Hamlet Test

Where does the play take place? Denmark
What is the name of the castle? Elsinore
Who says: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”? Marcellus
Who played King Hamlet at the Globe Theater in 1601? William Shakespeare
In what year was the first folio first published? 1623
Who played and directed the Hamlet film we watched? Kenneth Branagh
Who is Hamlet’s best friend who survives at the end of the play? Horatio
How many soliloquies did Hamlet speak in the play? Five
What are the first words of the play? “Who’s there?”
Hamlet is how many years old? 30
What are four reasons for a ghost to appear? 1. Tell of death or murder; 2. Warning!; 3. Protect a loved one; 4. Location of treasure
Whom did King Hamlet kill in hand-to-hand combat? King Fortinbras
King Hamlet (the ghost) is wearing what when he returns to Earth from Purgatory? His suit of (Under) armor!
(True/False) King Hamlet died with the church’s blessing. False
Who killed King Hamlet? Claudius
How soon after King Hamlet’s death did Claudius and Queen Gertrude marry? Under two months
Cite four ways that Shakespeare uses language in his plays. 1. Unusual sentence structures (inverted sentences); 2. Poetic compressions; 3. Word omissions; 4. Wordplay (puns)
What country does the young Fortinbras want to attack? Poland
How does Ophelia say that Hamlet appeared in her “closet”? His doublet unbraced
Who says, “Brevity is the soul of wit. Therefore, let me be brief”? Polonius
According to Polonius, what are the six stages of Hamlet’s love? Stages for falling in love: 1. sadness, 2. fast (starvation), 3. watch (insomnia), 4. weakness, 5. lightheadedness, 6. madness
Who wrote the following? “Doubt thou the stars are fire, / Doubt that the sun doth move, / Doubt truth to be a liar, / But never doubt I love.” Hamlet wrote this to Ophelia and the letter was read by Polonius to the King and Queen
Twice in the play, Polonius hides behind what? An arras or curtain
Name three characters who use deception in the play and state how they deceived others. Hamlet through his “antic disposition”; Polonius with his spying on Laertes; King Claudius through Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
What does Hamlet call Polonius? A fishmonger; a tedious old fool
Who says: “Though this be madness, there is some method in it”? Polonius to Hamlet
In speaking with his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet calls Denmark a what? A prison
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern introduce Hamlet to whom? The players/actors
Name five allusions used in the play and be able to explain how each speaks to a specific character or situation. Hamlet says that his mother was like Niobe, for example, shedding tears for his father but has a change of heart and marries Claudius
What is the advice Ophelia receives from Laertes and Claudius? Do not accept Hamlet’s romantic overtures
In what country does Laertes attend college? France
What college did Horatio and Hamlet attend? Wittenburg
What’s another name for the poison put into King Hamlet’s ear? Hebona
Who says, “O horrible, O horrible, most horrible”? King Hamlet’s ghost
What does the Latin phrase “Hic et ubique” mean? Here and everywhere (ubiquitous)
Name five things that Reynaldo (sent to France by Polonius to spy on Laertes) may tempt Laertes. 1. Quarreling; 2. Drinking; 3. Fencing; 4. Gaming; 5. Drabbing
Whom does King Claudius recruit to spy on Hamlet? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Where does the King send Hamlet to be murdered? England
What is Hamlet’s mood in his “What a piece of work is a man” speech to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Despondent (man is the “quintessence of dust”)
What three Roman actors do Hamlet and Polonius mention? Roscoes, Seneca, and Plautus
What role in Julius Caesar does Polonius say he played? Julius Caesar (“I was killed in the Capitol”)
Who is Hecuba? Wife of King Prian and Queen of Troy
What are three names of the play enacted by the players? The Murder of Gonzago/The Mousetrap/Play-within-the-play
(Fill-in) “The play’s the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the _____.” King
Who is eavesdropping on Hamlet when he speaks his “To be or not to be…” soliloquy? King Claudius and Polonius
What is a bare bodkin? An unsheathed dagger
What are fardels? Burdens, loads
Who approaches Hamlet after his “To be…” speech? Ophelia
Who says, “Get thee to a nunnery. Why would thou be a breeder of sinners”? Hamlet to Ophelia
Hamlet asks Gertrude how does she like the play. What is her answer? “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
What are the king’s words after seeing the play-within-a-play? “Give me some light! Away!”
Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius after the play? Claudius is praying his confession
Besides Polonius, who else appears in the scene with Hamlet and Gertrude? King Hamlet’s ghost
Where does Hamlet hide Polonius’ body? Under the stairs
Whose skull does the gravedigger show to Hamlet? Yorick (“Alas, poor Yorick! Where be your gibes now?”)
How does Gertrude feel about Ophelia? She had hoped she would marry Hamlet
Who offers the odds/wager to Hamlet? Osric
How does Queen Gertrude die? Drinks poisoned wine (from Claudius)
How does Hamlet die? Pricked by Laertes “envenomed” sword
Who is the new king of Denmark at the end of the play? Fortinbras