Topic Eight (1.8): Characters

Introduction

You are now ready to begin making detailed notes on the characters in Hamlet and gathering together, and analysing, key quotations about each one. This exercise will not only develop your understanding of the text as a whole but will also ensure you have a very thorough set of revision notes later on and that you are well on your way to learning quotations for the exam.

Review

  • You will be familiar with this from AS and/or Topic 1.2, but you may find it helpful to refer back to Chapter 10 ‘Characters’ on pages 116 to 121 in Mastering English Literature to help you with the following tasks.

Tasks

  • Make notes on each character from the play. For each one, create a separate page so you can keep your notes on each one together as you add to them.
  • First of all, jot down your own ideas about each character, listing key qualities and words you would use to describe them.
  • Now read about the characters in more depth using the following resources:

EXPLORE – Hamlet: Character Analysis (RSC) Links to an external site.

EXPLORE – Introduction to the Characters in Hamlet (Shakespeare-Online) Links to an external site.

EXPLORE – Analysis of Major Characters (SparkNotes) Links to an external site.

EXPLORE – Character Analysis (Cliffnotes) Links to an external site.

EXPLORE – Hamlet Characters (Litcharts) Links to an external site.

  • Use this Character Grid to compile useful quotations to learn on each character for the exam, and to test your analytical skills. Remember to use PQC!
  • The following is a character grid for Claudius, where examples of analysis have been provided so you can see the level of detail involved:

Download READ – Example Character Grid for Hamlet (Claudius)

  • You can either make your own grids, using the template as a model, or print out the blank templates provided. Make sure you start a new grid for each character so you can keep all of your notes on each together.

Download PRINT OUT & COMPLETE – Blank Character Grid for Hamlet

  • Remember to use literary terminology from the glossary in Mastering English Literature when analysing your chosen quotations in the ‘Comment’ column on the grid.

Top Tip

Make sure you keep a note of act, scene and line numbers with each quotation to help with revision later on.

Exam Preparation 

For advice on learning quotations and how best to use them in the exam, see the following document from General Resources:

Download READ – Quotations and the Exams

Terminology

Make sure you understand any new literary terminology covered in this topic. You may like to make flashcards of key terms now, to help you with revision later on.