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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 2, Scene 2, what happens when Polonius first tries to speak to Hamlet?

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

3. What is the weather like at the beginning of the play?

4. When Polonius tries to speak with Hamlet, does Polonius really believe Hamlet is crazy?

5. After the play is performed, what do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask Hamlet to do?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. At the end of Act 1, Scene 1, what does Horatio say he will do next?

3. Why does Hamlet not kill Claudius when he finds Claudius alone in Act 3?

4. What does Claudius learn about Norway when the Ambassadors he sent at the beginning of the play return?

5. Does the Ghost at the beginning of the play talk to the watchers?

6. The first time Claudius appears on stage, he gives a speech describing the current state of affairs in Denmark. He identifies and explains three major events. What are those events?

7. How does Claudius react to the play-within-a-play?

8. After the play-within-a-play, Claudius meets with Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern loyal to? How can you tell?

9. In Act 1, Scene 2, how does Hamlet act toward Claudius and Gertrude? When he is left alone, what does he say about his feelings toward them?

10. In Act 2, Scene 2, what play does Hamlet ask the players to perform and why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

At the start of the play, Hamlet is mourning his father's death and his mother's hasty re-marriage. It is hard to remember, sometimes, that Hamlet has actually lost something else quite valuable: the throne. Hamlet never consistently expresses unhappiness at losing the throne, though he is reassured he can have it after Claudius's death. How would the play be different if Hamlet wanted to kill Claudius to gain control of the kingdom?

Essay Topic 2

Study some of the basics of Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince" and apply them to the political situation in Denmark. What would Machiavelli say about Claudius? Polonius? Fortinbras? Hamlet?

Essay Topic 3

Sigmund Freud put forward the idea of the "Oedipus complex," based on the character of Oedipus from Greek tragedy. Freud also asserted that Hamlet has a serious Oedipus complex. Research the idea of the Oedipus complex and write an essay in which you do the following:

-- Explain what the Oedipus complex is.

-- State whether or not you think Hamlet has an Oedipus complex.

-- Support your view with information from the text.

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