Language in "Hamlet"

I'm not in school today, so in my absence, please prepare an essay with this title:

Compare and contrast two extracts from "Hamlet" exploring how Shakespeare uses language to develop character, action and theme.

Make sure you focus especially on:

Imagery, metaphor, poetic effects (like rhyme/blank verse), repetition, verse/prose.

I will give you a short presentation about Shakespeare's language next week but to get further help you could visit these links:

Folger Shakespeare Library

About.com:Shakespeare

Please also look at the new side-bar about Shakespeare's language to the left - scroll down until you find it beneath the new picture of Christopher Marlowe.

800 words, word-processed and double-spaced (1.5 spacing works well). Hand in 28th November 2008.

Dr.M.

PS Note new links on Shakespeare's Catholicism on the left. We will be covering this topic as part of your coursework preparation and part of the study of contexts for Renaissance drama. You should have an advanced look at any of these links!

Image: Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet".