Hamlet Quiz

In Act IV Sc i Horatio tells Claudius that Hamlet has killed Polonius. False
Bernardo and Marcellus have urged Horatio to stand watch with them, because they believe they have something shocking to show him. True
The ghost functions as a kind of internal foreshadowing, implying tragedy not only to the audience but to the characters as well. True
The fragile beauty of flowers resembles Ophelias own fragile beauty. True
Fortinbras has written to young Hamlet, rashly demanding the surrender of the lands King Hamlet won from Fortinbrass father, False
Hamlet resolves to devise a trap for Claudius, forcing the king to watch a play whose plot closely resembles the murder of Hamlets father. True
Polonius enters to announce the arrival of the players, who follow him into the room. Hamlet welcomes them and entreats one of them to give him a speech about the fall of Troy and the death of the Trojan king and queen, Priam and Hecuba. True
Though Hamlet has not achieved his vengeance upon Claudius, he believes that God has used him as a tool of vengeance to punish Poloniuss sins and punish Hamlets sins by staining his soul with the murder. True
Hamlet tells Horatio that all men will eventually become dust, even great men like Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. True
In Act III Sc iii Horatio enters and reminds the king of his plan to hide in Gertrude’s room and observe Hamlets confrontation with her. He promises to tell Claudius all that he learns. False
Polonius sternly echoes Laertes advice, and forbids Ophelia to associate with Hamlet anymore. He tells her that Hamlet has deceived her in swearing his love, and that she should see through his false vows and rebuff his affections. True
Prince Hamlet, devastated by his fathers death and betrayed by his mothers marriage, is introduced as the only character who is unwilling to play along with Claudiuss gaudy attempt to mimic a healthy royal court. True
The gravediggers represent a humorous type commonly found in Shakespeares plays: the clever commoner who gets the better of his social superior through wit. At the Globe Theater, this type of character may have particularly appealed to the “groundlings,” the members of the audience who could not afford seats and thus stood on the ground. True
What made Horatio originally come back to Denmark? The death of King Hamlet
Gertrude reports Hamlet’s behavior in Act III Sc iv to Claudius after promising not to do so. True
Hamlet decides to kill Claudius when the king is sinning True
Polonius has a plan. Hamlet often walks alone through the lobby of the castle, and, at such a time, they, King & Queen, could hide behind an arras (a curtain or wall hanging) while Ophelia confronts Hamlet, allowing them to see for themselves whether Hamlets madness really emanates from his love for her. False
Horatio declares that the ghost must bring warning of impending misfortune for Denmark, perhaps in the form of a military attack. True
In Act III Sc I Hamlet enters, speaking thoughtfully and agonizingly to himself about the question of whether to commit suicide to end the pain of experience: “To be, or not to be: that is the question” True
Ophelia has truly been driven mad by the death of her father. True
Horatio is a good-humored man who is also educated, intelligent, and skeptical of supernatural events. True
The supernatural appearance of the ghost on a chilling, misty night outside Elsinore Castle indicates immediately that something is wrong in Denmark. True
Polonius attempts to converse with Hamlet, who appears insane, but many of Hamlets seemingly lunatic statements hide barbed observations about Poloniuss pomposity and his old age. True
Hamlet himself is unsure whether his fathers apparition is truly the kings spirit or an evil demon, but he declares that he cares nothing for his life and that, if his soul is immortal, the ghost can do nothing to harm his soul. True
Who walks the ramparts of ElsinoreCastle in Denmark? None of these
According to religious doctrine, suicides may not receive Christian burial. True
Badly shaken by the play and now considering Hamlets madness to be dangerous, in Act III Sc iii Claudius asks the pair to escort Hamlet on a voyage to England and to depart immediately. True
Claudius says that he mourns his brother but has chosen to balance Denmarks mourning with the delight of his marriage. True
According to Coleridge Hamlet completely oversteps the bounds of Christian morality in trying to damn his opponents soul as well as kill him True
Ophelia is warned that Hamlet speaks like a: Horny teenage boy
Hamlet starts to show erratic behaviour in Act II. True
What is the main reason Hamlet cannot marry Ophelia regardless if he loves her or not? He is royal, she is not
The Ghost alludes to where he has been. It is: Hell
When and where was Hamlet written? London, England, early seventeenth century
Fortinbras is a young man who spends much of the play in France. He is passionate and quick to action. False
In Act ! the first two people who appear to be best friends are: None of these
In Act III Sc iv the ghost intones that it has come to remind Hamlet of his purpose, that Hamlet has not yet killed Claudius and must achieve his revenge. True
Laertes is active and has no use for thought. He has no interest in moral concerns, only in his consuming desire to avenge Polonius. True
In Act IV Sc V furious Laertes storms into the hall, fuming in his desire to avenge his fathers death True
In Act V Sc I Hamlet picks up a skull, and the gravedigger tells him that the skull belonged to Yorick, King Hamlets jester. True
Two month after his fathers death, Hamlet’s mother has married his fathers far inferior brother. True
The ghost disappears as a dog barks and the sun sets. False
Claudius agrees that Laertes deserves to be revenged upon Hamlet, and he is disposed to encourage Laertes to kill Hamlet, since Hamlets erratic behavior has made him a threat to Claudiuss reign. True
Horatio’s ability to accept the truth at once even when his predictions have been proved wrong indicates the fundamental trustworthiness of his character. True
Polonius enters to bid his son farewell. He tells Laertes that he must hurry to his ship but then delays him by giving him a great deal of advice about how to behave with integrity and practicality. True
Who approaches Hamlet to tell him of the Ghost? Horatio
The Ghost believes he is in his current state due to: Sins he commited when he was king
Horatio wishes bitterly that God had not made suicide a sin. False
In Act III Sc iv Polonius urges the queen to be harsh with Hamlet when he arrives, saying that she should chastise him for his recent behavior. Gertrude agrees, and Polonius hides behind an arras, or tapestry. True
Who first talks to Ophelia concerning her relationship with Hamlet? Laertes
Where King Claudius was a brave warrior, King Hamlet is a crafty politician, constantly working to strengthen his own power, circumvent threats to his throne, and manipulate those around him to his own advantage. False
In Act IV Sc i Claudius tells Gertrude that they must ship Hamlet to England at once and find a way to explain Hamlets misdeed to the court and to the people. True
The situation Shakespeare presents at the beginning of Hamlet is that a strong and beloved king has died, and the throne has been inherited not by his son, as we might expect, but by his brother. True
Hamlet pretends to be thrilled at the idea of sailing for England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. True
Polonius is Hamlets close friend, who studied with the prince at the university in Wittenberg. False
The Norweign king sent a request back to Claudius that Prince Fortinbrass armies be allowed safe passage through Denmark on their way to attack the Poles. True
Ophelias insanity is designed to contrast strongly with Hamlets, differing primarily in its legitimacy: Ophelia does not feign madness to achieve an end, but is truly driven mad by external pressures. True
Claudious admonishes Hamlet to keep his thoughts to himself, restrain himself from acting on rash desires, and treat people with familiarity but not with vulgarity. False
Hamlet is awestruck by the willingness of Fortinbras to devote the energy of an entire army, probably wasting hundreds of lives and risking his own, to reclaim a worthless scrap of land in Poland. True
How does Ophelia react to her ‘talks’ with her family members? She is very obedient
Claudius is rotten, and, as a result, Denmark is rotten, too. True
The ghost appears, and Hamlet calls out to it. The ghost beckons Hamlet to follow it out into the night True
Before Laertes leaves for college/another country, his father gives him: really good advice that most people should adhere to
Polonious was a close friend of Hamlet at the university in Wittenberg. False
Bernardo suggests that they tell Prince Hamlet, the dead kings son, about the apparition. False
In Act I what causes the Ghost to keep leaving? The crowing of a rooster
Hamlet tells his friends they are welcome to stay at Elsinore, but that his “uncle-father and aunt-mother” are deceived in his madness. True
To what is the Ghost referring to when he makes the statement, “Murder most foul, as in the best it is; But this most foul, strange and unnatural.”? The Bible and reference to Caine & Abel
What is the Ghost wearing? Full battle armour with his mask up
Polonius shows the king and queen tape recorded poems Hamlet has given to Ophelia, and proposes a plan to test his theory. False
The Norwegian king, overjoyed, bequeathed upon Fortinbras a large annuity, and urged him to use the army he had assembled to attack the Poles instead of the Danes. True
Hamlet wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his fathers honor, False
The king speculates that if Hamlet could be tempted into a duel with Laertes, it might provide Laertes with the chance to kill him. True
In Shakespeare’s time, all of the actors on the stage were: Men
the ghost speaks to Hamlet, claiming to be his fathers spirit, come to rouse Hamlet to revenge his death, a “foul and most unnatural murder”. True
Ophelia is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth. False
What does the Ghost do when approached? Fades away
The ghost appears, and Hamlet calls out to it. The ghost beckons Hamlet to follow it out into the night. True
Polonius declares, after a wordy preamble, that the prince, Hamlet, is mad with love for Ophelia. True
While waiting for the Ghost, Hamlet has a deep conversation with Horatio about deep subjects and thoughts. This shows: a close personal relationship between them
The king speculates that if Hamlet could be tempted into a duel with Laertes, it might provide Laertes with the chance to kill him True
When Claudius later asks Laertes how far he would go to avenge his father, Laertes replies that he would slit Hamlets throat in the church (IV.vii.98). True
Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. True
Polonius is Hamlets close friend, who studied with the prince at the university in Wittenberg. False
Hamlet takes place in Denmark during the late medieval period, though the plays chronological setting is notoriously imprecise. True
The ghost urges Hamlet not to act against his mother in any way, telling him to “leave her to heaven” and to the pangs of her own conscience. True
How much time by after King Hamlet’s death did his wife remarry? Two months
The complete title of the play is: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
In Act III Sc iii Hamlet slips quietly into the room and steels himself to kill the unseeing Claudius. But suddenly it occurs to him that if he kills Claudius while he is praying, he will end the kings life at the moment when he was seeking forgiveness for his sins, sending Claudiuss soul to heaven. True
If Hamlet is merely pretending to be mad, as he suggests, he does a terrible job of it. He convinces no one. False
The Ghost advises Hamlet to hold on to his old friends but be slow to embrace new friends; to be slow to quarrel but to fight boldly if the need arises; to listen more than he talks; to dress richly but not gaudily; to refrain from borrowing or lending money; and, finally, to be true to himself above all things. False
Ophelia’s father tells her: he will tell her how to think and act
Claudius wants Hamlet to look at him as his new father and stop morning about his father’s passing. True
Hamlet may pretend to be a madman, and he makes the guards swear not to give the slightest hint that they know anything about his motives. True
Claudius states his hope that England will obey the sealed orders he has sent with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The orders call for Prince Hamlet to be put to death. True
In a letter to Horatio, Hamlet says that his ship was captured by pirates, who have returned him to Denmark. True
Laertes leaps into Ophelias grave to hold her once again in his arms. True
That is, Hamlet is only “mad” at certain calculated times, and the rest of the time he knows what is what. True
Where Hamlet has sunk into despair, contemplation, and indecision, Fortinbras has devoted himself to the pursuit of revenge. True
In Act IV Scenes v-vi Hamlet is gone, Polonius is dead and has been buried in secret, Ophelia is raving mad, and, as Claudius tells us, the common people are disturbed and murmuring among themselves. True
Marcellus says that they should follow Hamlet & The Ghost and try to protect Hamlet themselves. True
Grief-stricken and outraged, Hamlet bursts upon the company, declaring in agonized fury his own love for Ophelia and leaps into the grave and fights with Laertes True
Hamlet reveals that Poloniuss body is under the stairs near the castle lobby. True
In Poloniuss house, Laertes prepares to leave for France. Bidding his sister, Ophelia, farewell, he cautions her against falling in love with Hamlet who is, according to Laertes, too far above her by birth to be able to love her honorably. True
Polonius interrupts the queen and says that she has offended Hamlet’s father, meaning the dead King Hamlet, by marrying Claudius. False
Like Hamlet, Fortinbras is the grieving son of a dead king, a prince whose uncle inherited the throne in his place. True
After talking with the Ghost in Act I, Hamlet says he will wipe his brain clean and concentrate on nothing but the revenge for his murdered father. True
Hamlet feels a responsibility to avenge his fathers murder by his uncle Claudius, but Claudius is now the king and thus well protected. Moreover, Hamlet struggles with his doubts about whether he can trust the ghost and whether killing Claudius is the appropriate thing to do. True
Laertes is Hamlets best foil throughout the play, and in this Act IV Scene v the contrast between the two, each of whom has a dead father to avenge, reaches its peak. True
What does the Ghost wish for his ‘incestuous’ wife? to live with the guilt and answer to Heaven when she dies
August 10, 2019