| How is Ophelia being used by Claudius and Polonius in dealing with their Hamlet problem? | Polonius uses Ophelia as bait in order to determine the validity of Hamlet’s madness. |
| Describe Hamlet’s contradictory ideas about death as expressed in the soliloquy beginning “To be or not to be…” | Hamlet says that we don’t have to deal with life’s miseries. He says we can control our life. But, he also points out that no one has ever comes back from the dead to say what it’s like. |
| What decision does the king make after observing Hamlet with Ophelia? | After observing Hamlet and Ophelia, the King decides that he wants to get rid of Hamlet and send him to England but still spy on him. |
| What qualities does Hamlet admire in Horatio? | Hamlet admires Horatio for his virtue and self-control, qualities Hamlet does not possess. |
| Summarize the main points of advice Hamlet gives, as a kind of director, to the visiting actors. | Hamlet tells the actors not to show too much emotion. |
| According to Ophelia (II, ii), how long has it been since the death of Old Hamlet? | 4 months. |
| Explain “The Mousetrap.” Does it work? | “The Mousetrap” is when Hamlet stages the play. It works because Claudius gets up and leaves, therefore proving his guilt. |
| After the play, how does Hamlet’s attitude towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and Polonius change? | After the play, Hamlet calls Rosencratz and Guildentern and Polonius out for lying. |
| Explain why Hamlet doesn’t take his revenge during Claudius’s soliloquy. | Claudius was praying and Hamlet doesn’t want him to go to heaven. |
| What is the purpose of the Ghost’s appearance to Hamlet, and not to Gertrude? What does it say to Hamlet? What is Gertrude’s reaction to this exchange? | The Ghost returns to remind Hamlet of his mission to kill the King, not the Queen. Gertrude thinks Hamlet is crazy. |
| What does Hamlet want Gertrude to do? | Hamlet wants Gertrude to continue to be friendly with the King. |
| How does Hamlet propose to deal with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and their betrayal to him? | Hamlet plans to use their plans against them. |
| Act III always marks the turning point in a Shakespearean tragedy, that event or moment that determines the hero’s fate. What would you say is the turning point in this act? Why is this moment so crucial to the plot? | The turning point is the play. This is crucial to the play because it is the moment Claudius is proven guilty of murdering the King. |
| Compare Hamlet’s dialogues with the 2 women in his life, Ophelia and Gertrude, in Act III. | With Gertrude, Hamlet is angry. With Ophelia, Hamlet is patronizing. |
| Show how Hamlet’s frustration and disgust becomes generalized in the soliloquy “To be or not to be.” (Scene i) | Hamlet is basically asking, is it better to live and suffer or kill myself? |
| Describe Hamlet’s state of mind as he moves from talking to himself to talking to Ophelia (scene i). | When talking to himself, he is talking about his own problems. When talking to Ophelia, he is taking his anger out on her and controlling her, |
| In the scene with Gertrude, Hamlet appears to overdo it at times. Where? | Hamlet goes over the top while screaming at his mother. He rips sheets off her bed and tackles and shakes her. |
| Has Hamlet changed in character or behavior in this act? Explain. | At first he was not wanting to kill and now he is killing without remorse. |
| What do you think of the way Ophelia is being used? | She is being manipulated by Hamlet and Polonius for different reasons. |
Hamlet: Act III Questions
September 2, 2019