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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. During "The Mousetrap," Gertrude says, "The lady protests too much, methinks." What is she talking about?

2. After witnessing Hamlet's behavior during the play, what does Claudius say about his condition?

3. What specific thing does Hamlet determine Claudius must do before Hamlet can murder him?

4. After the ambassadors have left, what piece of writing does Polonius share with Claudius and Gertrude?

5. After Hamlet's behavior during the play-within-a-play, what do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern agree to do with Hamlet?

Short Essay Questions

1. After his first speech in the play, Claudius shifts from talking about the country to talking specifically about Hamlet. What does he say about Hamlet's grief? What does Gertrude say?

2. During Hamlet's first conversation with the ghost, the ghost asks for revenge. Who does the ghost want revenge on and why?

3. What is the setting (time and place) of Act 1, Scene 4?

4. After talking to the ghost at the end of Act 1, what does Hamlet decide to do about his father's death?

5. Laertes and Polonius are both concerned about Ophelia's romance. In Act 1, Scene 3, what do they tell her?

6. In Act 2, Scene 1, how does Ophelia describe Hamlet's appearance?

7. When Hamlet follows the ghost, what do his friends decide to do?

8. After the play-within-a-play, Claudius meets with Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern loyal to? How can you tell?

9. Once alone after the play-within-a-play, Claudius bemoans his crimes and falls to his knees in prayer. But at the end of the scene, what does he say about his praying?

10. Who does the ghost tell Hamlet NOT to seek revenge on?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The play focuses a lot on death. There is the death of the old king and Hamlet's "excessive" mourning. There is the appearance of the ghost and its description of the afterlife. There is Hamlet's obsession with suicide and Ophelia's apparent suicide. There is the entire graveyard scene, with its varied perspectives on death. Shakespeare puts forth many different perspectives on this topic in the play. Choose one belief or perspective that is presented in the play; explain it and identify two or three instances in the play where that belief is supported or represented.

Essay Topic 2

Shakespeare frequently attributes disease or unhappiness in "great ones" as a sign of disease or unhappiness in an entire community. In "A Midsummer Night's Dream," for example, the entire world is out-of-whack because the king and queen of the faeries are fighting. There is no question that the "great ones" in Hamlet are diseased/unhappy. How does that unhappiness manifest itself in the rest of the country? Provide specific examples from the play to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 3

Study some of the basics of Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" and apply them to the political situation in Denmark. What would Machiavelli say about Claudius? Polonius? Fortinbras? Hamlet?

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This section contains 875 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample