Those Body Paragraphs: Hamlet Lit Analysis

The number one rule to remember is to stay away from plot summary. Instead of writing a book report, we want to write a literature analysis essay.

One helpful way to accomplish this is to follow the TREAT model:

T- Topic sentence (this still should fit the 3 Ps)

R- (This can be some plot summary- but make it short, include only what is necessary

E- Evidence

A- Analysis

T- Tie it together

The most important part of this model is the “Analysis” step- this is what you will usually be graded on most heavily in lit analysis essays.

When analyzing direct text (in this case Shakespeare’s Hamlet), you want to try and accomplish three steps:

A.    Consider what is said in the actual quote through its subtleties of the imagery and ideas expressed. Basically, what is the author saying without saying? (Is there symbolism, a deeper meaning, figurative meaning? What is Shakespeare really trying to say?)

B.    Assess how the quote is said, considering how the word choice, the ordering or ideas, sentence structure, etc., contribute to the meaning of the passage. What specific words is that character using? (You already did this with Claudius’s opening speech when he uses words like “our”).

C.    Connect this analysis of the passage back to the significance of the text as a whole. What were you originally trying to say in your thesis statement, and how does this point you are making with the quote help contribute to your original argument?

 

Feel free to change up the formula. Often, writers will include two quotes per paragraph (this is especially true when your prompt has to do with two different characters). If this is the case, instead go repeat the middle three sections (___, Evidence, Analysis) before tying it back together.

Label the following body paragraphs in terms of how it effectively uses the TREAT model and how it includes the three steps of analysis. Are these ultimately effective body paragraphs?

           

            Before Hamlet and Ophelia ever meet onstage, other characters offer their own theories about Hamlet’s true feelings which only continue to keep their true relationship clouded in mystery. Laertes compares Hamlet’s love to a blooming “violet,” calling it “sweet, but not lasting” (I.iii.8). He worries that the prince will give his sister a bad reputation by stealing her “chaste treasure” (I.iii.3) and then refusing to marry her. Polonius initially characterizes Hamlet as a smooth sweet-talker, but later revises his opinion, arguing strenuously that Ophelia’s withdrawal of affection is what causes the Hamlet to go mad. Even the shallow minded queen hopes for Ophelia’s beauty and looks to be what can truly captivate Hamlet’s attention. In the third Act, the reader finally witnesses a conversation between Ophelia and Hamlet which brings more clarity to their complex relationship.

 

During the famous balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is given a chance to display her impressive maturity which only demonstrates to the audience that she has a bold and balanced reaction to the male-dominated society. Building on the foundation Shakespeare laid out in Juliet’s opening scene with her mother, the young woman continues to speak her mind while simultaneously remaining rational in her thoughts. Even before the audience hears a single word from her, her stunning appearance alone inspires Romeo to praise her presence and compare her to the “sun,” a comparison that only helps reinforce the image of Juliet as a strong and powerful woman. Initially during the balcony scene, before Romeo reveals himself, Juliet is overtaken by love as she attempts to rationalize her way around Romeo’s “Montague” problem: “Tis but thy name that is my enemy:/ Thou art thyself, though not a Montague” (2.2.38-39). During this conversation with herself, Juliet cleverly considers the issue surrounding her lover’s familial standing in Verona.  While it is often assumed that young romantics are unable to unite love and reason together, this passage demonstrates Juliet’s ability to see Romeo as a man separate from his role in society. Although Shakespeare goes on to show how this mentality of the young lovers ultimately leads to tragedy, Juliet exhibits a form of romantic reasoning not seen in many other characters faced with difficult love-based dilemmas- certainly not Romeo. Juliet’s ability to reasonably separate her own feelings from society’s request for her to stay away from her family’s arch-rival contrasts with that of Ophelia, who gives no effort to detach herself from the restrictions of the prevailing social order in Hamlet