Hamlet

catharsis The release of passions experienced by the audience as it watches first the death of Gertrude, then that of Laertes, then that of Claudius, and finally that of Hamlet Aristotle would have called
Polonius, Court Chamberlain. Self-seeking, cynical, pragmatic, realistic, calcu- lating, verbose, and meddling.
Claudius, Husband to Gertrude and King of Denmark. . . .waives morality in light of personal necessity.
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark. Tormented by divided loyalties a conscience waiting to be awakened.
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. He studies and re-studies the behaviour of his fellow men, searching out their motivations.
The Ghost of the former king.
Fortinbras, Prince of Norway. A military and political opportunist who believes in action rather than careful reflection.
Osric, a courtier. Verbose, superficial, fashionable, Frenchified.
Rosencrantz, spy for Claudius. Servile, fawning, obtuse, deceitful, devious; betrays a friend out of political expediency.
First Clown, a sexton. . . . has mastered the art of legal wrangling; an ‘ale-washed wit’ with socialistic tendencies.
Horatio, friend to Prince Hamlet Trusted confidant, learned, level-headed, just, honourable, skeptical, cautious.
Voltemand, Danish ambassador …At best, a bit-part; ordered to act with strict limits, and not to exercise his own judgment.
Ophelia, daughter to Polonius. Beautiful, sweet, and industrious initially; later, confused, terrified, and distraught.
Laertes, son of Polonius. Possesses both courage and honesty, but inclined to be rash and hot-headed; blinded by anger.
Hamlet’s speech to the actors in III, ii, echoes a topical allusion in II, ii, to the rivalry between the Globe Theatre’s Lord Chamberlain’s Men and the monks of Blackfriars.
Which of the following was probably NOT an element in the so-called Ur-Hamlet? the play-within-the-play and the closing duel.
The chronological and geographical setting of the Hamlet story in the Historia Danica of Saxo Grammaticus is actually twelfth-century Denmark
Which of the following is NOT characteristic of Senecan Renaissance Revenge Tragedy? The hero reproaches himself for failure to take action and decides to feign madness.
Hamlet’s hamartia (tragic flaw) is definitely NOT a melancholy love-sickness which leads to temporary insanity.
The murder of Polonius is the direct result of his crying out; he cries out because Gertrude has cried out when Hamlet threatens her.
Poison and poisoners are twin motifs in the play; however, the only character to die from two kinds of poison is Claudius (In the production we watched, Prince Hamlet also drank from the cup. Don’t get confused by this director’s choice.)
Fortinbras will probably become King of Denmark because Hamlet nominates him to be.
Which of the following words is NOT used in I, i, to suggest that the guards are unsure about the nature of the apparition they have twice seen? used: “thing”, “illusion”, “fantasy”not used: “mote”
As introduced in the opening scene, Horatio is all of the following EXCEPT Horatio is NOT:- a fresh acquaintance of Marcellus. Horatio IS:- a reliable, unbiased witness. – a trusted friend of the young prince, Hamlet.- a visitor from the University of Wittenberg.
In his opening speech in I, ii, Claudius asserts that he married his brother’s widow for a number of reasons, but NOT because the Danish royal council had urged him to do so.
Hamlet cannot understand his mother’s marriage to Claudius because her sexual appetite is NOT consistent with her age
Lucianus in the play-within-the-play is a thematic character representing all of the following EXCEPT deceit and flattery.
Hamlet pretends to be insane in order to conceal his attempts to get information regarding Claudius’ guilt.
Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius, but decides not to because of his overly scrupulous conscience and excessively reflective nature.
Hamlet: Give us the foils. Come on. Laertes: Come, one for me. Hamlet: I’ll be your foil, Laertes. This exchange between the two characters involves two dramatic/rhetorical devices: a pun and stichomythia
We come to understand Hamlet’s character most fully by his lengthy speeches while alone on stage.
Although the Hamlet story comes out of the Viking Era in Europe’s early Middle Ages, the Prince has apparently been studying at a university founded in 1502. The university as mentioned in the play is therefore an anachronism
In her mad scene, Ophelia mocks all of the following EXCEPT Polonius and Laertes.
The play’s opening scene, taking us from the stroke of midnight to the crack of dawn, involves obvious time telescoping
A coincidence that involves Old Fortinbras, Hamlet Senior, and the First Clown is the date of Prince Hamlet’s birth.
An example of comic relief is found in the scene in which Ophelia’s grave is being prepared.
The following line contains a good example of verbal irony: “. . . and my two school-fellows, / Whom I will trust as I will adders fanged” (III. iv. 222-223).
“Neither a borrower nor a lender be, / For loan oft loses both itself and friend, / And borrowing dulleth edge of husbandry.” (I. iii. 79-81)Present in these lines are a number of poetic, rhetorical, and dramatic devices, but NOT dramatic irony
In III,iii, the line(s) that best serve to produce situational irony is/are “Now might I do it pat, now ‘a is a-praying, / And now I’ll do’t” (76-77).
A topical allusion and a classical allusion, together with some foreshadowing, are provided by “I did enact Julius Caesar. I was killed i’ th’ Capitol; Brutus killed me” (III. ii. 103-4).
The bawdy humour for which Shakespeare’s texts were censored by the Reverend Thomas Bowdler in his ten-volume Family Shakespeare (1818) is epitomized by these lines: Tender yourself more dearly, Or (not to crack the wind of the poor phrase) Tend’ring it thus you’ll tender me a fool. (I. iii. 111-113)
“The results of the crisis and the procession of events toward the final catastrophe are presented” in Act Five
“Could you on this fair mountain leave to feed, And batten on this moor? Ha! Have you eyes? (III. iv. 67-68) The above lines contain all of the following elements EXCEPT a double-entendre on the word for North African Arab and open waste ground.
In V, i, the first gravedigger argues that his profession qualifies him to be a gentleman because he can trace the origin of his profession back to Adam
The scene which provides the final catastrophe of the action and peripeteia (sudden reversal of fortune or change in circumstances, especially in reference to fictional narrative) for Hamlet is V. ii.
In the last scene of the play, Laertes redeems himself in the eyes of the audience by confessing his part in the treacherous match, and publicly denouncing Claudius.
Who said? “Cudgel thy brains no more about it, For your dull ass will not mend his pace with beating. “ Clown No. 1
Who said? “O proud Death, What feast is toward in thine eternal cell That thou so many princes a shot So bloodily hast struck? Fortinbras
Who said? “Both here and hence pursue me lasting strife, If, once a widow, ever I be wife!” Player Queen.
Who said? “O God, your only jig-maker! What should a man do but be merry! “ Prince Hamlet
Who said? “Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation?” Clown No. 1.
Who said?”O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” Prince Hamlet
What does this line mean? “Marry, this is miching mallecho; it means mischief.” By the Virgin Mary, this lurking sneak intends somebody some hurt or ill.Hamlet
What does this line mean?”More honoured in the breach than the observance. “ It is morally better to break with this tradition than it is to maintain it.
What does this line mean? “Tell him that by his license Fortinbras Craves the conveyance of a promised march Over his kingdom. Relay a message to the King of Denmark that I, Fortinbras, wish” to have my lost lands conveyed by deed to me, or I shall lead my men into Denmark. Fortinbras
What does this line mean? “So excellent a king that was to this Hyperion to a satyr. My father, the former king, was” the Sun King; this one is half-horse, half-man. Hamlet
What does this line mean? There are more things in heaven and earth . . . , Than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Certain phenomena remain beyond scientific explanation.Hamlet
What does this line mean? The lady doth protest too much, methinks. This boy playing the role of a female is grossly overacting the part of the faithful wifeGertrude
What does this line mean? Why, it appeareth nothing to me but a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. I find that the air is nothing more than a bothersome, poisonous cloud.Marcellus
Thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, HAMLET. While my soul inhabits this body, I am yours, my dearest. Yours truly, HamletPolonius
But yet methinks it is very sultry and hot for my complexion. On the other hand, I guess that this passionate climate is inclined to give one acne.Hamlet
“The Senioritis of a Modern Hamlet” is a parody of which passage in the play? I, ii, 131-161.
Margaret Atwood’s “Gertrude Talks Back” would best be inserted into the play at III, iv, 174.
Shakespeare, in turn, leaves out which of the following elements present in the original story by Saxo Grammaticus? While staying there, the hero impresses the King of England with his insights.
An element present in Shakespeare’s dramatic version of the Hamlet story but absent from the original tale by Saxo Grammaticus is the ghost’s appearing to the hero and recounting the details of the murder.