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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. Who asks Hamlet to sit nearby during the play? Who does Hamlet prefer to sit with?

2. In Act 2, Scene 1, what does Ophelia say about Hamlet's clothes?

3. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

4. At the end of Act 2, Scene 2, what does Hamlet reveal about his reasons for wanting the players to perform?

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

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Hamlet act towards Ophelia during the play-within-a-play?

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

3. What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do during the play-within-a-play?

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

5. Before Laertes leaves Elsinore, Polonius gives him a lot of advice. What does Polonius say is the most important piece of advice he can give?

6. During Hamlet's first conversation with the ghost, the ghost asks for revenge. Who does the ghost want revenge on and why?

7. 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?

8. At the end of Act 1, Scene 5, what does Hamlet tell his friends about his future behavior?

9. Polonius sends Reynaldo to Laertes with very specific instructions. What does Polonius tell Reynaldo to do, and how does Polonius tell him to do it?

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

One of the major themes in the play is connected to ears, hearing, and trusting what you hear. Identify one or two important moments in each act when that theme comes up. Explain the moment, why it is important, and how it contributes to the overall theme.

Essay Topic 3

The question of suicide comes up repeatedly in the play. Hamlet mentions it on multiple occasions and Ophelia's death is potentially a suicide and questionable enough that her funeral rites are "maimed." Discuss the play's treatment of suicide, focusing on the following points:

-- How is suicide presented? Is it a good thing or a bad thing?

-- Are there universal truths about death and suicide, as Hamlet seems to suggest in the "To be or not to be" speech? Or does the play contradict that by adding in Ophelia's suicide?

-- Do you think Ophelia does commit suicide? Why or why not?

-- Do you think Hamlet is essentially committing suicide at the end of the play? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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