Hamlet

USAGE

8h The subjunctive were is used in contrary-to-fact statements (after if or as though) and in statements expressing a wish.

If I were an actor, I would want to learn my craft well enough to play Hamlet.

If Claudius were to discover what the ghost has told Hamlet, he would certainly know the cause of Hamlet’s madness.

If she were to treat her father as she does her brother, Ophelia might not have broken up with Hamlet.

SENTENCE STRUCTURE

Complete Sentences

11a A sentence fragment is a group of words that does not express a complete thought. Since it is part of a sentence, it must not be allowed to stand by itself, but should be kept in the sentence of which it is a part.

11c Avoid run-on sentences. Do not use a comma between sentences. Do not omit punctuation at the end of a sentence.

13a A pronoun must refer clearly to the right antecedent.

Avoid general reference. General reference occurs when a pronoun refers confusingly to an idea that is vaguely expressed. The antecedent is expressed in terms which are too general to be clear. Pronouns commonly used in this way are which, this, that, and it.

Sentence Variety

16a Give variety to your sentence structure by varying the beginnings. Begin some of your sentences with a transposed appositive or with a modifier.

The only son of King Hamlet and Gertrude, Hamlet – it seems – should have become king when his father died.

Cautiously, Horatio approaches the ghost he must now believe in.

16b Using subordination, vary the structure and length of sentences. Avoid the exclusive use of simple and compound sentences.

ACCEPTABLE: Hamlet speaks with Ophelia alone, advising her to forego marriage. Polonius and Claudius eavesdrop on the couple.

BETTER: While Hamlet speaks with Ophelia alone, advising her to forego marriage, Polonius and Claudius eavesdrop on the couple.

16c Give variety to your writing by avoiding the “stringy” style which results from the overuse of and and so.

Correct a stringy sentence by subordination of ideas.

Correct a stringy sentence by dividing it into two sentences.

Correct a stringy sentence by reducing coordinate clauses to a compound predicate.

STRINGY: The ghost reveals to Hamlet that Claudius killed the rightful king of Denmark and that he used a poison which he poured into the king’s ear and commands Hamlet to seek revenge so that the ghost may rest in peace and Hamlet can set right what has gone wrong and perhaps become king himself so the correct order of succession will be observed.

EFFECTIVE: The ghost reveals to Hamlet that Claudius killed the rightful king of Denmark by pouring poison into the sleeping king’s ear. Because he was killed wrongfully, he wants Hamlet to seek justice for his deceased father. In the end, he may also become king himself.

Mechanics

24g Use a comma before and, but, or, nor, for, yet, so when they join independent clauses.

WRONG: Polonius sets a spy on Laertes back at school in Paris and Claudius sets two spies on Hamlet in Elsinore.

CORRECT: Polonius sets a spy on Laertes back at school in Paris, and Claudius sets two spies on Hamlet in Elsinore.

24i Use a comma after certain introductory elements.

Use a comma after an introductory adverb clause.

INCORRECT: After Hamlet has seen the ghost and sworn the guards and Horatio to secrecy he begins to pretend to be mad.

CORRECT: After Hamlet has seen the ghost and sworn the guards and Horatio to secrecy, he begins to pretend to be mad.

25q To form the possessive case of a singular noun, add an apostrophe and an s.

To form the possessive case of a plural noun ending in s, add only the apostrophe. (The few plural nouns that do not end in s form the possessive by adding an apostrophe and an s just as singular nouns do.)