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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. When Hamlet first sees the ghost, what does he call it?
(a) Devil, demon, bane of Heaven.
(b) Angel and minister of grace.
(c) King, father, royal Dane.
(d) Fearsome creature.

2. In Act 1, Scene 5, what does the ghost ask Hamlet to do?
(a) Help the new king.
(b) Have a priest pray for its soul.
(c) Hire an exorcist.
(d) Get revenge.

3. Once Hamlet follows the ghost, what do Hamlet's friends decide to do?
(a) Get Hamlet to see a doctor.
(b) Follow Hamlet and the ghost.
(c) Tell the King about Hamlet's strange behavior.
(d) Leave Hamlet alone with the ghost.

4. At the end of Act 2, Scene 2, what does Hamlet reveal about his reasons for wanting the players to perform?
(a) He thinks the players are very talented.
(b) He thinks the play will distract him.
(c) He thinks the play will remind Gertrude of her first husband.
(d) He wants to use the play to test Claudius's conscience.

5. Before he returns to school, what does Laertes tell Ophelia about her boyfriend?
(a) Hamlet just wants her to sleep with him.
(b) Horatio just wants her to sleep with him.
(c) As a prince, Hamlet may not get to choose who he marries.
(d) Polonius is an abusive boyfriend.

6. Early in the play, what country does Claudius send messengers to?
(a) Norway.
(b) France.
(c) England.
(d) Denmark.

7. After the play is performed, what does Polonius ask Hamlet to do?
(a) Go see Ophelia.
(b) Go see Claudius.
(c) Ask the players to leave Elsinore.
(d) Go see the Queen.

8. What does Hamlet say when he first hears about the ghost?
(a) He wants it to leave him alone.
(b) He thinks Horatio is inventing it to distract him.
(c) He wants to talk to it.
(d) He does not believe it exists.

9. What specific thing does Hamlet determine Claudius must do before Hamlet can murder him?
(a) Apologize to Hamlet for killing his father.
(b) Stand trial for his crime so he can face public justice.
(c) Confess his crime so the world will know about his guilt.
(d) Commit a sin so Hamlet can send his soul to hell.

10. As they wait for the ghost, Hamlet describes the King's nightly tradition. What does Hamlet think about this tradition?
(a) It makes the Danes look bad to other countries.
(b) It should help him be a good leader.
(c) It is something he should stop doing now that he is King.
(d) It is an old tradition that every king should follow.

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

12. In Act 1, Scene 2, what two events does Claudius describe?
(a) His coronation and the war with Norway.
(b) His brother's wedding and the birth of his nephew.
(c) His brother's death and his own marriage to Gertrude.
(d) The war that killed the last king and the upcoming marriage of his nephew.

13. Who does the ghost in Act 1, Scene 1 look like?
(a) The king who just died.
(b) The king's advisor, Polonius.
(c) The Queen.
(d) The prince, Hamlet.

14. What does Horatio say the ghost might do to Hamlet?
(a) Drive him crazy.
(b) Bless him.
(c) Curse him.
(d) Kill him.

15. Hamlet enters about halfway through Act 3, Scene 3. When he comes in, what is Claudius doing?
(a) Sleeping.
(b) Talking to Polonius.
(c) Eating.
(d) Praying.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Hamlet tell his friends about his meeting with the ghost?

2. After his first meeting with the ghost, what does Hamlet ask his friends to do?

3. After the ghost disappears, what does Bernardo say about the ghost's behavior?

4. After hearing Ophelia's description of Hamlet, what reason does Polonius suggest for Hamlet's strange behavior?

5. What is the public explanation of the last king's death?

(see the answer keys)

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