Hamlet Extra Credit Assignment #3 - Characterization

Hamlet Activity: Characterization

When we read a text, the author subtly builds characters with a variety of literary techniques. When we examine and identify these techniques, we can (like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz) look behind the curtain of the author, revealing his or her methods for expressing the fullness of a character's personality.

Think about three of the main characters in Hamlet. What are three qualities or personality traits those characters exhibit? Write those three traits down beside each character's name.

How did you know these characters had those characteristics? What literary devices were used to convey those personalities?

To identify these literary techniques, read Shmoop's Hamlet Characters and Hamlet Characterization section, which looks at the way an author digs into his or her toolkit to build different characters. For the traits you've listed for each character, find three quotations from the text that prove that character exhibits those traits.

http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/characterization.html

http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/characters.html