Characters
This character is the king of Denmark and Hamlet's uncle.
Claudius
Why does Polonius send his servant to Paris?
To spy on Laertes
Why were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern summoned to Elsinore?
To spy on the young Prince Hamlet
What type of speech does Hamlet give that reveals his inner thoughts while he is alone on stage?
A soliloquy
Polonius: "Lord Hamlet is a Prince, out of thy star./ This must not be."
The Prince Hamlet is of a higher social standing than Ophelia, and they can never be together.
Polonius
Why do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern believe Hamlet is behaving so strangely?
Ros and Guil believe Hamlet is depressed because he should have been king; he is too ambitious.
What does Polonius believe to be the cause of Hamlet's madness
Lovesickness
Hamlet’s "Denmark’s a prison" line is an example of this literary device
Metaphor
Translate: "What would he [the player] do/ Had he the motive and the cue for passion/ That I have?"
What would this actor do if, like me, he had an actual reason to be sad?
These characters are sent by Claudius and Gertrude to spy on Hamlet.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Hamlet visits Ophelia “with his doublet all unbraced, / No hat upon his head” to…
Convince her of his madness
What news does Voltemand bring from Norway?
The newly crowned King of Norway, Prince Fortinbras' uncle, will keep his nephew from waging war on Denmark.
Hamlet: “Murder, though it have no tongue, will speak.”
Translate: "The play’s the thing/ Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King.”
The play will reveal the truth.
This character returns to Elsinore with news from Norway
Voltemand
What plan does Hamlet devise at the end of Act II?
He will stage a play that mirrors his father's murder to observe Claudius’s reaction and, hopefully, prove his guilt.
How does Hamlet feel about the ghost and its identity? Does he truly believe this to be the ghost of his father?
He is torn between believing that the ghost is indeed the spirit of his father and his suspicion that it could be a deceptive entity, perhaps a demon, trying to lead him astray.
Hamlet: "Had he the motive and the cue for passion/ That I have? He would drown the stage with tears."
Hyperbole
Translate: “I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw.”
I’m only crazy sometimes; other times, I can think clearly and tell the difference between things.
This character is sent to France to spy on Laertes
Reynaldo
What is the name of the play that Hamlet requests the players perform before the King?
The Murder of Gonzago
For what two major reasons is Hamlet reluctant to take revenge on Claudius?
1. His moral and ethical dilemmas regarding killing another person
2. His uncertainty about the ghost's authenticity and intentions
What literary device is employed when Hamlet asks the players to deliver the speech about the fall of Troy, referencing Greek history/mythology?
Allusion
Translate: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.”
Even though Hamlet seems mad, there’s some logic behind his behavior.