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Hamlet Study Guide

Soliloquy:
Aside:
Character List
Hamlet
Claudius
Gertrude
Ghost of Hamlets Father, old King Hamlet.
Polonius

Horatio
Ophelia
Laertes
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern
Fortinbras

Act I
1. What is the mood of the opening scene?
2. What dreaded sight are the guards referring to?
3. What historical background does Horatio give?
4. How does the mood of the second scene contrast with that of the first scene?
5. What is Claudius going to do concerning Fortinbras?
6. Explain the irony of the subject of Claudiuss speech.
7. What does Laertes ask permission to do?
8. What does Gertrude ask Hamlet to do?
9. What does Claudius say about Hamlets sorrow?
10. During Hamlets first soliloquy, what is his state of mind?
11. What is Hamlets view on his mothers marriage?
12. What does Hamlet mean when he says Frailty, thy name is woman?
13. What does Horatio come to tell Hamlet? What is their plan?
14. What warning does Laertes give Ophelia concerning her relationship with Hamlet?
15. What advice does Polonius give Laertes?
16. What command does Polonius give Ophelia?
17. What are Horatios concerns about the ghost?
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18. Explain the meaning of Something rotten in the state of Denmark.

19. What story does the ghost tell Hamlet? What does the ghost ask Hamlet to do?
20. What warning does the ghost give Hamlet concerning his mother?
21. What does Hamlet mean when he says he will put an antic disposition on?
22. What does Hamlet mean when he says The time is out of joint. O cursed spite, that ever I
was born to set it right?
Act II
1. What does Polonius tell Reynaldo to do? What does this show about Polonius and his way
of thinking and acting?
2. Why is Ophelia upset when she enters? Has she been following her fathers orders?
3. What is Poloniuss response to what Ophelia tells him?
4. Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come? How do they know Hamlet?
5. What is the news concerning Fortinbras?
6. How do Gertrude and Claudius respond to Poloniuss explanation of Hamlets madness?
What is their plan to test Poloniuss theory of Hamlets madness?
7. How does Hamlet behave towards Polonius? Why?
8. How does Hamlet initially behave towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
9. Why does Hamlet think Denmarks a prison?
10. What does Hamlet tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about his madness?
11. How does Hamlet respond to the arrival of the players/actors?
12. What play does he want them to perform for the king and queen? What does he want to do
to the play?
13. In his soliloquy, why is Hamlet upset with himself?
14. Why hasnt Hamlet acted on his vengeance?
15. What is his purpose for the play?

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Act III
1. What is Claudiuss and Poloniuss plan?
To have Ophelia read from a prayer book while hamlet walks in the room and study his actions.
2. What is the main idea of Hamlets To be, or not to be speech.
To kill himself or live
3. What keeps people from committing suicide, according to Hamlet?
Fear of death and not knowing about the after life
4. Describe how Hamlet treats Ophelia. Why does he refer to her as a breeder of sinners?
What is Hamlets general view of women here?
He is rude to her. He acts as if he doesnt love herr. She will give birth to humans which will be
sinners. He thinks they are weak and lowly; not to be trusted
5. What does Hamlet say concerning marriages?
Women should marry fools because wise men will know when they are cheating
6. What is Ophelias reaction to Hamlet?
She is surprised and saddended
7. What does Claudius mean when he says, Madness in great ones must not unwatched go?
Powerful people who become mad must be watched
8. What is Hamlets advice (directions) to the players? Why is it fitting he give them this
advice?
9. Dont exaggerate the words, dont use too many hand gestures, make them gentle and few.
Keep the emotion moderate and smooth. Fit the action with the word, and dont let the clown
ad-lib. He is educating the audience and the closer the play is to real life the better he can
judge Claudius emotions. He is using mimesis (presenting life as it truly is/ holding a mirror
to nature) and verisimilitude (being very similar to true life).
What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the play?
Watch caludius and see how he reacts
10. What is the play within the play about?
A man killing the king and seducing the queen. The mousetrap
11. Summarize the conversation between the Player Queen and the Player King?
They say theyve been together for 30 years but the queen confesses that she is sad
because the king has been so gloomy lately. The queen says that she loves the king and
because she loves the king she is very worried and fearful. The king says that he is going to
die soon, and he can feel his body growing weak and he wants her to find another husband
and be happy. The queen thinks remarrying is treason, and if a wife remarries its because
she killed her first husband or wants money.
12. What does Hamlet call the play within the play? Why is this ironic?
The mouse trap, He is trying to trap Caldius
13. How does Hamlet treat Ophelia during the play? How does this make her feel?
He is very sexual and blunt and sharp torwards her.
14. What is the Queens response to the play? What is Claudiuss response to the play?

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15. What does Claudius reveal while he is alone? Is he sincere?

16. Why does Hamlet decide not to kill Claudius while he is alone? What does this show about
his character?
17. What is Polonius going to do while Hamlet and Gertrude talk? Why?
18. What do Hamlet and Gertrude discuss? How does he treat her?
19. What happens to Polonius? How does Hamlet feel about this?
20. Why does King Hamlets ghost appear?
21. What does Hamlet instruct his mother to do?

Act IV
1. Explain what Hamlet means when he calls Rosencrantz a sponge.
2. Where does Hamlet say Polonius is?
3. How does Hamlet insult Claudius? (2 insults)
4. Where is Hamlet going?
5. What is mentioned about the land Fortinbras seeks?
6. Summarize Hamlets soliloquy.
7. What has happened to Ophelia?
8. What is the subject of Ophelias songs?
9. How does Laertes react to what has happened to Polonius? How does his behavior contrast
with that of Hamlet?
10. How does Claudius calm Laertes?
11. What is in the contents of the letter Horatio receives from Hamlet?
12. What plan do Claudius and Laertes devise?
13. What news of Ophelia does Gertrude bring Claudius and Laertes?

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Act V
1. What are the gravediggers discussing concerning the person theyre digging for?
2. What is the answer to the riddle (What is he that builds stronger than either the mason, the
shipwright, or the carpenter?)?
3. When did Old Hamlet overcome Old Fortinbras?
4. How does Hamlet react when he learns of Ophelias death? What does he claim?
5. Summarize Hamlets conversation with Horatio.
6. What does Hamlet apologize for at the beginning of the duel?
7. Why does the king allow Gertrude to drink the wine?
8. Who is alive at the end? What happened to the others? What does Hamlet ask Horatio to
do?
9. Who is the leader of Denmark at the end of the play? Why is this significant?