressing endeavor as Cesario, Olivia is another character who defies gender roles, not through her appearance but through her behavior. Despite swearing off men for seven years to mourn her brother, Olivia quickly falls in love with Cesario and boldly pursues him with the adamance of a male suitor. Then, when Sebastian arrives in Illyria, Olivia proposes to him, assuming he is Cesario. Olivia's actions throughout the play are persistent and bold, showcasing her own form of gender reversal as she steps into the role of romantic aggressor.

How does the play suggest that Orsino's love for Olivia is not genuine?

The beginning of the play features a grim Orsino lamenting his love for Olivia, so much so that he asks to be made sick by "the food of love" in order to eliminate his appetite for desire altogether. However, the play suggests through his various complaints that his love for Olivia is misguided. Most notably, when describing the first time he saw Olivia, he says that he was turned into a hart (a male deer) and hunted by his own desire. This metaphor is an unconventional take on the image of the hart (usually a woman) being pursued by a hunter (usually a male lover). That Orsino thinks of himself as both the pursuer and the pursued is a reflection of his self-interest that he has interpreted as affection for Olivia.

What significance does Feste have in the events of the play?

Feste is a professional fool, meaning he is employed to entertain the people he serves. Feste subscribes to the early modern theatrical convention of assigning the fool the wisest role in the play. More often than not, Feste understands more about the characters' intentions than they do themselves, and he frequently comments on some of the play's major ironies and tensions. He is also a mouthpiece for meta-theatrical commentary, as he expresses both his appreciation and skepticism for people who work with words (like Shakespeare and other playwrights). Feste warns that words are like gloves that can be turned inside out, manipulated, and misinterpreted, raising questions for the audience about the role of playwrights and poets in society.

What are audiences to make of Orsino's decision to continue referring to Viola as Cesario?

At the end of the play, Viola reveals her true identity and stability is seemingly restored – Viola marries Orsino and Olivia marries Sebastian. However, Orsino remarks to his betrothed that as long as she is dressed as a man, he will continue to call her Cesario. This ending has puzzled critics for years, as it seems to challenge the notion that all is returned to "normal" at the end of the play. What Orsino's choice ultimately suggests is something that contemporary audiences will likely recognize throughout the earlier acts of the play – that part of Viola's appeal is due to her androgynous appearance as a cross-dressing woman. Of course, Orsino's choice could also be a playful nod toward the fact that the actor playing Viola would have been a young man, himself dressed in drag to portray a woman.

Twelfth Night Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Twelfth Night is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Question In Twelfth Night, which event is part of the resolution? Responses Malvolio receives a love letter. Malvolio receives a love letter. Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked. Viola and Sebastian are shipwrecked. Viola, disguised as Cesario, meets O

• Sir Toby and Maria are married.

Discuss Viola's use of her disguise in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

After the shipwreck, Viola resolves to make the best of her situation and be taken into Orsino's service. As a young eunuch named Cesario, she will be safe from male attentions. Viola is quickly taken into Orsino's confidence, and he tells her all...

How do valentines entrance and message affects the plot?

Orsino's servant Valentine, whom Orsino sent to give his affections to Olivia, returns; Valentine was not allowed to speak directly to Olivia, but Olivia sent a message, via her handmaiden, that Olivia will continue to mourn her dead brother, and...

Study Guide for Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night study guide contains a biography of William Shakespeare, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Twelfth Night
• Twelfth Night Summary
• Twelfth Night Video
• Character List

Essays for Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Twelfth Night.

• The Role of the Fool: Feste's Significance
• The Fool as a Playwright in Twelfth Night
• It is Theater
• To Believe, or Not To Believe
• The Function of Plot Divisions in Twelfth Night and in Doctor Faustus

Lesson Plan for Twelfth Night

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Twelfth Night
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Twelfth Night Bibliography

E-Text of Twelfth Night

The Twelfth Night e-text contains the full text of Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare.

• List of Characters

Wikipedia Entries for Twelfth Night

• Introduction

• Essay Topics
• Homework Help
• Essay Types
• Essay Examples
• Become a Tutor

100 Shakespeare Essay Topics for You to Reflect On

Writing your essay on Shakespeare may seem difficult to most students, which is true… until you find our list of 100 amazing essay topics that you can reflect on and choose for your future paper! Even if you already have a problem assigned by your teacher, we are sure that our guide will help you to avoid the common mistakes. We have intentionally divided Shakespeare essay topics by subject, so you can instantly head over to the one that interests you!

Contents (Clickable)

   Take a Look These Great Shakespeare Essay Topics Before You Start:

Before we leave you to look through the vast amount of topics, we have a real treat for you! Our professional English tutors have picked several unique Shakespeare essay examples from our essay database. This way you can look through the actual papers to see the structure and get an idea of how it is done to receive the best grade possible! Since the students always ask us for essay examples, we have listened to your requests, so here you go:

• Shakespeare Hamlet – This paper is an excellent example of a structure that allows you to see what essay elements have to be included and how to do it right.
• Leadership Assignment: What Makes Shakespeare’s King Henry V a Perfect Leader? – For those who like to challenge themselves in an unusual way, this paper explores the soft skills and personality of King Henry V by comparing it with the present times.
• The Symbolism of Nature in Shakespeare’s Richard II – This paper analyzes metaphors, allegories, the mood, setting and the other poetic devices that majority of English literature essays require!
• Othello: Lago’s Character Analysis – Here we have an example of a paper that focuses on a specific element of a play (the character), so if you have a task of such kind, take a closer look!
• Critiques of Sonnets: Sonnet 130 and The Theme of Pain – For the creative minds among us is the paper that compares student’s personal sonnet to Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130!

Now that we have the examples to start with, let us proceed with the list of our Shakespeare essay topics, divided by subject!

Before you start with a selection of a topic that fits you, make sure that you ask your college professor or a teacher about the following:

• Your chosen topic (if allowed to choose) and your thesis statement (if you already have it!).
• Style or a type of your essay (reflective, comparative, debate, analytical, review, etc.).
• Format requirements .
• Word count limit.
• Necessity of a draft and the first deadline.

Trust us, asking about the requirements twice and sorting the possible misunderstandings out will save you the time and nerves! Now, straight to the topics!

   A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay Topics

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a comedy play. It is set on Fairyland. It talks about the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus and the former queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta. The play also narrates of adventures of four Athenian lovers and six amateur actors.

• What types of love are present in the play? How is the love portrayed in the play? Enumerate scenes from the play to justify your answer.
• How is love portrayed in the context of the gender of the characters?
• Do you see any gender issues in the play? If so, cite them. Do you think that the gender issues you cited are still prevalent in today’s society? Why or why not?
• What are the behaviors of men and women in the play? Why do you think they act that way?
• What is the conflict in the play? Why do you think so?
• How did the characters develop in the play?
• Why do you think Puck is considered as the protagonist?
• Compare and contrast the characters’ perspective on love. Choose one human and one fairy character to make your comparison.
• Why is fantasy (Fairies and magic) present in A Midsummer Night’s Dream? What is its significance? Do you think that it symbolizes something? Why or why not?
• What do you think is/are the significance of the settings of the play? How do the norms differ in each of the settings?
• What are the similarities and differences between the movie version and the play?
• What is/are the themes of the play?
• What is/are the darker aspects of the play? Cite and justify your claims.
• Why is the title of the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream ?
• Read about the criticisms of the play. It can be a literary or a feminist critique. Do you agree or disagree with the critiques? Justify your answer.
• In what ways is this play considered a comedy? Cite some instances in the story.

   Julius Caesar Research Paper Topics

Julius Caesar is a historical and tragedy play. It is based on the events of the Roman civilization.

• How did Caesar rise into power? And what factors have led to his downfall?
• Do you think that ambition led to Caesar’s downfall? Do you think that he is ambitious to a fault? Justify your argument.
• Discuss the political setting/dynamics of the play. How do politics work during Caesar’s time?
• Discuss the setting of the play. You can also highlight the culture and values of the Roman Republic.
• What is/are the role of women in the play and the Roman Republic?
• What role/s do superstitions play in the story?
• What compelled Brutus to murder Caesar, his close friend? Do an analysis.
• How did Brutus and Anthony manage to sway the people’s opinion on Caesar? What were their tactics?
• How are fate and free will manifested in the play?
• Research any political assassination (Ex: Martin Luther King’s assassination ). What are the similarities or differences between your chosen political assassination to Caesar’s assassination?
• Write a comparative analysis of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Homer’s The Odyssey.
• How did Plutarch and Shakespeare portray Julius Caesar?
• Compare and contrast one character from Julius Caesar to another character from Shakespeare’s other work (s) (Ex: Othello )
• In your opinion, do you think that the death of Caesar was justified?
• If you were in Brutus’ shoes, would you kill Caesar? Why or why not? Justify your answer.
• Do you think that Brutus was a dishonorable man, considering that he is a traitor to his country and his friend? Why or why not?

   King Lear Essay Topics

King Lear is another of Shakespeare’s tragic plays. Set in ancient Britain, King Lear decides to give up his power and to divide his kingdom amongst his daughters, namely Cordelia, Regan, and Goneril. The largest land will go to the daughter who can profess her love to him the most.

• What are the themes tackled in King Lear?
• What is the significance of old age and death in the play?
• King Lear has a subplot. Discuss the role the subplot plays in the story and give examples.
• In what ways does King Lear fit the template of a tragic hero?
• Between Edmund, Gloucester, and King Lear, who is the most sympathetic character? Take note that these characters have changed as the play progresses.
• What is the role and significance of the Fool in King Lear? Cite examples from the play.
• Write a comparative analysis of King Lear and Oedipus Rex.
• In your opinion, who among the characters is the most interesting? Why?
• How does Shakespeare build tension in King Lear? Cite instances from the play.
• Relate the characters Edmund, Goneril, and Regan with Machiavelli’s principles. Which of the characters are the most Machiavellian? In what ways do Machiavelli’s principles manifest in the characters?
• How is King Lear similar to Kurosawa’s film Ran in terms of characters, plot, and the themes ?
• Discuss and analyze the parent-child relationship in King Lear.

   Macbeth Essay Topics

It is a tragedy about a Scottish general named Macbeth . The plot revolves since the moment when the three witches prophesied that he would be the King of Scotland someday.

• What instances led to Macbeth’s madness? How did he change as a person?
• What is the significance of the three witches in the play? How are they characterized?
• Enumerate the prophecies of the three witches. How were these prophecies fulfilled?
• What do ambition and power signify in the play?
• Do you think that Macbeth is misogynistic? Why or why not? Give examples.
• What do you think is the difference between kingship and tyranny?
• Blood is present in Macbeth. What do you think it symbolizes?
• What role does the weather play in Macbeth? Write down what it symbolizes.
• Are gender roles/issues present in the play? How are these roles/issues illustrated in the play?
• Compare and contrast Macbeth and Malcolm. What makes these men similar and different?
• Is Lady Macbeth or Macbeth most responsible for King Duncan’s murder? Justify.
• Give two minor characters and write how they contributed to the play.

   Othello Essay Topics

Othello is about a general (moor) in the Venetian army and Iago, his ensign. It is one of Shakespeare’s tragic plays.

• What is the role of revenge and jealousy in the play? Give examples.
• Discuss racism in the context of the play. Then, relate it to racism during the Elizabethan period.
• How do other characters portray Othello? How does Othello portray himself? Elaborate on the role of race in the play.
• In your opinion, do you think that Othello is a well-rounded character? Does he fit the template of a tragic hero?
• Do a character analysis of Desdemona.
• Do a feminist critique of Desdemona.
• How did Othello’s flaws lead to his downfall?
• Analyze Iago’s plan . Do you think that it was well-planned or were there luck and opportunity involved?
• Iago is skilled in persuasion. How did Iago manage to convince Roderigo and Brabantio?
• Discuss the role of irony in the play. How is irony used to conceal Iago and Othello’s plans?
• How is loyalty presented in the play? Discuss both its positive and negative aspects of the characters.
• Why do you think that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship was bound to fail? Why was it doomed to fail right from the beginning of the play?
• Do a cultural and historical-critical analysis of Othello.
• Interpret Othello in a Marxist perspective.

   Romeo and Juliet Essay Prompts

While almost anyone knows the plot of the play well, it is still really difficult to come up with a good essay prompt! Have no fear as we know our job! For those who have forgotten, Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy play centering on Romeo and Juliet and the Capulet-Montague family feud.

• Do you agree that Friar Lawrence is to be blamed for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet?
• Why do you think that Romeo and Juliet are considered as “star-crossed lovers”?
• Do you think that the themes in the play are also present in today’s time? Why or why not?
• What is the role of fate/destiny in the play? Do you consider fate/destiny as part of the play’s theme?
• Do you consider Juliet as a feminist? Why or why not?
• How are men and women perceived in Romeo and Juliet?
• Choose one or two characters from the play and do character analysis.
• What is the role of Mercutio in the play? Do you think that he is only a supporting character? Justify your answer.
• How did Juliet develop as a character in the play? What sort of changes occurred and why did the said changes happen?
• Compare and contrast the maturity level of Romeo and Juliet. How have they matured throughout the play? Cite instances.
• How did the Montague-Capulet family feud drive the play’s plot?
• Discuss the parenting styles of Romeo and Juliet’s family. What is the impact of their parenting styles on the young couple?
• Relate the philosophy of death with the couple’s suicidal tendencies.
• Do you think that Romeo and Juliet love each other? Or is it just pure lust or infatuation? Justify your answer.
• Do you think that the couple’s suicidal tendencies are part of pure love or being addicted to love?
• Relate the Romeo and Juliet’s suicidal tendencies to young love.

   The Merchant of Venice Essay Topics

The Merchant of Venice is a romantic comedy play centered around the story of Bassanio, a young Venetian, who needs 3,000 ducats to impress the heiress Portia of Belmont. It is also about the merchant named Antonio, who is short on cash because he invested it on his ships.

• Compare and contrast Venice and Belmont. What does the difference in setting signify?
• What purpose do the three caskets serve in The Merchant of Venice? How do the caskets work as a plot device? What do the choices of Portia’s suitors signify in the play?
• How are the female characters portrayed in the play? What was the status of women in the Elizabethan era?
• What is/are the influence/s of radical feminism in The Merchant of Venice?
• Discuss racism and discrimination in the play. Cite instances to justify your argument.
• How is Portia’s life different or similar to the other characters in the play? Describe the similarities and differences.
• Discuss the friendship of Antonio and Bassanio. What does their friendship say about their personalities?
• Write about the relationship between Shylock and Jessica. In this context, do you sympathize or despise Shylock? Do you sympathize with Jessica? Why or why not?
• Do you think The Merchant of Venice is a comedy considering that it is mostly known for its dramatic scenes? Why or why not?
• Do you think that Shylock is a well-rounded character? If so, what makes him well-rounded?
• Do you sympathize with Shylock? Why or why not?
• Why do you think Shylock is justifying his revenge for Antonio? Justify your answer.
• Who is the most interesting character in the play? Why do you find him/her interesting?
• Do you see Portia as a radical feminist? Justify your answer.

There you go! Now that you have found your way through Shakespeare essay topic, prompts, and the ideas, it is always good to check up with brief biographical information that is advisable to include in your essay!

   Who Is William Shakespeare?

We may know his plays well, but most people know very little about the person behind the plays that we usually read in school!

   William Shakespeare’s Early Life

William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. However, scholars speculated and acknowledged that he was born on April 23, 1564. He was an actor, a playwright, and a poet.

On November 28, 1583, 18-year-old William married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway (Yes, that’s his wife’s name!) in Worcester, located in Canterbury province. The couple’s first child was Susanna (May 26, 1583). They had twins- Hamnet and Judith two years later. Later on, 11-year-old Hamnet died of unknown causes.

   Shakespeare’s Career, Death, and Legacy

Documents have shown that William was a managing partner in an acting company in London called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men by early 1590s. The name was changed to King’s Men when King James I was crowned in 1603.

The company was popular, and William was said to have his works sold and published. Moreover, he was known to work as an actor and playwright in London by 1592.

He dedicated his poems Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594) to the Earl of Southampton, Henry Wriothesley.

Out of 37 of his plays, 15 of them were already written and produced. William and his business partners built the Globe, their own theater, in 1599 located on the Thames River.

William Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616, when he was only 52-years-old. Interestingly, he was not recognized until the 19th century, beginning from the early 1800s and until the Victorian age. Of course, William’s Shakespeare’s works are still read and studied, so the legacy lives on!

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ESSAY SAUCE

FOR STUDENTS : ALL THE INGREDIENTS OF A GOOD ESSAY

Shakespeare Essay Questions

How to answer shakespeare essay questions – sample questions, 1. question: ‘who is the more evil, macbeth or lady macbeth’.

This is a very common essay on Macbeth which is basically asking you to consider the relative evil of the two central characters. Actually, a Shakespeare essay which asks you to compare and contrast characters in this way is a gift because you can easily use the knowledge you have of the play as a whole but filter it through the characters under discussion.

In the case of Macbeth, you will have done considerable work on both of these characters if you are studying the play and therefore all you need to do is to decide what your response is to the question – in other words, which of them do you consider the more evil?

It is easy to opt for  Lady Macbeth , she influences her husband towards the evil deeds which they both commit and she urges him to carry on when he is wavering (as in Act I, Scene v). However, Lady Macbeth is only involved directly in the murder of Duncan and is driven mad by guilt whereas Macbeth continues on his murderous rampage right until the end and is not seen to be really effected by guilt at all and is so closely identified as being like the witches that they recognise him via the ‘pricking of their thumbs’ and when he speaks to them he speaks, as they do, in true rhyme rather than blank verse.

Therefore, a balanced response to this question might be:

• Outline the different viewpoints in your introduction and suggest ways in which you intend to look at this.
• Develop your argument in your essay over three paragraphs in the main body, the first looking at Macbeth, the second at Lady Macbeth and the third comparing the two.
• Conclude your essay on Macbeth by summarising your main points and giving a simple response to the initial question that you now feel you have answered.

Remember that any  Shakespeare essay  will expect you to focus on the language used and the structure so you must always analyse your quotes and all points of your argument must be supported by evidence from the text.

See example essay answer here .

2. Question: ‘Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is about passion, about violence as much as love.’ Discuss this statement with close reference the text.

This type of  Shakespeare essay  requires you to consider a famous play from a different angle. The classic story of Shakespeare’s ‘star crossed lovers’ is here expected to be reassessed so that the underlying theme of violence which causes the tragedy, the hatred which denies the love, is brought to the fore. You should begin this essay by looking at the key scenes which deal with violence in the play:

• The opening (Act I, Scene i) where the eruption of violence between the servants shows how the feud really does effect everyone even connected with the houses of Montague and Capulet, introduces Tybalt’s aggression, the role of Benvolio as peacemaker and the foreshadowing warning of the Prince that the feud and violence cannot continue unpunished. This scene is in many ways the emblem of this Shakespeare play.
• The murder of Mercutio and Tybalt (Act III, Scene i) which follows the secret marriage of  Rome and Juliet  and crystallises the battle between good and evil in the play, as well as the futility of the feud as Mercutio dies crying ‘a plague a’ both your houses’.
• The struggle between  Juliet and her parents  where her father’s ‘finger’s itch’ (Act III, Scene v) and she stands alone despite her youth in  defiance for love of Romeo .
• The  murder of Paris by Romeo at Juliet’s tomb (Act V, Scene iii) .

Structure this essay around close analysis of these scenes of violence, drawing attention to how they juxtapose with the love scenes. This is an essay that needs almost as much attention to the perception as to the language because the themes overlap and inform each other so you should concentrate on identifying those themes in the key scenes, analysing central quotations from each and structuring a basic five paragraph essay around them:

• Introduction
• Main body (three paragraphs)

The whole essay  must, of course, be well supported by evidence throughout, displaying the love and hatred.

3. Question: Consider the idea that Shakespeare’s Henry V embodies the idea of Shakespeare’s ideal king

This essay  is asking you not just to consider one play, or one character, but the way in which the play forms a culmination to a series of plays which  Shakespeare wrote  about kingship. In Henry V, he continues a theme which he has begun in Richard II i.e. what makes a good king?

This play develops a character first introduced as the wild young  Prince Hal in Henry IV  and now the audience has to believe that this ‘boy king’ can become a man whom his subjects not only respect but love. He does this by allowing the audience of this Shakespeare play to see both the inner struggles of the man and the strength of the anointed king, best exemplified by the famous St Crispin’s Day speech which follows Henry’s lone wander amongst his men in disguise, the night before the Battle of Agincourt (Act IV, Scene iii).

This essay requires that you focus on the way that Shakespeare shows Prince Hal’s development into Henry V, and also consider how he uses the interaction between the king and those around him to show this: his court, the church, the common men and his friends.

A suitable structure for this essay might be:

• An introduction centring on your thesis statement on Shakespeare’s intent and the methodology you intend to employ to show this.
• A main body of three paragraphs, the first identifying Henry’s early rebukes by those in authority, the second featuring his overcoming these one by one and establishing his kingship and the third showing how all of these blend to demonstrate not only Henry’s divine right to be king (like Richard II but unlike his father, the usurper Bolingbroke, who became  Henry IV ) but also his fitness for the role as ‘all things to all men’ and a strong leader.
• A conclusion which pulls together your ideas on the question and sums up your ideas. Remember that this play is the climax of a series of plays and this essay  should reflect that by showing some knowledge of the ethos behind the play to gain maximum marks. As with all of these Shakespeare plays, close analysis of the text is essential.

4. Question: ‘Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar is as much about Elizabethan politics as it is about those of ancient Rome.’ Consider this statement by focusing on close analysis of the speeches of Brutus and Antony following Caesar’s assassination.

This essay asks you to do two things:

• Place the play in the context of Elizabethan political tensions
• Show your skills in analysis by comparing and contrasting the two identified speeches.

You should begin this essay by writing about the political scene in Shakespeare’s time.  Julius Caesar  was first performed in 1599, a time of great political tension, as the long-reigning monarch, Elizabeth, was reaching the end of her life, she had no heir and refused to name one. Also, her life had been perpetually threatened throughout her reign by Roman Catholic plots to put her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots, on the throne.

Elizabeth was very much aware of the power of the theatre to influence her people, to the extent that she had banned the performance of Shakespeare’s Richard II. Shakespeare might thus be said to have been able to discuss contemporary politics more easily through the medium of history. All of this should be addressed in the first part of this essay.

The second part of the essay should focus mainly on analysis. As the question asks you to examine the speeches of Antony and Brutus following  Caesar’s assassination  (Act III, Scene ii) in particular, you should do that, comparing and contrasting the effectiveness of each in turn, the malleability of the crowd, the different approaches (Brutus to reason and patriotism, Antony to emotion and loyalty). It would be useful to comment, also, on the individual ambition of each.

This Shakespeare essay can easily follow the structure of the five paragraph essay, with the historical background being dealt with largely in the introduction and first paragraph and the remaining two paragraphs of the main body addressing the analysis of the speeches of Brutus and Antony in turn.

You should conclude this Shakespeare essay by commenting on the connection between the politics which caused the  assassination of Julius Caesar  and those prevailing at the time of Elizabeth, together with some closing comments on how each informs the other.

5. Question: Choose ONE soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and say how it reflects the major themes of the play

This type of  essay  is commonly seen on examination papers, often with a passage actually given to you as opposed to here where you select the passage yourself. On an exam paper, it would be extended to ask you how the given speech can be linked to another similar one elsewhere in the play.

In this essay, you need first to focus on choosing the soliloquy you wish to discuss. As Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most introspective play , dealing with inaction rather than action, it should be quite easy to find a soliloquy to analyse in detail for your essay.

To take one example, in  Act I, Scene ii, Hamlet encapsulates his feelings about his own situation, the state of the country, the rule of his uncle, the death of his father, his opinions on his mother’s indecent haste in marrying his uncle and his own inability to do anything about it. All of these are major themes of the play which can be drawn out by close analysis of this one soliloquy and developed in your essay.

Follow the structure of the basic five paragraph essay:

• Introduction (one paragraph, saying why you have chosen the soliloquy that you have and the main themes you hope to identify)
• Main body (three paragraphs, each dealing with one or more themes you have identified) supported by textual analysis
• Conclusion (one paragraph, drawing together your thoughts on the play as reflected in your chosen soliloquy).

Focus particularly on analysis in this essay, as the question asks you to select a soliloquy and identify themes from it. You can only do this effectively in your essay by close-reading of the text. You need to quote and analyse thoroughly throughout in order to gain the maximum marks in this type of essay.

Remember that  Hamlet  is considered by many to be  Shakespeare’s masterpiece and your essay should reflect this by giving priority to exploration of the themes as evidenced in the language and to the fact that the soliloquies witness to the fact that Hamlet is always the primary centre of consciousness in the play.

6. Question: ‘When Malvolio falls, he invites pity not laughter.’ How far do you consider this to be applicable to the nature of the comedy in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

This Shakespeare essay asks you to consider the darker side of Shakespeare’s comedies, specifically, here,  Twelfth Night . Increasingly, this is the way that Shakespeare’s comedies are staged and filmed because they seem more palatable to a 21st century audience if viewed in this way, since the comedy itself can seem rather out of step with today’s world if produced as merely farcical; much more out of step, in fact, than in the tragedies.

You need to think carefully in this essay about the way that Shakespeare presents the character of Malvolio (if a character is named in a question, they should provide the central focus).

Initially, he is a social climbing, pompous fool, far more so than the named fool in the play, Feste, who frequently acts as a sort of commentator in the play, a role that Shakespeare’s ‘fools’ often seem to occupy.

When he appears ‘yellow stockinged and cross gartered’ (Act II, Scene v) he is indeed a hilarious figure, mocked as much by his own arrogance as the trick played on him. However, when he is so far reduced in status to be wrongly imprisoned, he does invoke our pity.

Your essay needs to use this central image as the play does, to ask us to examine how close are the boundaries between tragedy and comedy and here you could bring in other themes of the play such as the supposed tragedy which causes Viola to adopt male dress in order to survive when she thinks her brother has drowned.

You should follow the standard five paragraph essay structure for this Twelfth Night Shakespeare Essay :

• The introduction, considering the narrow boundaries between comedy and tragedy in Shakespeare’s work
• The main body of three paragraphs with one on Malvolio and his interaction with the other characters, the second on the way Shakespeare develops this to make the plot darker and the third on how this reflects Shakespeare’s play as a whole.
• The conclusion, where you draw together your main points and emphasise the angle you have taken in your  essay .

7. Question: Consider the gender specific emphasis in Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare essays increasingly use the part that gender plays in Shakespeare’s comedies to examine the way that Shakespeare portrays women in general. This type of essay could be employed to discuss most of the comedies, since nearly all involve women adopting a man’s guise or taking the place of a traditional male role.

Of course, Shakespeare did this often for the practical reason that only men acted in his day and you might want to mention this in your introduction but even textually, women in Shakespeare are often presented in a strong masculine light.

This is the way you would need to approach this essay i.e. by looking at how Shakespeare presents the central characters in  Much Ado About Nothing  and how this relates to their gender. Clearly the central characters under discussion here would be Beatrice, Benedick, Hero and Claudio.

The structure to adopt would be:

• The introduction, where you discuss the role gender plays in the play as a whole and indicate the methodology that you intend to employ to address it.
• The main body, divided into three paragraphs with one paragraph on how the lovers are contrasted in the play, one on Beatrice and Benedick and one on Hero and Claudio, all supplemented by quotation and detailed analysis from the text. You should interweave these with the roles the other characters play in bringing the plot about and remain sharply focussed on the gender issues with which the question is concerned (you might examine the sparring of Beatrice and Benedick, for example, the disgrace of the falsely accused Hero and the way in which most of the men, including her father, abandon her).
• Conclude your essay with a summation of how Shakespeare uses gender in Much Ado About Nothing to show society’s degradation of women and the double standard that he saw to be operating.

Remember that the play is a comedy, so do not allow the discussion of the central issues dictated by the question to cause you to fail to comment in your essay on the witty exchanges which take place, especially between Beatrice and Benedick.

8. Question: Do you consider Richard of Gloucester to be wholly evil as presented in Shakespeare’s Richard III?

One of Shakespeare’s ‘history plays’, though sometimes categorised as a tragedy,  Richard III  is centred on the evil but charismatic,  Richard of Gloucester and his rise to power. In an essay on this play, Richard would always be the central consideration and this question is no exception. However, this Shakespeare essay also requires you to consider the idea that there might, if not be good to be found in Richard, at least be a reason provided by Shakespeare for his behaviour.

In this essay, you should look carefully at the speeches where Richard interacts uniquely with the audience, making them co-conspirators, if you like. This draws the audience into Richard’s confidence and facilitates an understanding of how Richard can influence those around him.

You need to focus on key scenes in this essay, such as the seduction of Lady Anne (Act I, Scene ii) where having murdered her husband Richard is capable of persuading her to marry him. Richard’s potent sexuality seems to be inextricably linked in the play to his evil and in this way, although Shakespeare in no way diminishes his evil propensity it does show why others follow him and you should talk about this in your essay.

In the same way, your essay should address Richard’s disability, saying how Shakespeare uses this, how Richard speaks of it and how others do. Your essay should also consider whether Richard’s childhood degradation due to his disability might be connected with his evil nature (there is textual evidence of this as a possibility which you should cite).

Use the standard five paragraph format for this Shakespeare essay, i.e.:

• Introduction – addressing the question, stating your position and the methodology you will employ.
• Main body – three paragraphs taking a different aspect of the topic as outlined above for each, with strong, well-analysed textual evidence throughout.
• Conclusion – where you sum up your argument, perhaps suggesting that although Richard’s deeds are ‘wholly evil’ the man himself might not be.

9. Question: ‘Othello is the agent of his own downfall.’ How far do you agree with this statement?

This essay requires you to consider the notion of the ‘ fatal flaw ’ which is so often applied to tragedy. The concept, Greek in origin, argues that a tragic hero ‘falls from grace’ because of a basic flaw in his character. This is reflected in many of Shakespeare’s tragedies e.g.  Macbeth’s is ambition , Hamlet’s is indecisiveness and Othello’s is jealousy. In this essay you are also being asked to make a judgement as to ‘how far’, i.e. to what extent, Othello’s propensity to jealousy  influences his tragic end.

In this essay you should focus on two things:

• The idea of the fatal flaw and how it is applicable in this case
• The connection between  Iago and Othello  and how the former uses the latter’s weakness against him. Following the standard five paragraph structure, this essay should be structured in the following way:
• The introduction – addressing the idea of the fatal flaw and how far it is applicable in this case.
• The main body – three paragraphs each of which addresses a different aspect of the topic: in this essay, it would be useful to devote one paragraph to Othello himself, one to his relationship with Iago and one to how the idea of the fatal flaw contributes to Othello’s tragedy as much as do the evil machinations of his enemy, Iago. All of these should, of course, as with any Shakespeare essay, be supported by textual evidence and analysis.
• The conclusion – in this essay, you should focus in the conclusion on stating the extent to which you feel Othello’s jealousy  is the ‘agent of his downfall’ since the question asks you directly to address this.

See example essay question here .

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Home — Essay Samples — History — Julius Caesar — The Motives Behind Cassius’s Messages in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

The Motives Behind Cassius's Messages in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

• Categories: Julius Caesar

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Words: 872 |

Published: Aug 1, 2024

Words: 872 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read

Table of contents

The manipulative nature of cassius, cassius's motives for sending the messages, the implications of cassius's actions, bibliography.

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