Scene 1
What is the atmosphere at the opening of the play?
cold, spooky, quiet
What are two main things that Claudius explains in his monologue?
His brother's (King Hamlet) unfortunate death and Prince Fortinbras' plan
Who is Ophelia?
Polonius' daughter
When hamlet sees the ghost of his father, he says "it will not speak. I will follow it." Why do you suppose, Hamlet refers to the ghost as it instead of him?
He isn't sure if its his father or if its even real
What do most people think was the cause of King Hamlets death? What was the actual cause of his death?
Bit by a snake; Claudius poured poison in his ear
Who is Bernardo, Francisco, and Marcellus? Who is Horatio?
Guards who first sees the ghost. Hamlet's best friend
What does Laertes ask of Claudius?
To go back to France
What does Polonius say is the most important thing for Laertes to remember as he leaves Elsinore?
To be true to himself
Why isn't Hamlet afraid of being hurt by the ghost?
He doesn't care if he lives or dies
What does the ghost want Hamlet to do?
Avenge his death and seek revenge on Claudius
What does Marcellus mean by "Thou art a scholar, speak it Horatio"
That he is the educated one and that he should be able to communicate with it.
What actual fact do we learn from Hamlets first soliloquy?
Hamlet is depressed and sometimes has suicide thoughts. We learn that his Father has been dead for 2 months and his mother remarried after 1 month.
Polonius talks to Ophelia about her romance. What does Polonius tell her?
Don't trust Hamlet's promises
At the end of the scene, the famous line "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" is delivered. Who says this line? What does it mean?
Marcellus; something doesn't feel right and something bad will happen to those involved
What does Ghost Hamlet tell Hamlet to do about Queen Gertrude?
Ghost Hamlet tells his son (Hamlet) not to seek revenge on his mother, Gertrude. Instead let her die a natural death and then she'll have to answer to God.
How do Bernardo and Horatio describe what the ghost looks like?
Similar to the king, wearing similar armor from battle
What does Gertrude ask of Hamlet
Stop wearing funeral garb and be happy.
What does Polonius tell Ophelia?
to stay away from Hamlet
Where is Scene 4 set
Outside of the castle; the ramparts, etc
Why did Hamlet swear his friends to secrecy?
he doesn't want people to think he's crazy and doesn't want it to get back to Claudius that Hamlet knows that he killed his father.
Does the ghost answer Horatio? Does Horatio still hold the same view he had at the beginning?
No, he now believes and thinks that this foreshadows danger to the kingdom
After hearing from Horatio and co about the ghost, how does Hamlet respond?
He wants to go see him.
What is ironic about this Scene 3?
Polonius is sweet and doting with Laertes but stern with Ophelia
Hamlet in this scene could be described as . . .
Impulsive
What is Hamlet's strategy in dealing with his murderous uncle?
He's going to act crazy in an effort to buy himself some time to prove the guilt Claudius and to find out if his mother was in on the plot to murder his father.