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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. The tone of the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia in Act 3, Scene 1 changes abruptly when Ophelia does what?

2. Who is Ophelia?

3. Who does the ghost claim to be?

4. What is the King doing during Act 1, Scene 4?

5. Early in the play, what country does Claudius send messengers to?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Laertes and Polonius are both concerned about Ophelia's romance. In Act 1, Scene 3, what do they tell her?

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

5. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and why do they go to Elsinore?

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

7. 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?

8. In Act 3, Claudius becomes convinced that Hamlet is insane. What does he decide to do with Hamlet?

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

10. 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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe how Shakespeare uses foreshadowing to prepare his audience for the very bloody end of the play. Identify specific examples from the first four acts of the script.

Essay Topic 2

At one point, Hamlet says "Words, words, words," and while there are a lot of words in this play, people use those words to manipulate or control each other, rather than to tell each other the truth. What theme or lesson can be drawn from this play about the important of words and language? Support your thesis with examples from the text.

Essay Topic 3

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?

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