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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. After witnessing Hamlet kill someone, Gertrude hurries to find Claudius. Who is he talking to when she comes in?

2. Hamlet's mother tries to leave the room during their conversation in Act 3, Scene 4, but Hamlet stops her and says she cannot leave until he does what?

3. As Gertrude lays flowers at Ophelia's grave, what does she say?

4. How does Claudius die?

5. At the end of Act 4, Scene 5, what does Claudius offer to do for Laertes?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Hamlet suggest that Claudius and his servants might find Polonius's body?

2. As Hamlet travels to the boat for England, what or who does Hamlet find on a plain in Denmark?

3. Who is the first person in Elsinore to find out that Hamlet is on his way back to Denmark instead of going to England? How does that person find out?

4. Hamlet finally confronts his mother in Act 3, Scene 4, speaking harshly to her as he tries to force her to realize her own complicity in the crime. What happens to change his tone?

5. When Claudius hears about Polonius's death, what is his first thought?

6. Whose burial does Hamlet witness in Act 5?

7. In Act 4, Scene 5, Claudius is almost overthrown by a violent mob. Who does the mob want to be king in his place?

8. After Polonius's death, Ophelia comes to see Gertrude. What do we learn about Ophelia in that scene?

9. Hamlet calls Rosencrantz and Guildenstern "a sponge." Why does he say that?

10. When Hamlet hears about Fortinbras and his attacks on Poland, what does he say about Fortinbras and about himself?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Research the concept of "hamartia" or "tragic flaw." Write an essay in which you explain this concept and apply it to Hamlet or one of the other major characters in this play. Make sure you support your thesis with examples from the text.

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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