| Who does Hamlet feel contempt for? Provide detailed reasons for his contempt. | Claudius (and mother) because Claudius killed his father and quickly he and his mother got married |
| Give examples of Polonius’s manipulation of different characters. | Polonius sent his servant to spread rumors about Laertes in order to keep tabs on him. Polonius tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet but then uses her love as an excuse for Hamlet’s madness and spies on him to confirm it. Polonius has no spine and agrees to whatever Hamlet says in order to gain his approval. |
| What do the gravediggers suggest about life? | That no matter differences in life we’re all the same in death. Life is fleeting while death is more permanent and stronger. |
| Provide reasons that Hamlet claims to admire Horatio: | Horatio is rational, trustworthy, loyal, and he doesn’t let his emotions dictate his actions. |
| Why does Claudius decide to send Hamlet to England? | He is acting strange and the play he wrote makes Claudius suspicious that he is on to him. He wants the English to execute him. |
| How does Polonius die? | He is hiding behind a tapestry spying on Hamlet while he talks to the Queen. Hamlet hears him and thinks he’s Claudius so he stabs him. |
| How is Laertes manipulated into cheating in his fight with Hamlet? What happens when Laertes figures out that he’s been manipulated? What does he confess to Hamlet and what happens to Hamlet as a result? | Laertes is led to believe Polonius’ death was more intentional and that Hamlet had malice when he killed Polonius. When he sees the truth he tells Hamlet the King manipulated him and that Hamlet’s been poisoned. Hamlet dies after killing Claudius. |
| How does Hamlet react to Ophelia’s and Gertrude’s deaths? | Hamlet dramatically tries to outdo Laertes in his sorrow when Ophelia dies. When Gertrude dies he is upset but mostly enraged that Claudius accidentally killed her in an attempt to murder him. |
| What plea does Hamlet make to Horatio at the end and how does Horatio respond? | Hamlet asks Horatio to not kill himself and tell his story to restore his reputation |
| Provide examples from the text that detail what Hamlet thinks about women: | “Frailty thy name is woman” “Tis brief my lord… as women’s love” Hamlet thinks women are weak and disloyal (quick to move on) |
| Provide examples from the text that detail what Hamlet thinks about men (humanity in general): | “What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an angel! In apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world, the paragon of animals! And yet to me what is this quintessence of dust?” Humans are amazing with great potential and abilities. But in the end we’re just dust. We all die, but we avoid death because we fear it. |
Hamlet Movie Questions
July 22, 2019