Assessment Instructions

In Hamlet, Shakespeare makes significant use of extended monologues, or soliloquies, to express the thoughts and feelings of Hamlet in dramatic form. For this assessment, write an essay in which you explore the use of this technique in three distinct ways:

1. Select one of Hamlet's soliloquies from the play and analyze how it displays his inner thoughts for the audience in dramatic form.
2. Use evidence from the play to compose a soliloquy that expresses the point of view of one of the following characters: Gertrude, Claudius, Ophelia, or Polonius. Into which act of the play would you insert this additional speech?
3. Write a soliloquy for yourself, expressing the central narrative of your own life in dramatic form. Think of yourself as a character explaining yourself to an audience that does not include those who play the most important roles in your life.

This assessment requires you to employ your critical skills in analyzing a work of literature but also gives you the opportunity to apply what you have learned in creative expression of your own.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
• APA formatting: Should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.
• Length: 6–8 typed and double-spaced pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

Required Resources

The following resource is required to complete the assessment.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course:

• Raffel, B. (Ed.). (2007). William Shakespeare: Hamlet. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Capella Resources

Click the links provided to view the following resources:

• Assessment 3 Context.

The following resource encourages you to think clearly about the presentation of internal thoughts through soliloquy in Shakespeare's Hamlet. A series of thought-provoking text-entry writing prompts give you a chance to rehearse your thoughts in preparation for each of the elements in the assessment.

• Literature and Personal Narrative | Transcript.

Course Library Guide

A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the HUM-FP1000 – Introduction to Humanities Library Guide to help direct your research.

Bookstore Resources

The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.

• Fiero, G. K. (2016). Landmarks in humanities (4th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
  • Chapters 7–8.