| Where is Elsinore in Act 1, Scene 1 | Denmark |
| What time of day is it when the play starts | Late at night |
| Who does the ghost in Act 1, Scene 1 look like | The king who just died |
| What country did the late king go to battle against | Norway |
| Who is Horatio | Hamlet’s friend |
| What is the weather like at the beginning of the play | Very cold |
| What is the Prince of Norway’s name | Fortinbras |
| Who is Cladius | Hamlet’s uncle and the new king |
| What is Hamlet’s mothers name | Gertrude |
| Which two characters is Laertes related to | Polonius and Ophelia |
| During the first soliloquy, what does Hamlet say about his mother | She forgot his father too quickly |
| Who is Ophelia | Daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes |
| Who is Ophelia in love with | Hamlet |
| What does Polonius tell Laertes about borrowing money | Do not borrow or lend money |
| What does Polonius say is the most important thing for Laertes to remember as he leaves Elsinore | Be true to yourself |
| In Act 1, Scene 3, where is Laertes going | Back to college |
| When he is giving Laertes advice, what does Polonius say about his friends | Keep your good friends close to you |
| As Hamlet and the others wait to see the ghost in Act 1, Scene 4, what do they hear in the distance | Trumpets being blown and ordinance being fired |
| What is the king doing during Act 1, Scene 4 | Drinking and celebrating |
| As they wait for the ghost, Hamlet describes the King’s nightly tradition. What does Hamlet think about this tradition | It makes the Danes look bad to other countries |
| How does Hamlet react when he sees the ghost for the first time | He is startled, but he tries to talk to it |
| When Hamlet first sees the ghost, what does he call it | King, father, royal Dane |
| What does the ghost do to Hamlet in Act 1, Scene 4 | Beckons him to follow |
| When Hamlet and his friends first see the ghost, what do Hamlet’s friends tell him to do | Do not go with the ghost |
| Does Hamlet think the ghost will harm him | No |
| What does Horatio say the ghost might do to Hamlet | Drive him crazy |
| Once Hamlet follows the ghost, what do Hamlet’s friends decide to do | Follow Hamlet and the ghost |
| ACT 1, SCENE 5 | *The ghost speaks to Hamlet and identifies itself as his father’s spirit*The ghost walks by night and is tortured by day*The ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his murder*The ghost explains that he was murdered by Claudius.*As the late King slept in the garden, Claudius poured poison into his ear*Claudius also seduced Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude*Hamlet swears to avenge his father’s murder |
| Who does the ghost claim to be | Hamlet’s father |
| When the ghost first speaks to Hamlet, how does it describe its experience | It walks at night and is tortured by day |
| What shocking news does the ghost deliver to Hamlet in Act 1, Scene 5 | Claudius killed Hamlet’s father |
| What is the public explanation of the last king’s death | He was stung by a serpent |
| What is the real reason for the last king’s death | Poison poured in his ear |
| During the first conversation, what does the ghost tell Hamlet about his mother | Do not blame her for what happened |
| In Act 1, Scene 5, what does the ghost ask Hamlet to do | Get revenge |
| What does Hamlet tell his friends about his meeting with the ghost | He tells them nothing |
| After his first meeting with the ghost, what does Hamlet ask his friends to do | Keep his secret |
| At the end of the first act, what does Hamlet warn his friends he might do | Pretend to be crazy |
| After hearing Ophelia’s description of Hamlet, what reason does Polonius suggest for Hamlet’s strange behavior | Hamlet is mad with love for Ophelia |
| After listening to Ophelia’s description of Hamlet, Polonius believes he has found the explanation for Hamlet’s behavior. What does he decide to do next | Tell the King |
| What does Polonius ask Reynaldo to give to his son | Money and written notes |
| Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern | Hamlet’s old friends |
| After welcoming them to Elsinore, what does Claudius ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do | Cheer Hamlet up and find out what is wrong with him |
| What message do the ambassadors bring Claudius back from Norway | Fortinbras will attack Poland, not Denmark |
| ACT 3, SCENE 1 | *Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius consult with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Hamlet’s condition. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are unsure of Hamlet, but doubt that he is actually crazy.*Claudius is glad to hear that Hamlet is excited about the players and he and Gertrude agree to see the play.*Claudius and Polonius hide and eavesdrop on Hamlet and Ophelia.*Hamlet gives the “To be or not to be” speech, in which he once again considers committing suicide. *Ophelia, following her father’s instructions, tries to return the love tokens Hamlet gave her, but Hamlet claims that he never gave her anything.*Hamlet berates Ophelia, telling her to enter a nunnery and musing on the general faithlessness of women. His behavior and speech are so strange that Ophelia believes he is crazy.*Claudius is not convinced that Ophelia is the cause of Hamlet’s bad behavior. If things do not improve, Claudius wants to send Hamlet to England.*Polonius still thinks Ophelia is the cause of Hamlet’s madness. He makes arrangements for Hamlet to visit his mother’s chamber after the play, where he can eavesdrop on him again. |
| What is the main idea of Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” speech | Hamlet is thinking about killing himself |
| After telling Ophelia to get to a nunnery, what does Hamlet say about marriage | We shall have no more marriage |
| Hamlet makes an ominous statement about married people: “Those that are married already, all but one, shall live.” What does that mean and who is he talking about | Everyone who is currently married will stay alive, except one person: Claudius |
| After watching Hamlet and Ophelia together in Act 3, Scene 1, what does Claudius decide to do with Hamlet | Send him to England |
| Polonius asks Claudius to arrange for Hamlet to go somewhere after the play’s performance. Where is Hamlet supposed to go | To see his mother |
| What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the play’s performance | Watch Claudius and see if he reacts to the play |
| Ophelia comes to watch the play. Before the play begins, how does Hamlet act towards her | He flirts with her and makes suggestive remarks |
| When the play shows a king being poisoned, how does the current king, Claudius, react | He is upset and leaves before the play ends |
| After the play is performed, what do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask Hamlet to do | Go see his mother |
| After the play is performed, what does Polonius ask Hamlet to do | Go see the queen |
| When Claudius reacts to the play, what does Hamlet say in response | “What, frighted with false fire!” |
| What does Hamlet mean when he says “I will speak daggers to her, but use none.” | He will speak harshly and honestly to Gertrude, but will not hurt her |
| ACT 3, SCENE 3 | *Claudius speaks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He claims that Hamlet’s madness is now dangerous and he asks them to accompany Hamlet to England. They agree*Polonius reminds Claudius that he is planning to eavesdrop on Hamlet and Gertrude, then leaves Claudius alone*Claudius begins to pray. He regrets having murdered the last king, but he cannot bring himself to give up the rewards that murder has brought him–namely, the Queen and the throne — so he can’t really ask for forgiveness.*Hamlet finds Claudius praying and sees it as an opportunity to kill him.*Hamlet realizes that if he kills Claudius while Claudius prays, Claudius will go to heaven. Since Hamlet’s father was killed without the benefit of prayer or confession, his soul is now being tortured. Hamlet decides to wait until Claudius sins and then kill him, so he will experience the same fate.*Claudius, unaware of Hamlet and how near he was to death, expresses his frustration that he cannot even pray any more–while he says the words of prayer, his mind stays focused on earthly things |
| After witnessing Hamlet’s behavior during the play, what does Claudius say about his condition | Hamlet is crazy and dangerous |
| Once left alone on stage in Act 3, Scene 3, what does Claudius express guilt about | Killing his brother |
| As Claudius speaks about his guilt in Act 3, Scene 3, what does he say about repenting | He cannot repent because he still has the crown and the queen — the two things he did the murder for |
| Claudius says his crime “hath the primal eldest curse upon’t.” What does he mean | A brother’s murder is an especially bad crime |
| Hamlet enters about halfway through Act 3, Scene 3. When he comes in, what is Claudius doing | Praying |
| On his way to see his mother in Act 3, Scene 3, Hamlet finds Claudius. What does Hamlet decide not to do in that scene | Kill him |
| Hamlet says of Claudius: “He took my father grossly, full of bread; With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May.” What does Hamlet mean by that | Claudius killed Hamlet’s father before Hamlet’s father could repent his sins |
| What specific thing does Hamlet determine Claudius must do before Hamlet can murder him | Commit a sin so Hamlet can send his soul to hell |
| What does Claudius say in Act 3, Scene 3 about his own thoughts and words | He says the right words, but they do not reach heaven because his thoughts are on earth |
| When Hamlet and his mother finally talk in Gertrude’s room, she says “Hamlet, thou hast thy father mush offended.” Hamlet responds, “Mother, you have my father much offended.” Why is that dialogue important | Gertrude is talking about Claudius, but Hamlet is talking about the dead king |
| Who does Hamlet kill in his mother’s room | Polonius |
| When Hamlet visits his mother in her room in Act 3, Scene 4, he speaks very harshly to his mother. What makes him stop | The ghost appears |
| When Hamlet leaves his mother’s room in Act 3, Scene 4, what does he take with him | The dead body of Polonius |
| ACT 4, SCENE 1 | *Gertrude tells Claudius that she is convinced Hamlet is mad.She also tells him that Hamlet has killed Polonius.*Claudius’s first reaction reveals that he is more concerned with himself than with Gertrude or Polonius.*Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet and get the body away from him. |
| After talking to Hamlet in her room, what does Gertrude say about Hamlet | He is crazy |
| Who is Gertrude truly loyal to | Claudius |
| What does Claudius ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do, after learning that Hamlet has committed murder | Get the body from Hamlet |
| How does Hamlet act after he has killed someone | He does not seem sorry for his crime |
| When he is asked where his first victim’s body is, what does Hamlet do | He answers with a riddle |
| While explaining Hamlet’s crime to his courtiers, why does Claudius say he has to be gentle with Hamlet | The people of Denmark love him |
| After the murder, Claudius tells Hamlet to leave right away. Where should Hamlet go | England |
| At the start of Act 4, Scene 4, the audience finally sees a character that has been talked about since the beginning of the play. Who is this character | Fortinbras |
| What message is the Norwegian Captain supposed to deliver to Claudius in Act 4, Scene 4 | The armies of Norway want passage through Denmark |
| Who are the Norwegian soldiers attacking | Poland |
| What are the Norwegian soldiers fighting over | A little piece of worthless land |
| Watching the troops attacking, Hamlet decides that he is less of a man than their leader. Why does he say that | He has a better reason to fight than the leader, but he does not fight |
| In Act 4, Scene 4, while watching the troops and reflecting on his own behavior, what does Hamlet promise about his future actions | They will be bloody |
| What happens to Ophelia after her father’s death | She goes crazy |
| When Laertes returns after his father’s death, what do the common people say about him | They want to make him king |
| When Laertes returns after his father’s death, what does he want | Revenge on the people responsible for his father’s death |
| Some sailors arrive at Elsinore from a pirate ship in Act 4, Scene 6. Who do they deliver a letter to | Horatio |
| The sailors from the pirate ships deliver letters to Elsinore.Who are the letters from | Hamlet |
| ACT 4, SCENE 7 | *Laertes asks Claudius why he has not avenged Polonius’s death. Claudius claims he cannot harm Hamlet because Gertrude would be upset, as would the common people of Denmark. *News is brought that Hamlet is back in Denmark. Claudius asks Laertes to obey him and assures Laertes he will help avenge Polonius’s death.*Claudius offers to arrange a duel between Hamlet and Laertes in which Laertes can fight with a poisoned sword so that a scratch will kill Hamlet. They will have poisoned wine as a back-up plan.*News is brought that Ophelia has died, apparently a suicide. |
| Claudius tells Laertes there are two reasons why he has not ordered Hamlet killed.What are those reasons | Because Gertrude loves him and the common people love him |
| Claudius suggests a duel between Laertes and Hamlet,but that type of duel usually is not deadly.What does Claudius suggest they do to injure Hamlet | Fix Laertes’s sword so it is sharp |
| Laertes comes up with another idea to make sure his duel with Hamlet will result in Hamlet’s death.What is it? | Poison the tip of the sword |
| What additional method does Claudius suggest so that even if Hamlet wins the duel with Laertes,Hamlet will still die? | Give Hamlet a poisoned drink |
| As Laertes and Claudius discuss how to kill Hamlet,what news does Gertrude bring? | Ophelia has died by drowning |
| What do the gravediggers say about Ophelia’s burial? | If she is a suicide,so she should not be buried in the churchyard |
| ACT 5,SCENE 2 | *Laertes and Hamlet duel. The swords switch hands and both men are poisoned by it.*Gertrude drinks the poisoned wine by mistake and dies.*Hamlet kills Claudius.*Horatio claims he wants to die, but Hamlet asks him to stay alive and tell the story of what has happened.*Fortinbras arrives and asks his soldiers to salute the noble dead prince. |
| How does Gertrude die? | She drinks poisoned wine meant for hamlet. |
| How does Laertes die? | Hamlet kills him with a poisoned sword. |
| How does Claudius die? | He is forced to drink poisoned wine and is stabbed with a poisoned sword. |
| What happens to Horatio at the end of the play? | He wants to kill himself, but Hamlet asks him to live. |
| At the end of the play, who will rule Denmark? | Fortinbras |
Hamlet
July 26, 2019