What's So Funny About Tragedy?
What follows is a compilation of the best responses to the Mock Hamlet Exam. Your homework as we prepare for the screening of Hamlet 2 is to read this page. Our answers to the quiz got us thinking in terms of the comic potential of Hamlet, which is the note on which we will be ending the class. Of course, in among the laughs are some really excellent ideas for the final paper and also some fresh insights about the various characters in Hamlet, the role of women in Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, and the connections between Hamlet and other plays we have read.
What follows is a compilation of the best responses to the Mock Hamlet Exam. Your homework as we prepare for the screening of Hamlet 2 is to read this page. Our answers to the quiz got us thinking in terms of the comic potential of Hamlet, which is the note on which we will be ending the class. Of course, in among the laughs are some really excellent ideas for the final paper and also some fresh insights about the various characters in Hamlet, the role of women in Greek and Shakespearean tragedy, and the connections between Hamlet and other plays we have read.
You’re casting a film. Who plays Polonius?
Paul Giametti. Morgan Freeman. Steve Martin. Christopher Walken. John Goodman. John C. Reilly. William H. Macy. Michael Shannon. Jim Carter-Caron from Downton Abbey. John Candy.
James Cromwell (he makes boring complex and interesting).
Steve Buscemi (he plays the weasely character all the time).
Paul Giametti. Morgan Freeman. Steve Martin. Christopher Walken. John Goodman. John C. Reilly. William H. Macy. Michael Shannon. Jim Carter-Caron from Downton Abbey. John Candy.
James Cromwell (he makes boring complex and interesting).
Steve Buscemi (he plays the weasely character all the time).
Do you like anything about Claudius?
I absolutely hate him, but from what Hamlet said, he seems to throw a great party.
No—I find Claudius to be a schemer and manipulator who forces others to do his dirty work.
Yes, I like how much he seems to believe he deserves the crown and Gertrude.
He is persistent and shameless. It’s comical.
I like his thirst for power. It’s intriguing.
He is good at taking advantage of timing and events. Evil, but skilled.
I absolutely hate him, but from what Hamlet said, he seems to throw a great party.
No—I find Claudius to be a schemer and manipulator who forces others to do his dirty work.
Yes, I like how much he seems to believe he deserves the crown and Gertrude.
He is persistent and shameless. It’s comical.
I like his thirst for power. It’s intriguing.
He is good at taking advantage of timing and events. Evil, but skilled.
Janet Zarish as Gertrude
and Jeffrey Carlson as Hamlet
in the Shakespeare Theatre Company's
production of Hamlet.
Penny Downie as Gertrude in the David Tennant version of Hamlet.
What’s Gertrude’s story?
Maybe she always thought Claudius was super hot and married Hamlet’s dad to get to Claudius. What if she was in cahoots with Claudius to murder the king from the beginning?
If I was Gertrude my reasoning for marrying Claudius would be my fear of being left alone and always needing company.
She married Claudius to avoid death/exile/the destruction of her family, and is angry at Hamlet because he is throwing his life away on a revenge quest that will mess everything up.
Gertrude’s complicit behavior following her husband’s death is a morally ambiguous element of the play. It is possible that her relationship with Hamlet’s father was unhealthy, and Claudius, a provider of support, usurped on her behalf. This would help to justify Claudius’s political ineptitude since a person motivated by a protective impulse isn’t necessarily politically savvy. The way Gertrude attempts to distance herself from Hamlet, and her inability to justify her remarriage to her emotionally inflamed son, also give weight to the complexity of her relationship with the former and latter kings.
Gertrude marries Claudius because Hamlet Sr. was too busy in state affairs to give Gertrude the attention she needed. Gertrude would defend herself by explaining that she felt neglected and unloved.
She treats Hamlet as she does because he reminds her of her ex-husband who she didn’t mourn and feels guilty. She would defend herself by saying she can’t help being in love with Claudius who seems to be the antithesis of his brother and her ex-husband. Bad vs. good—torn between the two.
From her point of view, Claudius is not a murderer and her son is a lunatic who is seeing ghosts.
I married Claudius because it is my obligation to my people to remain Queen. My son has only just lost his father and does not yet know how or have the correct mindset to rule over people. It is going to take some maturity first.
Claudius threatened to kill Hamlet if they did not marry. So to protect Hamlet she acts the way she does.
It was difficult being an unmarried woman at that time, and kingdoms would perceive the country as weak if they didn’t have a king. She needed to marry someone—it just happened to be her husband’s brother. Even then, we may assume that she loved her first husband very much, and was probably depressed and lost with his death. It’s very likely that Claudius played on these feelings in order to take the throne.
Maybe she always thought Claudius was super hot and married Hamlet’s dad to get to Claudius. What if she was in cahoots with Claudius to murder the king from the beginning?
If I was Gertrude my reasoning for marrying Claudius would be my fear of being left alone and always needing company.
She married Claudius to avoid death/exile/the destruction of her family, and is angry at Hamlet because he is throwing his life away on a revenge quest that will mess everything up.
Gertrude’s complicit behavior following her husband’s death is a morally ambiguous element of the play. It is possible that her relationship with Hamlet’s father was unhealthy, and Claudius, a provider of support, usurped on her behalf. This would help to justify Claudius’s political ineptitude since a person motivated by a protective impulse isn’t necessarily politically savvy. The way Gertrude attempts to distance herself from Hamlet, and her inability to justify her remarriage to her emotionally inflamed son, also give weight to the complexity of her relationship with the former and latter kings.
Gertrude marries Claudius because Hamlet Sr. was too busy in state affairs to give Gertrude the attention she needed. Gertrude would defend herself by explaining that she felt neglected and unloved.
She treats Hamlet as she does because he reminds her of her ex-husband who she didn’t mourn and feels guilty. She would defend herself by saying she can’t help being in love with Claudius who seems to be the antithesis of his brother and her ex-husband. Bad vs. good—torn between the two.
From her point of view, Claudius is not a murderer and her son is a lunatic who is seeing ghosts.
I married Claudius because it is my obligation to my people to remain Queen. My son has only just lost his father and does not yet know how or have the correct mindset to rule over people. It is going to take some maturity first.
Claudius threatened to kill Hamlet if they did not marry. So to protect Hamlet she acts the way she does.
It was difficult being an unmarried woman at that time, and kingdoms would perceive the country as weak if they didn’t have a king. She needed to marry someone—it just happened to be her husband’s brother. Even then, we may assume that she loved her first husband very much, and was probably depressed and lost with his death. It’s very likely that Claudius played on these feelings in order to take the throne.
Which Hamlet Adaptation?
I find the overplayed fanboy version of Hamlet, played by David Tennant, best.
I liked Gibson’s adaptation because he is just the right amount of crazy needed for the play.
The one with David Tennant, and I’m not even a Dr. Who fan.
Mel Gibson. The dialogue’s delivery is amazing.
I think Mel Gibson did the best job of channeling anger, sadness, and confusion.
David Tennant—his outlandish way of acting truly brings out Hamlet’s crazed personality.
I find the overplayed fanboy version of Hamlet, played by David Tennant, best.
I liked Gibson’s adaptation because he is just the right amount of crazy needed for the play.
The one with David Tennant, and I’m not even a Dr. Who fan.
Mel Gibson. The dialogue’s delivery is amazing.
I think Mel Gibson did the best job of channeling anger, sadness, and confusion.
David Tennant—his outlandish way of acting truly brings out Hamlet’s crazed personality.
Ethan Hawke as Hamlet and Diane Venora as Gertrude in Michael Almereyda's Hamlet (2000).
Who would you want to sit next to on a long-distance flight?
Possibly Claudius. He seems like someone who would command the drink cart, so I would benefit from that.
Claudius—he’s the only sane character!
Ophelia—to see what is in her brain. Is she really so innocent?
Ophelia. I’d want to gossip about Hamlet and such.
I would sit next to Ophelia. As a girl, I would say it’s usually best to have a girl travel buddy. Plus she’s young, so I’m sure we would have a lot to chat about.
Ophelia by default. Polonius, Gertrude, and Claudius are too shady, and I feel like Hamlet would never shut up.
Gertrude, because she has Claudius’ and everyone else’s secrets, but is given few opportunities to divulge them.
Gertrude—she seems like she would be courteous/not annoying.
Hamlet. His craziness intrigues me.
Hamlet. He seems like the type of person you can have a very profound, interesting conversation with yet not feel bad about never seeing him again.
Hamlet because you can tell he is a good person who is just confused and doesn’t know what to do.
Hamlet—if he looked like David Tennant. I think the on plane experience would be like the plane scene in Bridesmaids.
Hamlet—I feel like he needs a friend who he can trust and I feel I can provide that to him.
Possibly Claudius. He seems like someone who would command the drink cart, so I would benefit from that.
Claudius—he’s the only sane character!
Ophelia—to see what is in her brain. Is she really so innocent?
Ophelia. I’d want to gossip about Hamlet and such.
I would sit next to Ophelia. As a girl, I would say it’s usually best to have a girl travel buddy. Plus she’s young, so I’m sure we would have a lot to chat about.
Ophelia by default. Polonius, Gertrude, and Claudius are too shady, and I feel like Hamlet would never shut up.
Gertrude, because she has Claudius’ and everyone else’s secrets, but is given few opportunities to divulge them.
Gertrude—she seems like she would be courteous/not annoying.
Hamlet. His craziness intrigues me.
Hamlet. He seems like the type of person you can have a very profound, interesting conversation with yet not feel bad about never seeing him again.
Hamlet because you can tell he is a good person who is just confused and doesn’t know what to do.
Hamlet—if he looked like David Tennant. I think the on plane experience would be like the plane scene in Bridesmaids.
Hamlet—I feel like he needs a friend who he can trust and I feel I can provide that to him.
Steve Coogan and the cast of Hamlet 2.
Hamlet Essay Ideas so Crazy That They Just Might Work
What if Hamlet killed his father, went crazy, and now blames it on Claudius? (like the movie The Uninvited). This is why he keeps hesitating to kill Claudius and acts insane.
Theories of how Hamlet survived his first play and how Hamlet 2 should be focused on Hamlet ten years after the events of the original as he rallies an army in Mexico and prepares to take his kingdom back all the while dealing with his addiction to painkillers and the consistent appearance of Papa Smurf when he is alone.
Write three letters to characters in Hamlet telling them what they did wrong, how they could have lived better within their limitations, why they deserved to die (or not), and when they gained or lost your sympathy.
In a combination of Oedipus/Hamlet, Hamlet could come back as a stranger, kill Claudius, and bed his mother.
Ophelia was pregnant with Hamlet’s child and killed herself so as not to shame her family.
If I were to write a Hamlet musical and the lyrics from the songs had to be derived from the soliloquies, what kind of music would I use?
Ophelia kills herself because she realizes that she and Hamlet can’t be together after he kills her father. Hamlet then kills himself. He actually knows of Claudius’s plan to kill him but doesn’t care because Ophelia is dead.
I might use the idea of father and son in my paper and compare that to my real-life father and son relationship.
What if Hamlet killed his father, went crazy, and now blames it on Claudius? (like the movie The Uninvited). This is why he keeps hesitating to kill Claudius and acts insane.
Theories of how Hamlet survived his first play and how Hamlet 2 should be focused on Hamlet ten years after the events of the original as he rallies an army in Mexico and prepares to take his kingdom back all the while dealing with his addiction to painkillers and the consistent appearance of Papa Smurf when he is alone.
Write three letters to characters in Hamlet telling them what they did wrong, how they could have lived better within their limitations, why they deserved to die (or not), and when they gained or lost your sympathy.
In a combination of Oedipus/Hamlet, Hamlet could come back as a stranger, kill Claudius, and bed his mother.
Ophelia was pregnant with Hamlet’s child and killed herself so as not to shame her family.
If I were to write a Hamlet musical and the lyrics from the songs had to be derived from the soliloquies, what kind of music would I use?
Ophelia kills herself because she realizes that she and Hamlet can’t be together after he kills her father. Hamlet then kills himself. He actually knows of Claudius’s plan to kill him but doesn’t care because Ophelia is dead.
I might use the idea of father and son in my paper and compare that to my real-life father and son relationship.
Art student Rhiannon White's envisioning of Ophelia.
Greek vs. Shakespearean Women?
I find myself more drawn to the women characters in Greek tragedy because of the overwhelming force of their strength, loyalty, and pride.
Shakespeare’s female characters are more interesting in that they are more deeply developed….Antigone and Medea are both at extremes.
I don’t think Shakespeare’s women characters are as entertaining. The Greek writers had the courage to put those characters in the foreground unlike Shakespeare who shoves them to the side. The Greek women weren’t scared to try and grab power. Don’t you think Gertrude could have spilled poison into Claudius’s cup?
In both Richard III and Hamlet, women are always being deceived and set up. Like Antigone, Ophelia also faces the hard choice between her own desire and others’ expectations. Shakespeare’s women characters are less likely to step up for their own.
I think they’re equally interesting but for some reason the females in Greek plays are much more free. They have less restrictions and act as they please, which is much better in these plays. The females in Greek tragedy have a distinct voice, which makes them more dynamic.
I think they are more interesting in Shakespearean. You don’t know much about them because Shakespeare never enters their minds. In Antigone and Medea, you can see the female’s point of view. In Richard III and Hamlet, you never really get to understand what Lady Anne, Gertrude and Ophelia are feeling. Are they truly just tools of the men around them, or do they have secret ideas/motives of their own?
The only interesting female character in Hamlet/Richard III is Ophelia. Her disturbance and insanity come with so many different theories about her role in the play that it makes her memorable. In Sophocles and Euripides the female characters are central to the plot and complex as well. Jocasta, Medea, and Antigone are all memorable characters and central to the plot.
It is interesting to see those Greek heroines who are really loyal and never betray anyone. However, Shakespearean heroines choose to marry the authority after their husband dies. They are both interesting.
I liked how the Greek heroines took action and really seemed to weave the plot in a vital way.
Women are terribly weak in Shakespeare. It is frustrating that they are so lacking a spine. Greek women are strong regardless of which direction on the moral scale they choose to go.
I do find Shakespeare’s women to be as interesting as those of Greek tragedy for, in both genres, they appear to be latent yet integral cogs in the political machine.
Women in Shakespeare’s plays are not as interesting. All the women in Richard III complained about Richard but they never did anything to stop him. Gertrude has not done anything too significant. Characters like Medea and Antigone were main characters who helped drive the story.
I find myself more drawn to the women characters in Greek tragedy because of the overwhelming force of their strength, loyalty, and pride.
Shakespeare’s female characters are more interesting in that they are more deeply developed….Antigone and Medea are both at extremes.
I don’t think Shakespeare’s women characters are as entertaining. The Greek writers had the courage to put those characters in the foreground unlike Shakespeare who shoves them to the side. The Greek women weren’t scared to try and grab power. Don’t you think Gertrude could have spilled poison into Claudius’s cup?
In both Richard III and Hamlet, women are always being deceived and set up. Like Antigone, Ophelia also faces the hard choice between her own desire and others’ expectations. Shakespeare’s women characters are less likely to step up for their own.
I think they’re equally interesting but for some reason the females in Greek plays are much more free. They have less restrictions and act as they please, which is much better in these plays. The females in Greek tragedy have a distinct voice, which makes them more dynamic.
I think they are more interesting in Shakespearean. You don’t know much about them because Shakespeare never enters their minds. In Antigone and Medea, you can see the female’s point of view. In Richard III and Hamlet, you never really get to understand what Lady Anne, Gertrude and Ophelia are feeling. Are they truly just tools of the men around them, or do they have secret ideas/motives of their own?
The only interesting female character in Hamlet/Richard III is Ophelia. Her disturbance and insanity come with so many different theories about her role in the play that it makes her memorable. In Sophocles and Euripides the female characters are central to the plot and complex as well. Jocasta, Medea, and Antigone are all memorable characters and central to the plot.
It is interesting to see those Greek heroines who are really loyal and never betray anyone. However, Shakespearean heroines choose to marry the authority after their husband dies. They are both interesting.
I liked how the Greek heroines took action and really seemed to weave the plot in a vital way.
Women are terribly weak in Shakespeare. It is frustrating that they are so lacking a spine. Greek women are strong regardless of which direction on the moral scale they choose to go.
I do find Shakespeare’s women to be as interesting as those of Greek tragedy for, in both genres, they appear to be latent yet integral cogs in the political machine.
Women in Shakespeare’s plays are not as interesting. All the women in Richard III complained about Richard but they never did anything to stop him. Gertrude has not done anything too significant. Characters like Medea and Antigone were main characters who helped drive the story.
What is Hamlet doing on the pirate ship?
Antagonizing the crew but in a lovable way.
I imagined Hamlet struggling at first, then becoming a pleasantly annoying person to have on board. I picture Johnny Depp as a good fit for the scene.
I actually see him pulling a Jack Sparrow and becoming a pirate for a little bit in order to return home.
Lying. He regales the pirates with revenge tales, cribbing stories from Fortinbras.
Picking the way he wants to die. He has lost it and wants to go all in.
A lot of sitting, reciting poetry off the bow. Contemplating his death and how he might never fulfill his father’s wishes.
Writing in a journal.
Plotting his next move.
Hamlet may think about his father.
I imagine him sitting all alone in his cabin monologuing the dull parts of his day.
I picture him at first being imprisoned and then being released based on bribery and his promises, and then just hanging around the deck.
He makes friends with the pirates. He tells them his story and they all take his side and bring him home.
Antagonizing the crew but in a lovable way.
I imagined Hamlet struggling at first, then becoming a pleasantly annoying person to have on board. I picture Johnny Depp as a good fit for the scene.
I actually see him pulling a Jack Sparrow and becoming a pirate for a little bit in order to return home.
Lying. He regales the pirates with revenge tales, cribbing stories from Fortinbras.
Picking the way he wants to die. He has lost it and wants to go all in.
A lot of sitting, reciting poetry off the bow. Contemplating his death and how he might never fulfill his father’s wishes.
Writing in a journal.
Plotting his next move.
Hamlet may think about his father.
I imagine him sitting all alone in his cabin monologuing the dull parts of his day.
I picture him at first being imprisoned and then being released based on bribery and his promises, and then just hanging around the deck.
He makes friends with the pirates. He tells them his story and they all take his side and bring him home.
Laurence Olivier as Richard III.
Olivier as Hamlet.
What does Hamlet have in common with Richard III?
Both deal with brothers trying to kill each other to take the throne.
A considerable amount of collateral damage is done in the process of the main character achieving his goals. Also elements of megalomania to the point of murdering family (Richard-Claudius).
The continuous threat that being on the throne entails.
Not a single character has a clear view of the truth.
The protagonists are actually extremely similar in the way they act. Both Richard and Hamlet have a personality that almost seems bipolar and unstable. One day, they would seem like friendly, harmless characters, yet they would murder without a hindrance to their subconscious.
Women in both plays are portrayed as victims. But I feel that they are only victimizing themselves; they have alternate motives.
Hamlet and Richard III both receive grief from ghosts. Hamlet must avenge his dead father whereas Richard must confront those he destroyed on the way to the throne.
Both characters depict a cast that is attempting to understand what is going on in the main character’s head (Richard/Hamlet). They are unable to understand or predict any of the main characters’ actions that follow.
Both deal with brothers trying to kill each other to take the throne.
A considerable amount of collateral damage is done in the process of the main character achieving his goals. Also elements of megalomania to the point of murdering family (Richard-Claudius).
The continuous threat that being on the throne entails.
Not a single character has a clear view of the truth.
The protagonists are actually extremely similar in the way they act. Both Richard and Hamlet have a personality that almost seems bipolar and unstable. One day, they would seem like friendly, harmless characters, yet they would murder without a hindrance to their subconscious.
Women in both plays are portrayed as victims. But I feel that they are only victimizing themselves; they have alternate motives.
Hamlet and Richard III both receive grief from ghosts. Hamlet must avenge his dead father whereas Richard must confront those he destroyed on the way to the throne.
Both characters depict a cast that is attempting to understand what is going on in the main character’s head (Richard/Hamlet). They are unable to understand or predict any of the main characters’ actions that follow.
Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet.
Poster for Sarah Bernhardt's Medea.
What does Hamlet have in common with Medea?
Hamlet and Medea both represent betrayal between husband and wife.
Both characters have a genuine reason to be angry, but take it too far, to the point that I wonder if the original offense is the reason they’re doing it.
A woman betraying her children.
Medea and Hamlet both meet an exterior character who gives them the confidence for murder (the king of Athens, Fortinbras).
Both stories include women put in compromised positions, with serious decisions to make and sacrifices to consider.
One character in each deals with the supernatural.
Instead of taking the easy road and having Medea and Hamlet wait until their antagonists are alone to get their revenge, both characters use the most dramatic methods available to them. Medea unnecessarily kills her children and Jason’s new wife while Hamlet goes to the trouble of staging his own play.
Hamlet and Medea both represent betrayal between husband and wife.
Both characters have a genuine reason to be angry, but take it too far, to the point that I wonder if the original offense is the reason they’re doing it.
A woman betraying her children.
Medea and Hamlet both meet an exterior character who gives them the confidence for murder (the king of Athens, Fortinbras).
Both stories include women put in compromised positions, with serious decisions to make and sacrifices to consider.
One character in each deals with the supernatural.
Instead of taking the easy road and having Medea and Hamlet wait until their antagonists are alone to get their revenge, both characters use the most dramatic methods available to them. Medea unnecessarily kills her children and Jason’s new wife while Hamlet goes to the trouble of staging his own play.
The duel in David Tennant's Hamlet.
Hamlet essay titles based on Favorite Hobbies
“Get Thee to a Bakery: How Sweeney Todd Parallels Hamlet”
“The Hamlet Bowl” (based on the Superbowl)
“Swimming with Ophelia: The Role of Water in the Danish Tragedy”
“What is Hamlet Running From?”
“Striking Down Hamlet” (a bowling reference)
“Sailing from Denmark: An Analysis of the Pirate Ship Scenes and How they are Crucial to the Play”
“Checking the Enemy”—In lacrosse, checking is a form of defense used to hit the ball out of a person’s stick. In Hamlet, it seems as though the struggle for power goes back and forth in many of the conflicts. Figuratively speaking, the characters are constantly “checking” each other for control and trying to run with the small amount of power they have. That is, of course, their enemy sneaks up behind them and checks the power back into their own hands.
“Automotive Repair in Hamlet”—because the way no one’s plans ever come to fruition reminds me of trying to rethread head bolts in a 20 year old aluminum block and punching a hole in the water jacket. Dread sets in and you realize your plans have crumbled apart in front of you like a dried out coffee cake. I feel for Claudius.
“Hamlet at the 19th Hole”— I would focus on the last scene where Hamlet has to drink the poisoned wine but Gertrude does instead (referring to drinks after a round of golf).
“Get Thee to a Bakery: How Sweeney Todd Parallels Hamlet”
“The Hamlet Bowl” (based on the Superbowl)
“Swimming with Ophelia: The Role of Water in the Danish Tragedy”
“What is Hamlet Running From?”
“Striking Down Hamlet” (a bowling reference)
“Sailing from Denmark: An Analysis of the Pirate Ship Scenes and How they are Crucial to the Play”
“Checking the Enemy”—In lacrosse, checking is a form of defense used to hit the ball out of a person’s stick. In Hamlet, it seems as though the struggle for power goes back and forth in many of the conflicts. Figuratively speaking, the characters are constantly “checking” each other for control and trying to run with the small amount of power they have. That is, of course, their enemy sneaks up behind them and checks the power back into their own hands.
“Automotive Repair in Hamlet”—because the way no one’s plans ever come to fruition reminds me of trying to rethread head bolts in a 20 year old aluminum block and punching a hole in the water jacket. Dread sets in and you realize your plans have crumbled apart in front of you like a dried out coffee cake. I feel for Claudius.
“Hamlet at the 19th Hole”— I would focus on the last scene where Hamlet has to drink the poisoned wine but Gertrude does instead (referring to drinks after a round of golf).
And finally, as we transition into thinking about the slippery slope from tragedy to comedy, please watch this two-minute burlesque of the history of Richard III. As you watch, please think about this question: exactly what is being made fun of here? Who or what is the target of the satire? If you laugh while watching this, try to put your finger on what makes it funny. What do you think are the best moments?
