| Who is the ghost (what former person) that wanders at night in scene 1? | Hamlet’s dad |
| Why is (young) Fortinbras assembling an army? | to win back the land that King Hamlet had taken |
| Who does the widow Queen marry? Why is this “less than kind?” | Hamlet’s uncle (Claudius) and because that was her former husbands brother |
| What prevents Hamlet from committing suicide? | its forbidden by his religion |
| Laertes questions Hamlet’s intent with his sister, Ophelia. Why? | Because Hamlet is young and his ways are different and he wants her to play it safe because Hamlet will have to marry a princess because he is a prince |
| Who killed the ghost? | Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle |
| What task does the ghost charge Hamlet with? | revenge on his dad’s death |
| How will Hamlet’s behavior change in the future? Why does he act this way? | he pretends to be crazy so people don’t catch him |
| According to Polonius, what causes Hamlet’s drastic change in behavior? | because he is madly in love with Ophelia |
| Why does Claudius summon Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? | to spy on Hamlet and figure out what is wrong |
| What error in judgment does Claudius allow regarding Fortinbras? | Fortinbras wants to take over Denmark but he tells Claudius he wants to take over Poland so Claudius believes him and lets him walk through the city |
| Why does Hamlet negatively compare himself to one of the players? Why is Hamlet “muddy-mettled rascal?” | Hamlet has still not succeeded in his revenge |
| What plot does Hamlet devise to confirm Claudius’ guilt? | he creates a play that specifically applies to Claudius and the killing of Hamlet’s dad |
| What plot do Claudius and Polonius devise to discover the truth of Hamlet’s sudden change in behavior? | They are going to hide behind a curtain and watch him |
| To what does Hamlet compare death in the “To be or not to be” soliloquy? | sleep |
| Why does Hamlet tell Ophelia to “get thee to a nunnery?” | he isn’t going to marry her, he wants her to get away from relationships, get out of the corruption, he isn’t going to have kids with her because they would be sinners too |
| How does Claudius react to the Murder of Gonzago? | badly, he storms out |
| Why does Claudius not truly repent for murdering his brother? | because murder carries God’s curse so he can’t bring himself to feel bad for it |
| Why does Hamlet not kill Claudius in Scene Three? | Because the king was in the middle of prayer and would have gone straight to Heaven |
| What rash action did Hamlet commit in scene 4? Why did he do it? | he stabs Polonius because he was hiding behind the curtain when he was talking to Gertrude |
| What advice does Hamlet offer Gertrude to avoid future sin? | he tells her to quit sleeping with Claudius |
| *******Motif: Appearance vs. RealityWhat examples of this motif are present through Act Three of the play? Explain. | When the ghost is there but Gertrude can’t see it |
| Why does Hamlet call Rose and Guild “sponges?” | because they help the king and soak up all the knowledge but when the king needs them he will just squeeze them and they will be dry again; insulting them |
| What plot does Claudius devise to get rid of Hamlet? | take him to England and sends a letter to tell the English people to kill him when he gets there |
| How does Fortinbras’ campaign to Poland spur Hamlet to action, “my thoughts be bloody?” | he wants to stop hesitating and focus on actually getting his revenge |
| Upon Laertes’s return, why is he a threat to Claudius? | they have great respect for him |
| What are the two causes of Ophelia’s madness? | 1. She loves Hamlet but is treated horribly by him.2. Her father is dead cause of Hamlet |
| What two techniques does Claudius use to persuade Laertes to side with him? | loyalty to his father and to avenge him |
| What happens to Ophelia at the end of scene iv? | she commits suicide by drowning herself |
| What is the purpose of the scene with the gravediggers? | to create suspense and reiterate the main themes and have comic relief |
| Why did Ophelia have a secret funeral at night? | suicide is a sin and the family doesn’t want the town to know Ophelia committed a sin and was still buried |
| Who was Yorick? Why is his skull’s presence important to Hamlet’s understanding of death? | the King’s jester. father figure to Hamlet. it helps him get through this time |
| What is the purpose of Hamlet’s saying, “The readiness is all?” | always be ready for what is going to happen |
| How does the revenge plot go awry? Who dies? How? | Hamlet’s mom drinks out of the cup with poison, which was really meant for Hamlet, and then Laerates and Claudius die because Hamlet stabs them with the poisoned sword. the only person that lives is Horatio |
| Why does Hamlet want Horatio to tell his story? | Because Horatio is the only person left other than Hamlet to first-hand witness everything and Hamlet wants everyone to know what Claudius did and to tell the truth about what really happened |
| who wrote hamlet, how many acts, and how was it structured | Shakespeare, 5 acts, order and logic |
| what are the Ghost’s feelings toward Hamlet’s mother | don’t get revenge on her, let her mourn |
| what was the revenge coach | ghost and hamlet, claudius and laertes |
| important things to note about ophelia’s dad (polonius): | he thought Hamlet was crazy in love with his daughter and disapprove of the relationship; he is the first to die (accident) (killed through the curtain) |
| important things to note about Hamlet’s speech: | to be or not to be; killing yourself is always a sin |
| why are the grave diggers surprised | because Ophelia is getting to be buried even though she committed suicide |
| do Laertes and Hamlet forgive each other | yes |
| in what sense does the ghost help hamlet in the beginning | he gave a purpose to Hamlet; saved from being stuck |
| what was the first plotting/scheming scene | Polonius is sending Laertes off and sends a spy to watch him |
| why does Polonius think Hamlet is crazy | he thinks he is madly in love, he disapproves |
| what changes does Hamlet do in Act 5 | not crazy, “readiness is all” (connects to Beowulf), accepts fate |
| why didn’t she commit a sin in our eyes | insane, Hamlets fault |
| who was Claudius and who does he die | the king, Hamlet’s uncle; Hamlet stabs him with poisonous sword and makes him drink the poison |
| who was Gertrude and how does she die | the queen, Hamlet’s mom; drinks the cup with poison in it |
| who was Polonius and how does he die | father of Laertes and Ophelia; stabbed behind the curtain by Hamlet |
| who was Horatio and how does he die | Hamlet’s close friend, only person to live in the end |
| who was Ophelia and how does she die | Polonius’ daughter, in love with Hamlet; commits suicide |
| who was Laertes and how does he die | Polonius’ son; dies by poisonous sword |
| who were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern | Hamlet’s friends that the King kind of used against him |
| who was Fortinbras | young prince of Norway, wished to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor |
English: Hamlet Questions
August 9, 2019