| Why is everybody so edgy at the start of the play? | lately, a ghost has been strolling outside the castle |
| The first scene illustrates that: | the ghost of old hamlet is an apparition seen by many men |
| Which is true of the structure of the work? | none of these |
| Who speaks of the Queen by calling her our “sometimes sister, now our queen”? | Cladius |
| The occasion is described “with mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage.” Such a line is an example of: | parallelism and paradox |
| What is the motivation of Fortinbras, Prince of Norway? | he wishes to get his father’s land back |
| King Claudius asks Laertes to tell his suit, saying: ” You cannot speak of reason to the Dane and lose your voice.” The phrase “lose your voice” is best understood to mean “speak in vain.” If so, then what conventions have been employed? | figurative speech |
| Laertes is anxious to : | get to france to study |
| In the King’s coronation speech he asks Prince Hamlet why: | he has mourned death so long |
| That is the first time we are introduced to the Prince’s ________ nature. | melancholy |
| The castle of Elsinore is located in : | Denmark |
| Hamlet considers which of the following in his 1st soliloquy?”O that this too too solid flesh would melt,Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!Or that the Everlasting had not fix’dHis canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” | suicide |
| Laertes tells his sister Ophelia”For Hamlet and the trifling of his favour,Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,A violet in the youth of primy nature,Forward, not permanent, sweet, not lasting,The perfume and suppliance of a minute; No more.”He suggests that Ophelia | enjoy hamlet’s company but don’t fall too far for him |
| After Polonius provides Laertes with some advice, Polonius too has some suggestions regarding Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet”Marry, I’ll teach you: think yourself a baby;That you have ta’en these tenders for true pay,Which are not sterling. Tender yourself more dearly;Or — not to crack the wind of the poor phrase,Running it thus — you’ll tender me a fool.”Polonius is worried that Ophelia will | make polonius look foolish by getting pregnant |
| What is Hamlet talking about when he answers Horatio’s question in Scene 4?Horatio: Is it a customHamlet: Ay, marry, is’t:But to my mind, though I am native hereAnd to the manner born, it is a customMore honour’d in the breach than the observance. | drinking |
| The ghost of Hamlet’s father (King Hamlet) tells Prince Hamlet that | Claudius poisoned him |
| After the ghost departs, to whom does Hamlet refer in the following lines from Scene 5?”O most pernicious woman!O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain!” | Gertrude and Claudius |
| Hamlet tells Marcellus and Horatio that he, Hamlet, may put “an antic disposition on”:”But come;Here, as before, never, so help you mercy,How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself,As I perchance hereafter shall think meetTo put an antic disposition on,”What Hamlet means is: | he may act a little strange in the near future |
| A heroic couplet is two lines of iambic pentameter with the same end rhyme. Which of the following below is a heroic couplet? | the time is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right |
| In the film adaptation, as in the play, Hamlet is dressed all in | black |
| Do the King and Queen readily agree to the presentation of the play? | no at first they disagree |
| In order to attract Hamlet, Ophelia is directed by her father to: | return the gifts of love which he had given her |
| In his Act III scene i soliloquy, Hamlet says “To die,–to sleep;– / To sleep! perchance to dream:–ay, there’s the rub;”What’s “the rub”? | mystery of what happens after death |
| In his soliloquy, Hamlet mentions the “undiscover’d country”. He’s referring to | the realm of the dead |
| According to the king, Polonius’ suspicions regarding the origins of Hamlet’s “madness” are confirmed in the interview with Hamlet: | false |
| Hamlet gives the actors meaningful advice about: | how to speak as great actors |
| Hamlet states that his father’s epiteth might read “For, O, for, O, the hobby-horse is forgot.” The word choice of “hobby-horse” is intended to: | none of these |
| During the ‘play within the play’ Hamlet blurts out that his father’s been dead for only two months. According to Ophelia, how long has Hamlet Sr. been dead? | four months |
| The dialogue between the Player King and Player Queen is best summarized as | none of the above |
| What is the sole indicator that the play has had an effect on the King? | he stands up |
| Hamlet equates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s intent to find out information from him with the playing of a musical instrument. In this part of the play, Shakespeare is employing: | conceit (extended metaphor) |
| who did Hamlet recruit to help him spy on the King during the performance? | Horatrio |
| Hamlet is much surprised to find that the King is: | repenting in prayer |
| Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius at this point? | he fears it will result in the King’s forgiveness |
| Where does the ghost of Old Hamlet show up next? | none of these |
| What character flaw led Polonius to his own death? | he spies on people |
| Hamlet tells his mother Gertrude that Cladius killed her husband, Hamlet, Sr. | true |
| Who did Hamlet think was hiding behind the arras when he “makes a pass at the arras” with his weapon? | Claudius |
| Gertrude sees the ghost of Hamlet, Sr. just like Horatio and Marcellus earlier in the play | false |
| Towards the end of the mother/son talk, Hamlet says to his mother,”Mother, for love of grace, 2445 Lay not that flattering unction to your soulThat not your trespass, but my madness speaks:It will but skin and film the ulcerous place,Whilst rank corruption, mining all within,Infects unseen.” In this line Hamlet | minister to his mother’s mistake |
| At the beginning of Act IV, Queen Gertrude lies to King Claudius in detailing the death of Polonius. Which of her statements is untrue?GERTRUDE:Mad as the sea and wind, when both contendWhich is the mightier: in his lawless fitBehind the arras hearing something stir,Whips out his rapier, cries ‘A rat, a rat!’And in this brainish apprehension, kills (2530 The unseen good old man. …To draw apart the body he hath kill’d:O’er whom his very madness, like some ore (2545) Among a mineral of metals base,Shows itself pure: he weeps for what is done. | “he weeps for what is done” |
| Who does Hamlet call a “sponge” in Act IV? | Rosencrantz |
| Hamlet is brought before Claudius to answer to the whereabouts of Polonius. Upon first questioned on the location of Polonius, Hamlet responds that Polonius is | at supper |
| Claudius tries to orchestrate it so Hamlet is taken to ______ where he will be _______. | England: put to death |
| Claudius believes the government of the country to which Hamlet journeys will fulfill Claudius’ command “Since yet thy cicatrice looks raw and red…” The word “cicatrice” refers to a | scar |
| Fortinbras and his army encounter Hamlet’s train en route to his destination. According to the army captain, the Norwegians are heading to | Poland |
| Because of ________ Hamlet is able to escape. | a group of pirates |
| What is Ophelia’s reaction to her father’s death? | she goes truly mad |
| What is Ophelia’s final fate? | she drowns |
| In their plan to kill Hamlet, Laertes and Claudius devise how many methods to ensure Hamlet’s killed? | three |
| The tone of the scene with the gravediggers is: | comical |
| Hamlet’s amazed at the gravedigger’s ability, surrounded by human skulls and bones, to sing while digging a grave. Horatio explains that | custom has effected the gravedigger |
| We discover Hamlet’s age in this scene too. Hamlet is how many years old? | thirty |
| Through the gravedigger, the audience discovers what the citizens of Denmark have been told regarding Hamlet’s trip to England. As delivered by the gravedigger, Hamlet was sent to England | because he was mad |
| Ophelia’s given a Christian burial because | Laertes bribes the priest |
| At the gravesite, we discover that Gertrude expected | Ophelia to marry Hamlet |
| What is Hamlet’s reaction when he realizes the event he is witnessing? | he is distraught and swears that he was once in love |
| When Claudius realizes that Hamlet is back at the castle, he makes plans to: | use Laertes’ anger as a means to construct revenge |
| Before he returns to Denmark from the foiled voyage, Hamlet has confirmed evidence that Claudius actively seeks the present death of Hamlet. The evidence is | discovery of the King’s letter |
| Osric, one of the King’s “boot-lickers”, sycophants, arrives in Act 5 scene ii singing the praises of Laertes. Hamlet pokes fun at Osric by teasing Osric about his _________ which Osric adjust according to Hamlet’s will–demonstrating the excessive pandering within the court of King Claudius. | hat |
| In Hamlet’s “gentle entertainment” to Laertes, as Queen Gertrude advised, Hamlet blames the killing of Polonius on | accidental causes |
| What becomes of the Queen Gertrude? | she is technically murdered by Claudius |
| During the final scene, in an aside, Laertes reveals that his conscience is struggling with the plan to kill Hamlet. | true |
| When the poison does its work on the Queen, she collapses. The King blames the Queen’s fainting on | the bloody wounds on Hamlet/Laertes |
| Who reveals Claudius’ treason (murdering the Queen) to the gathered assembly? | Laertes |
| Horatio states that his sole purpose now will be to: | live on to tell Hamlet’s story |
| The English arrives at the Danish court to report | Rosencrantz and Guildstern are dead |
| To wrap up the various revenge plots, who enters at play’s end to claim the Danish crown? | fortinbras |
| the entire play is almost how many lines? | four thousand |
| The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, like all of Shakespeare’s high tragedies is written in blank verse, which is best described as | unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter |
Hamlet
September 6, 2019