Themes & Discussion Questions

Choice And Agency

Hamlet challenges every student to exercise agency.

When Prince Hamlet seeks revenge for the death of his father, he is racked with indecision. His deeprooted fear of death and his doubt in the legitimacy of the ghost's claims causes him to contemplate whether or not to take action against Claudius. Throughout the play, Hamlet often appears to be driven by a sense of duty, yet he does not truly understand the consequences of his actions. Hamlet’s battle for autonomy reflects the human desire for agency in our world of systems, laws, rules, and norms.

Hamlet is a play about discovering one’s agency, which refers to our capacity to act and make decisions. Agency means that we have a sense of being in control of our lives. We have the ability to handle various tasks and situations, and the power to affect the future. Our sense of agency helps us to be flexible in the face of conflict or change.

Just like Hamlet, most youth are faced with the challenge of making choices. When Hamlet is faced with injustice, he must evaluate his response to a situation and then put that response into action. He is not perfect. He hesitates and wavers, similar as to how any high school student who is discovering their identity would

Discussion Questions:

• Recall a time that you had to make a difficult decision. What factors played a part in your choice?

• Have you ever felt like you had no control over the outcome of a situation? What impact did it have on you?