Hamlet
What happened on the day Hamlet was born?
King Hamlet killed King Fortinbras
At the beginning of the play, Laertes asks the king’s permission to do what?
What is one topic or idea that all of Hamlet’s major soliloquies address?
death, self-hatred, revenge, guilt, grief
List two examples of the motif of corruption within the play
- ghost wandering around
- Claudius as King of Denmark
- marriage of Claudius to Gertrude
- Hamlet's "madness"
- Polonius always spying on people
- Polonius being killed (accidentally)
- possible war against Norway (Fortinbras)
etc.
What does Hamlet mean when he tells Gertrude, "Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not seems."
He means that his feelings about King Hamlet's death are real and not just for show.
Who were Hamlet’s two oldest friends? Who is his latest confidante?
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
- Horatio
List two pieces of advice that Polonius imparts to his son.
- do not make friends with everyone, but be loyal to your close friends
- be polite to everyone you speak to
- dress as well as you can afford, but not gaudily
- do not borrow or lend money
- try not to get into fights, but if you do, make sure the person you are fighting with knows you are someone to be feared
- be true to yourself
In the speech “O, that this too too-solid flesh would melt…”, Hamlet says that Claudius is no more like his father than “I to _______________.”
Hercules
Recite two lines from the play which relate to ideas of life and death.
Many possible answers.
Why is it admirable that Fortinbras Jr. would lead 20,000 men to attack Poland?
He is risking his life for honour of his country and his father's legacy.
What does Hamlet say about life when he holds Yorick's skull?
We all return to a lowly state, no matter who we were in life. He thinks of how Yorick once held him in his lap and made everyone laugh, and even Caesar became nothing but bones.
Which character is compared to a sponge and why?
Rosencrantz (and Guildenstern)
Hamlet says they are like sponges because the king is using them to soak up information, but will wring the information out of them and throw them away when they are dry (i.e. when they are no longer useful to Claudius, he will get rid of them).
Name three major ideas dealt with in the soliloquy “To be or not to be…”
- suicide
- death
- the afterlife
- heaven/hell
- the pains/heartaches of life
Explain two ways in which the motif of order vs. disorder is highlighted in the final scene of the play.
- Claudius dies (therefore Hamlet has fulfilled his promise to his father's ghost)
- lots of other people die (Hamlet, Laertes, Gertrude), causing disorder
- Prince Fortinbras will take over the kingdom -- return to order after disorder between King Hamlet Sr./King Fortinbras Sr.
- Horatio lives to tell Hamlet's story
- Laertes forgives Hamlet for killing his father
What types of builders are stronger than carpenters, masons and shipwrights, since their "buildings" last for eternity?
gravediggers
Who are two people Hamlet mocks in the play, and why does he mock them?
- Polonius -- calls him many names (such as Old Jepthah, a fishmonger, etc.), calls him a fool, calls him old, calls him nosy, etc.
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern -- calls them sponges for the king, says they cannot play him like a pipe, gives them convoluted answers to all their questions
- Osric -- mocks him for the way he speaks and his "new money" status
Why does Ophelia give imaginary daisies, fennel, and columbines to Claudius, Laertes, and Gertrude?
Each flower represents something different about the characters--things like loyalty, dishonesty, or adultry.
What event spurs Hamlet to say “How all occasions inform against me, / And spur my dull revenge”? What are two parallels made in this speech?
Hamlet sees Prince Fortinbras leading an army of 20,000 men to fight for a useless piece of land (for the sake of honour).
- Hamlet's inaction vs. Fortinbras' action
- Fortinbras willing to risk his life for honour, while Hamlet cannot do the same for his dead father
Which two characters are juxtaposed against each other in regards to the motif of madness? Explain how.
Hamlet vs. Ophelia
- Hamlet's madness is initially false (putting on an act), whereas Ophelia's is real; Hamlet "goes mad" to try to put an end to his grief, whereas Ophelia goes mad from grief
What is ironic about the fact that Hamlet says, "I know not 'seems?'"
It is ironic because Hamlet will soon go around the castle pretending ("seeming") to be mad.
What are two specific skills Hamlet has to use in order to lead Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths?
- forgery
- neat handwriting
- theft
Who says, "Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death/The memory be green, and that it us benefitted/to bear our hearts in grief...", and what does he mean when he says the memory is "green?"
Claudius says this in his Act I, Scene II speech.
"Green" means new or recently occurring.
What two ideas--one positive and one negative--does Claudius juxtapose (put side-by-side) in his speech to the castle in Act I, Scene II?
Claudius juxtaposes his joy over the marriage between him and Gertrude with their grief over the death of King Hamlet.
List which three characters best exemplify the motif of revenge and explain how they exemplify this motif in different ways.
Hamlet - avenge his father's murder (basically the whole play)
Fortinbras - avenge the loss of his father and his country's land to Denmark
Laertes - avenge his father's murder at all costs and as soon as possible
In the final scene of the play, two characters change their minds about important things. Who are the two characters and what are the things of importance?
Laertes - changes his mind about siding with Claudius and also forgives Hamlet for killing Polonius
Horatio - wants to kill himself when he sees Hamlet dying, but lives because Hamlet asks him to stay alive to tell his story and help restore order to the kingdom