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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. When he is giving Laertes advice, what does Polonius say about friends?

2. In Act 3, Scene 1, what does Hamlet tell Ophelia about his feelings for her?

3. Who does the ghost claim to be?

4. After watching the players give a speech about Hecuba and Priam, what does Hamlet say impresses him the most?

5. As Hamlet and the others wait to see the ghost in Act 1, Scene 4, what do they hear in the distance?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who does the ghost tell Hamlet NOT to seek revenge on?

2. When Hamlet rants about love and marriage to Ophelia, he is talking about more than just his own relationship with her. What else is Hamlet talking about?

3. After Laertes leaves in Act 1, Scene 3, Polonius and Ophelia have a private talk. What specific instruction or order does Polonius give Ophelia?

4. When Hamlet follows the ghost, what do his friends decide to do?

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

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

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

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

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

10. After hearing Ophelia describe Hamlet's behavior in Act 2, Scene 1, what does Polonius decide is the cause of Hamlet's behavior and what does he decide to do about it?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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

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?

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