Hamlet Test

I, II, 79″Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not “seems.”” Hamlet- QueenHe is answering her question in a way that shows the tension between reality and fantasy in the play. It is a sense that no one recognizes what is actually going on.
I, II, 150″Let me not think on’t—Frailty, thy name is woman!—” Hamlet- HamletHe can’t believe that his mother settled for Claudius. He considers women to be weak.
I, III, 81″Neither a borrower nor a lender be;” Polonius- Laertes Polonius is giving advice (lecturing) Laertes (prior to college) to not lend/borrow money because it can lead to trouble.
I, III, 84-86″And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine ownself be true, And it must follow, as the night the day,” Polonious- LaertesIs giving advice (lecturing) Laertes (prior to college) to be honest, and be true to himself.
I, V, 46-47″The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown.” Ghost- Hamlet The ghost is telling Hamlet that Claudius is the one who killed him.
I, V, 69-70″Upon my secure hour thy uncle stoleWith juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,” Ghost- Hamlet The ghost is speaking to Hamlet revealing how Claudius killed him- by pouring poison into his ear.
I, V 210-211″The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, That ever I was born to set it right!” Hamlet- Horatio and Marcellus It is a lose-lose situation for Hamlet. If he kills Claudius, he is damned. But if he doesn’t kill Claudius, he will never be able to avenge his father.
II, II, 94-96″What majesty should be, what duty is, Why day is day, night is night, and time is time, Were nothing but to waste night, day and time.” Polonius- King and QueenPolonius is not using brevity; he is beating around the bush and not getting to the point. He is being a hypocrite because he is talking about being brief, while he is being very artistic in his use of language.
II, II, 103″More matter, with less art.” Queen-Audience/Polonius Queen is telling Polonius that he needs to be more brief, and less artistic with his language and get to the point. She is brief and has wit. She wants him to get his point across with less words.
II, II, 233-235″You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that I will more willingly part withal: except my life, except my life, except my life.” Hamlet-PoloniusHe is saying that everything else has already been taken from him, and the only thing that Polonius can take from him is his life. He is playing with words, showing his insanity.
II, II, 327-332″What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust?” Hamlet- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern He is saying that man is capable of so much good, but so far in this play the only thing that is revealed is the dark side of man. Hamlet suspects that they have been sent by the king and queen to spy on him.
II, II, 633-634″More relative than this: the play’s the thing Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” Hamlet- Hamlet He is going to study the reactions of Claudius to see how he reacts when watching the play. His reactions will prove his guilty conscience.
III, I, 64-98 The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep- No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to. ‘Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die- to sleep. To sleep- perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Hamlet- Hamlet “soliloquy”He is weighing his options and consequences. It really means “to act or not to act”. He wrestles with the notion of death and the concept of action.
III, I, 163-175″O, what a noble mind is here o’erthrown! The courtier’s, scholar’s, soldier’s, eye, tongue, sword, Th’ expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, Th’ observ’d of all observers- quite, quite down! And I, of ladies most deject and wretched, That suck’d the honey of his music vows, Now see that noble and most sovereign reason, Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh; That unmatch’d form and feature of blown youthBlasted with ecstasy. O, woe is me T’ have seen what I have seen, see what I see!” Ophelia- Herself Her brother and father wont allow her to fall in love with hamlet. She is very obedient, and sheltered. This scene is after hamlet tells her that she should put herself in a nunnery. She believes Hamlet’s madness is her fault.
III, II, 254″Gertrude. The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” Queen- Audience/Hamlet The queen is uncomfortable during the play and answers this when Hamlet asks her opinion of the play.
III, II, 264-267 “Tis a knavish piece of work; but what o’ that? Your Majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us not. Let the gall’d jade winch; our withers are unwrung.” Hamlet- KingHamlet is implying that the silly play won’t insult or offend anyone if their conscience is clear. He is implying that the king is uncomfortable with the play because he has a guilty conscience.
III, III, 1-4″I like him not, nor stands it safe with us To let his madness range. Therefore prepare you; I your commission will forthwith dispatch, And he to England shall along with you.” King- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern The king is telling both of them that he doesn’t like Hamlet and begins to explain to them his plan for sending him off to England.
III, III, 8-11″We will ourselves provide. Most holy and religious fear it isTo keep those many many bodies safe That live and feed upon your Majesty.” Guildenstern- King He is a “yes” man and will agree and do anything that the king tells him to do. He is saying that they have to protect him because so many people depend on the king.
III, III, 40-43″O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven; It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t, A brother’s murther! Pray can I not, Though inclination be as sharp as will.” Claudius- Claudius He is confessing what he did, that he killed his brother. Talks about the rotten smell, one again reflecting on how “Denmark is rotten”.
III, IV, 107-109″O, speak to me no more! These words like daggers enter in mine ears.No more, sweet Hamlet!” Queen- HamletHamlet’s words are very painful for the queen, and he said he would “speak daggers” to her but “use none”, and he did exactly that.
IV, I, 13-16″O heavy deed! It had been so with us, had we been there.His liberty is full of threats to all- To you yourself, to us, to every one.” King- Queen He is telling the Queen that Hamlet is dangerous and crazy, when in reality… Hamlet is a huge threat to the king.
IV, V, 47-49″Well, God dild you! They say the owl was a baker’s daughter. Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table!” Ophelia- King and QueenShe is starting to show her first signs of insanity to the king and queen after the death of her father. She feels utterly alone.
IV, V, 63-68″Indeed, la, without an oath, I’ll make an end on’t! [Sings] By Gis and by Saint Charity,Alack, and fie for shame! Young men will do’t if they come to’t By Cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, ‘Before you tumbled me, You promis’d me to wed.'” Ophelia- Audience (king and queen) She sings a song about how she supposed to marry Hamlet, and how she lost her innocence. If you have sex, you’re damned. If you don’t have sex, you’re damned.
IV, V, 148-154″How came he dead? I’ll not be juggled with: To hell, allegiance! vows, to the blackest devil Conscience and grace, to the profoundest pit! I dare damnation. To this point I stand,That both the world, I give to negligence, Let come what comes; only I’ll be reveng’d Most throughly for my father.” Laertes- KingHe is blaming the king for the death of his father. Laertes is a foil for Hamlet, because he is driven by passion while hamlet is driven by intellect.
IV, VII, 1-5″Now must your conscience my acquittance seal, And You must put me in your heart for friend, Sith you have heard, and with a knowing ear, That he which hath your noble father slain Pursued my life.” King- LaertesBegin to plot against hamlet and convinces Laertes that hamlet will kill again (will kill the king)
V, I, 46-50″I like thy wit well, in good faith. The gallows does well. But how does it well? It does well to those that do ill. Now, thou dost ill to say the gallows is built stronger than the church. Argal, the gallows may do well to thee. To’t again, come.” Gravedigger- Other gravedigger It is known that hamlet uses this scene in the play as a break for the audience before the final scene of the play. In this scene, the gravedigger shows the style of the lower class people and this is considered a humorous scene in the play. The gallows may do a good for those people who do ill, while if you believe that they are stronger than the church…you deserve to be in the gallows.
V, I, 190-192″Let me see. [Takes the skull.] Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio. A fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times.” Hamlet- Horatio Speaking about the skull of Yorick, and how he knew him when he was alive. In this scene, hamlet is thinking aloud about the mystery of death. All that we leave behind when we die is our reputation.
V, I, 258-262″O, treble woe Fall ten times treble on that cursed head Whose wicked deed thy most ingenious sense Depriv’d thee of! Hold off the earth awhile, Till I have caught her once more in mine arms. [Leaps in the grave.]” Laertes- Queen/ audience He is upset that the queen would even mention hamlet and Ophelia getting married especially after Ophelia’s death and his father’s death. He is very upset that the queen would think hamlet and Ophelia would get married. He leaps into the grave and hugs her corpse.
V, II, 233-237″Not a whit, we defy augury; there’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all. Since no man knows aught of what he leaves, what is’t to leave betimes? Let be.” Hamlet- Horatio Life is valuable. Talking about how death is inevitable and is expected. Hamlet wants to die an honorable man. He wants to leave behind a country cleansed of corruption.
V, II, 366-372″You that look pale and tremble at this chance, That are but mutes or audience to this act, Had I but time (as this fell sergeant, Death, Is strict in his arrest) O, I could tell you- But let it be. Horatio, I am dead; Thou liv’st; report me and my cause aright To the unsatisfied.” Hamlet- HoratioHe is telling Horatio that he is the one who has to tell everyone the true story and event that happened- where everyone died and was killed unfairly- and Horatio needs to tell the truth about the events that occurred.
July 29, 2019