View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In Act 1, Scene 3, where is Laertes going?
(a) To go to a new school.
(b) Off to war.
(c) To live in another country.
(d) Back to college.

2. After hearing about Hamlet's strange behavior, what does Polonius say about his own decisions?
(a) By telling Ophelia to stay away, he may have made Hamlet worse.
(b) By telling the king that Hamlet is crazy, he may have gotten himself in trouble.
(c) By telling Ophelia to stay away, he may have saved her from worse treatment.
(d) By telling the queen that Hamlet is crazy, he may have upset her.

3. Hamlet sees Ophelia just as he finishes the "To be or not to be" speech. How does he act when he first sees her?
(a) He greets her pleasantly.
(b) He yells at her.
(c) He runs away.
(d) He stares at her but says nothing.

4. After watching Hamlet and Ophelia together in Act 3, Scene 1, what does Claudius decide to do with Hamlet?
(a) Send him back to school.
(b) Send him to England.
(c) Send him to a hospital.
(d) Have a private talk with him.

5. What time of day is it when the play starts?
(a) Noon.
(b) After dinner.
(c) Late at night.
(d) Morning.

6. Polonius gives Reynaldo very specific instructions about how to find the information he wants. What are those instructions?
(a) Ask his son directly.
(b) Talk to the local police department.
(c) Ask his son's friends and teachers.
(d) Lie about him if that helps bring out the truth.

7. What is the Prince of Norway's name?
(a) Fortinbras.
(b) Claudius.
(c) Marcellus.
(d) Horatio.

8. How does Hamlet react when he sees the ghost for the first time?
(a) He is upset and starts to cry.
(b) He is startled, but tries to talk to it.
(c) He is frightened and runs away.
(d) He is angry and tries to attack it.

9. What is the real reason for the last king's death?
(a) A knife in the back.
(b) Poison poured down his throat.
(c) A heart attack.
(d) Poison poured in his ear.

10. Ophelia comes to watch the play. Before the play begins, how does Hamlet act towards her?
(a) He yells at her and tries to hit her.
(b) He is friendly and apologizes for his earlier behavior.
(c) He ignores her and pretends he does not see her.
(d) He flirts with her and makes suggestive remarks.

11. 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?
(a) Tell the queen.
(b) Get Hamlet to see a doctor.
(c) Talk to Hamlet himself.
(d) Tell the king.

12. In Act 3, Scene 1, what does Hamlet tell Ophelia about his feelings for her?
(a) He says he never loved her.
(b) He says he is still in love with her.
(c) He says both that he loved and he did not love her.
(d) He says he does not know if he ever loved her.

13. After the ambassadors have left, what piece of writing does Polonius share with Claudius and Gertrude?
(a) A treaty between Norway and Poland.
(b) Hamlet's plan to kill Claudius.
(c) A letter from Hamlet to Fortinbras.
(d) A love letter from Hamlet to Ophelia.

14. When the play shows a king being poisoned, how does the current king, Claudius, react?
(a) He is uneasy and makes a joke about it.
(b) He is angry and asks Hamlet if he is making an accusation.
(c) He is bored and does not seem to care.
(d) He is upset and leaves before the play ends.

15. After discussing Hamlet with Polonius in Act 1, how has Ophelia interacted with Hamlet?
(a) She has avoided him most of the time.
(b) She has continued to see him.
(c) She has spent even more time with him than she used to.
(d) She has avoided him entirely.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Horatio say the ghost might do to Hamlet?

2. What other "crime" has been committed against the last king?

3. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

4. What is the main idea of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech?

5. Early in the play, what country does Claudius send messengers to?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 716 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample