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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Act 3, Scene 1, after they have had some time to talk to Hamlet, what do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern say about his behavior?

2. How many times does the ghost appear in Act 1, Scene 1?

3. Why does Hamlet talk to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about a recorder?

4. After Claudius and Polonius watch Hamlet interact with Ophelia in Act 3, Scene 1, what does Claudius say about Hamlet's behavior?

5. Before he has seen the ghost, how does Hamlet describe his parents' marriage?

Short Essay Questions

1. Once alone after the play-within-a-play, Claudius bemoans his crimes and falls to his knees in prayer. But at the end of the scene, what does he say about his praying?

2. Hamlet says "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt...." This soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 2, is the first introduction of a theme that Hamlet will talk about repeatedly in the play. What does he talk about doing or wanting to do in this soliloquy?

3. Why does Claudius claim he cannot seek forgiveness for his crimes?

4. In Act 2, Scene 1, how does Ophelia describe Hamlet's behavior?

5. Who does the Ghost in Act 1, Scene 1 look like?

6. What is the setting (time and place) at the beginning of the day?

7. After his first speech in the play, Claudius shifts from talking about the country to talking specifically about Hamlet. What does he say about Hamlet's grief? What does Gertrude say?

8. What is the point or theme of Hamlet's "To be or not to be" speech?

9. In Act 2, Scene 1, how does Ophelia describe Hamlet's appearance?

10. When Hamlet first sees the ghost, he tries to talk to it. How does the ghost respond?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Choose a speech by any character that is at least 20 lines long. In an essay, explain the context of the speech within the play, then analyze the speech. Identify its major themes or points and discuss the use of language in the speech. Is there specific imagery used? What effect does that imagery have? Why is there a speech at that point in the text? What purpose does it serve, and why is it long instead of just a couple of lines?

Essay Topic 2

In the play we see both soliloquies (someone talking to themselves or the audience) and monologues (a single character talking to other characters). Compare and contrast the soliloquies and monologues of a single character. How is Claudius different in monologue than in soliloquy? How is Hamlet different? What is Shakespeare saying about the character's ability to be honest with him/herself and with others?

Essay Topic 3

The play focuses a lot on death. There is the death of the old king and Hamlet's "excessive" mourning. There is the appearance of the ghost and its description of the afterlife. There is Hamlet's obsession with suicide and Ophelia's apparent suicide. There is the entire graveyard scene, with its varied perspectives on death. Shakespeare puts forth many different perspectives on this topic in the play. Choose one belief or perspective that is presented in the play; explain it and identify two or three instances in the play where that belief is supported or represented.

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