Characters
Who did Hamlet sit with during the play? Why do you think he did this (up to interpretation)?
Ophelia, maybe so he could get a better view of Claudius (he was filming), or maybe because he didn’t mean those things to Ophelia
What is Claudius's reaction to the play?
He stands up and walks away.
“To be or not to be…”
Hamlet, in his soliloquy, contemplating life, people don’t do the action because of fear of the unknown after death
Hamlet walks into a room, watching a figure on their knees praying, who is this figure? What happens in this scene?
King Claudius is trying to pray off his sins, Hamlet was going to kill him but hesitates.
What play does Hamlet have the players reenact?
Mousetrap
“No good mother, here’s metal more attractive.”
Hamlet to Queen, refuses to sit next to mother during the play, sits near Ophelia
What does Hamlet think of marriage, love, women? How does he express this?
He thinks no new marriages should come, all old ones will stay, all but one- alluding to the king and queen
What event is the turning point in the dissent of Ophelia?
When Hamlet yelled at her to go to thee nunnery.
What conclusion does Gertrude draw from Hamlet’s conversation with the ghost? At the end of the scene, do you think that Gertrude still believes this conclusion to be true?
She believes he is mad/crazy. She cannot see the ghost. At the end he tells her his craziness is fake, but it doesn’t seem like she believes him
Who did Hamlet kill and why?
Polonius, it was an accident because he thought it was Claudius
“Get thee to a nunnery.”
Hamlet saying how marriage leads to sins (children)
Who does Hamlet praise and request help in catching Claudius?
Horatio
What does the ghost remind Hamlet of?
He still has to go through and kill the king, don’t hurt Gertrude, tend to her
“I must be cruel only to be kind; Thus bad begins, and worse remains behind.”
Hamlet to Queen, he still must do bad things, the worst is yet to come, but it will be better after
Who told Hamlet to go speak with his mother? (remember the reason why?)- double if they say why
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
If Gertrude talking to Hamlet doesn’t work what is Polonius going to tell Hamlet to do?
Send him to England
“Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play upon me”
Hamlet to Rosen and Guilden, questions why he can open up to them when they cannot even play a recorder