1.The age-old question about Prince Hamlet asks what, ultimately, his problem is. What do you
think is the underlying issue(s) that affects Hamlet? Analyze one or two of Hamlet’s soliloquies
to support your thesis.
2. In Act 1, Scene 4, when Hamlet first sees the Ghost, he says he doesn’t know if it is a true ghost
or a demon. What do you make of the Ghost? Analyze the Ghost’s speech and actions and its
influence upon Hamlet to support your thesis.
3. In his first soliloquy, in Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet implies that he has thought about suicide (“selfslaughter”)
but hasn’t committed it because it is against sacred law. In the “To be, or not to be”
soliloquy, in Act 3, Scene 1, he admits to himself that he is afraid of death and the afterlife.
Ophelia, on the other hand, does commit suicide. What do these facts reveal about Ophelia?
How does she compare to Hamlet?
