Mrs. Blaney
CP English IV
MLA OUTLINE
MLA Outline Format
I. Thesis- Hamlet’s inability to make a decision hampers his thought process which leads
him down a paranoid path to self-destruction thus making him a tragic hero.
II. Subtopic #1 – Hamlet’s first interaction with his father’s ghost plants the seed of revenge
in Hamlet’s brain but the time he takes to decide how to extract that revenge begins his
tragic downfall.
A. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
1. “A foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare I.v. 25).
2. “The time is out of joint: O cursed spite/ that ever I was born to set it right!”
(Shakespeare I.v.190)
3. “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life, now wears his crown”
(Shakespeare I. v. 195).
B. Revenge Doth Not Come Soon Enough by Michael Bradley
1. “From the very beginning, Hamlet is set on getting his revenge. Although he
knows he wants it, it takes him a long time to recognize his underlying
passion to actually go through with it. This in turn brings to light numerous
insecurities” (Bradley 114).
2. “During this idle time, Hamlet second guesses his need for revenge and
questions the his father’s honor leading him to make hasty decisions. This is
the beginning of his downfall.” (Bradley 115)
III. Subtopic # 2 Hamlet decides to catch the conscience of the king within the play, but once
again fails to act immediately, allowing his insecurities to get the best of him. This delays
his original plan and by second guessing his motives, he begins to go insane leading him
even further down the path of paranoid self destruction. He is turning into a tragic hero.
C. Hamlet by William Shakespeare
1. “Nothing whether good or bad, but thinking it makes it so(Shakespeare II.
iii.143).
2. “The play is the thing where I shall catch the conscience of the king”
(Shakespeare II. iv. 156)
3. “To be, or not to be, that is the question: whether 'tis nobler in the mind to
suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by
opposing end them” (Shakespeare III. i. 142-145).
4. “But that the dread of something after death the undiscover'd country, from
whose bourn no traveller returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have
than fly to others that we now not of?” (Shakespeare III. iii. 214-218).
D. The Play Is the Thing… By Joan Smith
1. “Hamlet sets up this elaborate scheme and then once again questions his
motives. While pondering what will happen to him in death, he delays the inevitable in
turn making him more vulnerable” (Smith 98).
E. To Be or Not to Be is Not the Question by Anthony Pevin
1. “Hamlet is incapable of killing his uncle for most of the play because he is too
obsessed with his own soul and what will happen to him in the afterlife. This obsession
stems from his disappointment in the lord from taking his father from him” (Pevin 88).
2. “Hamlet refuses to act because he is on the verge of insanity. Since he is
pretending to be insane, he has lost all touch with reality. These delusions allow him to
become increasingly paranoid that his uncle will get to him first and this seals his tragic
fate” (Pevin 58).
IV. Subtopic #3- Hamlet’s paranoia sends him on a path to self destruction at the end of the
play and this is clear through his hasty actions. Due to his paranoia and inability to make a
decision, many of those closest to him suffer the same tragic fate. This fate is brought on
Hamlet and his loved ones by his own actions thus turning him into a tragic hero by the end
of act V.
F. Hamlet By William Shakespeare You get the idea now!!!!!
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F. Evidence 3b (Title and author of secondary article)
1. Detail (quote from secondary source with citation)
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V. Conclusion – Restatement of Thesis- (Restate thesis in a new way summarizing the main
point of the paper and what you have proven.)