The World of Hamlet
Who wrote Hamlet?
William Shakespeare
What is Hamlet's relationship to Gertrude?
Son
What theme explores the difference between right and wrong?
Morality
What do we call the people who take part in a play's action?
Characters
What do we call a character who contrasts with another character to highlight their qualities?
Foil
In which country is Hamlet set?
Denmark
What is Claudius's relationship to Hamlet?
Uncle and stepfather
What theme is explored through the death of Hamlet's father and the deaths of other characters?
Death
What is the sequence of events in a story or play called?
Plot
What is the term for a character's fatal flaw or error in judgement that contributes to their downfall?
Hamartia
During which historical period did Shakespeare write Hamlet?
Elizabethan era
What event at the beginning of the story creates much of the conflict surrounding Hamlet?
His father's death
What theme involves dishonesty, hidden motives and people pretending to be something they are not?
Deception
What do we call the main character around whom a story centres?
Protagonist
What do we call the emotional release or cleansing an audience experiences when watching a tragedy?
Catharsis
What type of play is Hamlet, involving serious events and the downfall of its main character?
Tragedy
What is the term for a character who opposes or conflicts with the protagonist?
Antagonist
What theme explores the desire to punish someone for a wrong they have committed?
Revenge
What is a long speech delivered by a character alone on stage, revealing their thoughts?
Soliloquy
What is a character called when they recognise an important truth about themselves or their situation?
Anagnorisis
What is the name of the famous theatre associated with Shakespeare's acting company in London?
The Globe Theatre
Which character's descent into madness runs parallel to Hamlet's pretence?
Ophelia
What theme explores uncertainty about what is true, what to believe and how to make the right decision?
Appearance versus reality
What is the term for a character's struggle against another character, society, nature or themselves?
Conflict
What is the term for the moment when a tragedy's events take a decisive turn, often leading towards the protagonist's downfall?
Peripeteia