Hamlet
Hamlet is angry because his mother did not wait even ___________ (amount of time) after his father's death before marrying Claudius.
two months
What are the names of the current King and Queen of Denmark at the start of the play?
King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
What is Polonius' official title in the kingdom?
Lord Polonius
__________ is Hamlet's friend from school.
Horatio
Denmark has previously had and is currently (at the start of the play) having a conflict with __________.
Norway
Where does Hamlet go to school?
Wittenberg
Where is the royal palace located?
Elsinore
What does Laertes ask permission for from the king? What is the king's response?
He asks permission to leave Denmark to go back to Paris. The king says if he has his father's consent, then the king will also grant permission.
Name three castle guards.
- Bernardo
- Francisco
- Marcellus
In the first war with Norway, __________ killed ___________ and won _____________ as a reward.
- King Hamlet Sr.
- King Fortinbras Sr.
- land
According to Hamlet, what are three signs of mourning that are "trappings and suits of woe"? (See Act 1, Scene 2)
- black clothing
- tears
- sighing all the time
- sad expression on one's face
What is Claudius' first command as the new king?
Get Cornelius and Voltimand to take a letter to the uncle of Prince Fortinbras of Norway to convince him not to attack Denmark
What advice does Laertes give Ophelia before he leaves the kingdom? What is Ophelia's response?
Don't take Hamlet's attention too seriously and be wary of it to make sure you don't ruin your reputation. He will never marry you because he is going to be king and will not be allowed to choose his own wife.
Ophelia replies that she will keep his advice in mind, but also says that he should make sure he follows his own advice as well and not be hypocritical.
List two reasons why Horatio does not want Hamlet to be alone with the ghost.
- It might tempt him to jump into the sea.
- It might lead him to a high cliff and urge him to jump off.
- It might appear in a horrible form that will drive Hamlet insane.
Claudius hopes to avoid war by taking advantage of the fact that _________ is currently too young to rule and convincing _____________ to stop him from going ahead with battle plans.
- Prince Fortinbras (Jr.)
- Old Norway (his uncle)
What are four things that Hamlet asks Horatio to make sure that the ghost he saw looked like his father?
- Was he wearing armour?
- Did you see his face?
- Did he look red or pale?
- Was he frowning?
- Was his beard grizzled?
Hamlet says that comparing King Hamlet Sr. to Claudius is like comparing a ____________ to a __________.
hyperion to a satyr
What does Polonius command Ophelia to do and why?
Polonius tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet. He does not want Ophelia to make a fool of him by ruining her reputation in the kingdom.
Horatio tells Hamlet that he is a __________ because he left school in order to come to Denmark for ________________. Hamlet replies that the real reason that Horatio came to Denmark was to see ________________.
- Hamlet Sr.'s funeral
- Gertrude's wedding to Claudius
When Hamlet tells his mother "I have that within which passeth show / These but the trappings and suits of woe", this can be connected to the motif of _____________________.
appearance vs. reality
What plan does Hamlet come up with after speaking with his father's ghost? Who else knows about this plan?
- He will act crazy (put on an "antic disposition") to try to spy on Claudius and confirm that the ghost was telling the truth.
- Horatio and Marcellus know about the plan and promise to keep it secret.
Aside from marrying his mother, Hamlet also hates Claudius because he makes the kingdom look bad through his habit of ___________.
drinking excessively / drunkenness / alcoholism
List, in modern English (you own words), four pieces of advice that Polonius gives to Laertes.
- Don't speak or act before you think things through.
- Be polite to people, but not too friendly.
- Once you find good and loyal friends, keep them close to you and be true to them.
- Don't waste your time trying to befriend every new person you meet.
- Don't take advice from everyone and anyone.
- Try to stay out of fights, but once you're in one, make sure they know you are someone to be scared of.
- Make sure you dress as well as you can afford, but don't be too flashy or gaudy.
- Don't borrow or lend money.
- Always be true to yourself.
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When the ghost refuses to speak to Horatio, the guards try to ___________. They then decide that this was a mistake because _____________.
- strike at it with their swords
- trying to strike a ghost is like trying to stab the air / the ghost is offended by their violence
List two examples from Act I that can be connected to the motif of order vs. disorder.
- ghost wandering around the kingdom at night
- secret plans for war in case Prince Fortinbras and his rebel army attack
- Hamlet's state of mind/mental health
- ghost telling his story and asking Hamlet to get revenge
- Hamlet's plan to act crazy