Defining Hamlet is not necessarily about providing a list of adjectives. Hamlet is a complex character; your list could be quite long and provide few organized ideas about the man. Instead, defining Hamlet is more about moving one characteristic or role or title to the head of the line. Hamlet the Son or Hamlet the Avenger or Hamlet the Lover. Better yet, qualify these titles. Hamlet the Honorable Son; Hamlet the Lazy Avenger; etc. Remember, we still want the list of adjectives because we do not want to ignore the complexity. Instead, we want to filter these descriptions through your provided title.
Ex: If Hamlet is a lazy avenger, then we will observe the many times he procrastinates. That's easy. In addition to this, however, we must qualify the moments where Hamlet shows progress, good old-fashioned forward momentum, and perhaps the central ideas in the second and fourth soliloquies.
Now, gentle student, all of this leads us to our opening paragraph. How to begin? What to say in that very first sentence? Some suggestions:
DO NOT begin this essay with a generalization announcing how complex characters can be many things to many people. They can; we know; you can do better.
DO announce your central idea in general terms. (Ex: If Hamlet is lazy, then you may begin with a comment on laziness; if Hamlet is dishonorable, then you may want to comment on dishonor, etc.)
DO NOT begin this essay remarking how Hamlet the play or William Shakespeare the author is known far and wide as the best of the best, and how you agree with this. They are; we know; you can do better.
DO announce both the title of the play and its author somewhere before your thesis.
Finally, DO create a thesis that clearly states what your chosen definition (your characteristic, role, title, etc.) is, perhaps why it emerges as the primary defining trait.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
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