Characters
The name of Gertrude's new husband.
Who is Claudius
The city and country that the play is set in.
What is Elsinore, Denmark?
What is Laertes' advice to his sister and how does she respond?
Not to fall for Hamlet’s sweet talk. He’s thinks she should guard her honor and preaches virtue. He urges her to keep her distance. Ophelia agrees to remember his advice but wittily reminds him to follow his own moral standards while abroad, highlighting the double standard he imposes.
What do most people think killed King Hamlet?
Everyone’s been told that he was bitten by a snake while he was napping in his orchard.
"A little more than kin and less than kind"
Hamlet about Claudius.
Write down four bits of wisdom Polonius wants Laertes to remember as he faces the world.
1. Don’t always say what you’re thinking. 2. Don’t act on unwise thoughts. 3. Be friendly to people, but don’t be overly friendly/obnoxious. 4. Once a friend has proven himself loyal to you, keep him close and value that rare friendship. 5. Don’t waste your time shaking hands and trying to befriend every new person you meet. 6. Try to avoid being in a fight, but once you’re in a fight you need to be intimidating. 7. Listen to many people, but don’t be the one to talk so much. 8. Hear everyone’s opinion, but reserve your own judgment. 9. Spend all you can afford on clothes, but buy quality items instead of being fashionable. Clothes make the man, especially in France, where you’re going. 10. Don’t borrow money and don’t lend it. When you lend money to a friend, you often lose the friendship as well as the money. If you borrow money, you’ll spend it in irresponsible ways. 11. Above all, be true to yourself
The method used to kill the king and who committed this crime?
Claudius (the actual snake) poured poison down King Hamlet's ear.
"Frailty, thy name is woman!"
Hamlet about Gertrude.
What is Claudius doing late at night while Hamlet looks for the ghost? Why is this offensive?
He is partying. King Hamlet just died. A show of disrespect.
What does the ghost want to have happen to Queen Gertrude? Why?
The ghost tells Hamlet not to take action against Gertrude and, instead, to let God be the judge of her actions.
"Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend"
Polonius. Loans lose themselves and friendships.
How long has it been since King Hamlet died? How long has it been since Claudius married Gertrude?
He died less than two months ago and they married a month after the funeral
Why is Hamlet unafraid of the ghost?
He doesn’t really care if he lives or dies, so he figures there’s nothing to lose by following the ghost. He’s depressed and desperate. The ghost can’t hurt him anymore than he’s already hurting, he figures.
Why, do you suppose, Hamlet swears his friends to secrecy?
He doesn’t want to give Claudius any inkling that he knows the truth about the murder.
"That one may smile and smile and be a villain."
Hamlet about Claudius
This character is going to put on an antic disposition to fulfill his father's request. What is an antic disposition?
Who is Hamlet. “Antic” means “bizarre” or “grotesque.” So, Hamlet plans to begin acting strangely, possibly like he’s mentally ill. He’ll still be sane, but his mother and uncle won’t know how to handle him. This will give him time to plan his revenge.
Who says this and what does it mean: he says, “O that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into dew.”
Hamlet has begun to think about suicide as he grieves. He wishes he could evaporate and disappear.
"I do not set my life at a pin's fee." Who says this quote and why is it important?
Hamlet. Shows his recklessness and growing disregard for his own life.
Hamlet’s line, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” can be read as a philosophical statement. How does it reflect the play’s exploration of the unknown, the supernatural, and human understanding?
A philosophical assertion that the world contains mysteries beyond the scope of human reason. In the play’s context, it follows Hamlet’s encounter with the Ghost of his father, a supernatural event that challenges Horatio’s skeptical, rational worldview. Also, motivating Hamlet to live with this new, inspired purpose.
"Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"
Marcellus. In general, it means that something’s not right and someone’s probably planning/plotting something sinister