Characters
What effect does the father-like apparition have on Hamlet?
The encounter with the father-like apparition causes Hamlet to seek revenge against King Claudius.
What is one of the questions Hamlet asks in his To be or not to be soliloquy in Act III, Scene 1, lines 57–91?
Is suicide a good option to escape from suffering?
What is Hamlet's famous question in Act III of The Tragedy of Hamlet?
"To be or not to be?"
What is the dramatic climax of The Tragedy of Hamlet?
Hamlet finally commits to seeking revenge.
What is one of the questions Hamlet asks in his To be or not to be soliloquy in Act III, Scene 1, lines 57–91?
Is it wiser to accept suffering or to fight its causes and end it?
What is a theme conveyed by Hamlet’s battle with Laertes in Act V?
A person must face their fate with courage.
What major event leads up to Hamlet sailing for England in Act IV?
The murder of Polonius.
What is revealed about Hamlet in his soliloquy in Act IV, Scene IV?
Hamlet's soliloquy reveals that he has a strong desire for revenge.
What idea does Claudius convey with the paradoxical phrase "With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage" (Act I, Scene 2, line 12)?
Claudius has mixed emotions over recent events.
How does Hamlet’s encounter with Fortinbras (Prince of Norway) in Act IV help Hamlet avenge his father’s death?
Hamlet is inspired by Fortinbras’s passion for his nation. Hamlet desires to be just as passionate about his mission.
What motivations are revealed in Claudius’s soliloquy in Act IV, Scene iii?
Claudius has a plan to kill Hamlet.
In Act I, Scene 2, lines 139–153, Hamlet alludes to Greek mythology (Hyperion and Niobe). What purpose do these allusions serve?
They are used to characterize the behavior of King Claudius and Gertrude.
What is the key difference between Hamlet's response to grief and Ophelia's response to grief?
Ophelia’s madness is sincere and caused by external conflicts; Hamlet’s madness may
be pretentious to cover a diabolical plan.
What is the internal conflict Hamlet expresses in his soliloquy at the end of Act II (O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I . . .)?
He has every reason to be angry, but instead he feels weak.
What role does Horatio play in the resolution of the plot?
He vows to tell the truth about what happened to Hamlet.