Name that Character
Hamlet asks this guy to watch Claudius's reactions to the play
Horatio
Who says this line:
"In second husband let me be accurst,
None wed the second, but who killed the first"
Player Queen
what figurative language is used here: "Oh, ’tis too true!"
alliteration
Explain Hamlet’s “pipe” metaphor
Hamlet is comparing himself to a recorder (pipe). Guildenstern said he couldn't play a recorder, but he's been playing Hamlet all along.... and not very well.
True or false: Hamlet has the most lines of any character in all of Shakespeare's plays.
true!
this person plans to spy on Ham and Getrude
Polonius
To whom does Hamlet say, "Give me that man /That is not passion's slave, and I will wear him / In my heart's core"? And what does this mean?
Horatio; he doesn't act rashly
"but let your own discretion be your tutor."
personification
In what way is Ophelia already corrupted by the world of Elsinore?
She willingly participates in deception
Shakespeare reportedly played this character in a production of Hamlet
the Ghost of King Hamlet
Who calls for Hamlet after the play?
Gertrude
What's goin on when Hamlet says "Do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Call me what instrument you will, though you can fret me, yet you cannot play upon me."
He is telling R&G that he cannot be "played" as in fooled or lied to.
"Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow"
simile
How does the play (Murder of Gonzago) effect Claudius?
his guilty feelings start coming up and he feels motivated to try to pray-- or at least, think about praying.
Hamlet has been performed or published in more than ____ languages, including Klingon.
75
Who does Hamlet accuse Gertrude of betraying?
his father (King Hamlet)
Here, Polonius asks Ophelia to read from a prayer book. What do these lines mean:
"We are oft to blame in this, 'Tis too much proved, that with devotion’s visage And pious action we do sugar o'er The devil himself."
This happens often: people act devoted to God to mask their bad deeds.
"they are not a pipe for Fortune’s finger
To sound what stop she please"
alliteration and personification
How is Hamlet's harsh treatment of Ophelia in this scene ("get thee to a nunnery") related to his earlier statement concerning Gertrude, "Frailty, thy name is woman"?
he believes women are morally weak and are easy targets for men
Is there a connection between John Wilkes Booth and Hamlet?
Yep! His brother, Edwin Booth, had his greatest acting success playing the role of Hamlet. After the Lincoln assassination, Edwin retired from the stage, but his fans wanted him to return, so he did.
Who asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England? And why?
Claudius; he's gettin a lil freaked out by Ham's erratic behavior. He realizes Ham could be a threat.
Ham's encounter with Ophelia ("get thee to a nunnery") can be seen as cruel or kind — depending on what you feel is Hamlet’s intention here. Why might it be cruel? Why might it be kind?
Cruel: He's projecting his anger at Gertrude onto Ophelia and is just. hella rude and misogynistic here.
Kind: He's trying to protect Ophelia from the corruption and betrayal of the world
"It hath the primal eldest curse upon ’t,
A brother’s murder."
allusion: specifically, biblical allusion
Do you think that Gertrude was in on the plot to kill King Hamlet? Why or why not? (If you can: use evidence to support your position!)
answers may vary :)
How many lines does Hamlet speak?
1,506 speaking lines