Key Quotes
Who says, "O from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or nothing worth!"?
Who is Hamlet?
How does Hamlet escape from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
What is boards a pirate ship?
What theme is highlighted by Hamlet's reflection on Yorick's skull?
What is existentalism?
Who becomes king of Denmark after Hamlet's death?
Who is Fortinbras?
What happens to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
What is they are executed in England?
Complete this quote from Claudius in Act 4, Scene 4: "Where th'offense is, let the __________."
What is "great ax fall"?
What happens to Polonius' body after he is killed?
What is Hamlet hides it near the lobby stairs?
In Hamlet's Act 4 soliloquy, he contrasts his hesitation with Fortinbras' boldness. What theme does this explore?
What is inaction vs. inaction?
What reason does Claudius give for not punishing Hamlet after Polonius' murder?
What is the people love him too much?
What is Fortinbras fighting for in Act 4?
In Act 4, Scene 4, Gertrude says, "To my sick soul, as sin's true nature is..." What emotion is she expressing?
What is guilt?
How does Ophelia die?
What is drowning?
Claudius' manipulation of Laertes and the mob reflects this theme central to the play.
What is corruption?
Who leads the angry mob to the castle in Act 4?
Who is Laertes?
What object does Hamlet compare Rosencrantz to in Act 4, Scene 2?
What is a sponge?
Identify the speaker of this line: "The King, the King's to blame."
Who is Laertes?
What demand does the mob make outside the castle (inside, in the movie version) in Act 4, Scene 5?
What is for Laertes to be king?
Hamlet's philosophical acceptance of death in Act 5 relates to this larger existential question.
What is the inevitability of fate?
Which character's death causes Ophelia's descent into madness?
Who is Polonius?
What request does Claudius make of the King of England in his letter?
What is to have Hamlet killed?
What does Hamlet mean in Act 5, Scene 2 when he says, "The readiness is all"?
What is acceptance of fate?
Who does Hamlet name as the next king of Denmark?
Who is Fortinbras?
Claudius manipulates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern into carrying Hamlet's death warrant, pretending loyalty to them while betraying them. What theme does this reflect best?
What is appearance vs. reality?
Who is the only Danish character alive at the end of the play?
Who is Horatio?
What is the gravedigger's answer to his riddle about who builds stronger than a mason, shipwright, or carpenter?
What is a gravedigger?