Shakespeare Final Discussion Questions

1. Who would be a better leader Hamlet or Richard III? (Hamlet = indecision yet
somewhat pure in his intentions but Richard III = decision but not very pure in his
intentions). [Toni]
2. Do Shakespeare's plays King Lear, The Tempest and Henry V reveal a religious theme or
Shakespeare's religious views? [Brianna]
3. How does Shakespeare use identity in a sense other than the proper definition of "who or
what a person is?" [Irene]
4. Early in the semester we discussed language as a power mainly attributed to women, how
does this theory prove true/false in The Tempest and King Lear? [Paige]
5. How does the theme of redemption play a role in Shakespeare? (Tempest and King Lear).
[Mike P]
6. Does he not believe in the platonic relationships of males and females since all the
friendships seem to be same sex friendships and the only mixed gender attempt at
friendship ended with the death of one of them; Ophelia in Hamlet? [Samantha]
7. What does Shakespeare try to convey about powerful ruling, in King Lear and Richard
III, political or not? Corruption? [Yumi]
8. Vindictiveness is a common motif in Shakespeare's works. There is a wide range of
characters in the plays that we have read that are full of spite, hate, or general meanspiritedness. If you had to narrow it down to two characters from the plays we have read,
who is the most hateful and bitter character? Is it Margaret from Richard III for her curses
and previous murders? Is it Edmund from King Lear for his lies and deceit? [Casey]
9. Analyze the moments of darkness that are brushed over in the comedies we have read.
There is always some sort of scapegoat. For example, what happens to Malvolio in
Twelfth Night. Are these dark moments worth discussing? Why might Shakespeare have
still included them in the plays? [Elena]
10. In the sonnets Shakespeare talks about children as immortality, how does this play out
within his plays? Is there love between parents and children? (Prospero and Miranda,
Queen and Hamlet, King Lear and his daughters). [Caitlyn]
11. How is fate working in the stories we have read so far? Is there such a thing as fate or are
all of the characters in control in some way? [Mena]
12. Is there any way we could perceive the character of Prospero as a villain in The Tempest?
Why or why not? [Mena]

13. Shakespeare does a tremendous job of creating anti-heroes, or protagonists that are at
times hard to root for. How are characters like Hamlet, King Lear or Richard III, from
plays of the same name respectively, similar in character structure? How are they
different? Does genre make a difference? [Casey]
14. How does the fool in Shakespeare's play grow and develop as Shakespeare becomes a
better writer? (From Taming of the Shrew to King Lear to the Tempest). [Mike P]
15. Discuss Shakespeare's use of "comic relief" in his plays (i.e. fools and jesters, sub-plots
added in, etc). Would the play still be a comedy without these smaller elements?
**With reference to "As You Like It" and "Twelfth Night"
16. Shakespeare's plays often feature members atop the hierarchy, or general upper class,
receiving punishment for their actions. Is this a deliberate attempt by the author to show
his indignation towards the ruling class, or does his writing merely reflect his time?
[Alex]