Hamlet Questions

Act One
1. What are three important things that happen in the very first scene of the play?
a. The three important things that occurred in the very first scene of the play was that the
guards started seeing a ghost and they went and told Hamlet about it, they also prayed
and talked about the savior, and the king died.
2. What are two important points of King Claudius’ speech? (scene 2)
a. According to Act 1, Scene 2, Page 1, the two important points of King Claudius’ stated
was he wants his land back wants and that he also wants his country to grieve for the
loss.
3. What does the King say to Hamlet that makes him mad?
a. Hamlet got mad at the King because the King told him that “everyone has lost a father”.
Stated in Act 1, Scene 2, Page 4.
4. What does Queen Gertrude ask of Hamlet and what is his reply?
a. Queen Gertrude asked Hamlet to stay in Denmark, and Hamlet replied to her that he will
stay. This all happened in Act 1, Scene 2, Page 5.
5. What are three main points of Hamlet’s first soliloquy?
a. Hamlet expresses the love he has for his wife, Ophelia.
b. Denmark is in terrible shape.
c. Hamlet’s mother got over his father death.
6. Who are Laertes and Polonius and what do they say to Ophelia? (scene 3)
a. Polonius is father to Laertes and Ophelia, and they told Ophelia to not take Hamlet’s gift.
7. What are three main points of Polonius’ speech to Laertes?
a. The three main arguments that Polonius’ speech to Laertes was that to be true to
yourself, don’t say what you’re thinking, and to listen to many - but speak to few.
8. What are three important points of the Ghost’s speech to Hamlet? (scene 5)
a. The three most crucial points that the Ghost mentioned was that King Claudius seduced
his mother, to not punish his mother, and to not let Denmark be a bed of incest.
9. Hamlet swears Horatio to two things. What are they?
a. Hamlet swears to Horatio to never speak what they talked about and to not tell anyone
they saw the ghost.

10. Two main themes of the play Hamlet are betrayal and lost of innocence. Often these two
themes go hand in hand. When is there betrayal and lost of innocence in Act One?
 a. The two main themes were that the betrayal between Claudius and Hamlet, and Hamlet
is the one who lost innocence. A1, S5, Page 8.

Act Two
1. Where does Polonius send Reynaldo? Why? (scene 1)
a. Polonius sent Reynaldo to France. Page 1
2. Describe Ophelia’s encounter with Hamlet.
a. Ophelia’s encounter with Hamlet went in an oddly manner. He rushed into her room
seeming like he came from hell, she assuming he is still in love with her. Act 2, Scene 1,
Page 4.
3. Why does Polonius think Hamlet is "mad"?
a. Polonius thinks Hamlet is mad because he is deeply in love with Ophelia. Act 2, Scene 1,
Page 5.
4. Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to the castle? (scene 2)
a. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern came to the castle just cheer up the environment and
keep an eye on Hamlet. Page 2.
5. What does Polonius tell Claudius and Gertrude?
a. Polonius tell Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is deeply in love with Ophelia.
6. What is Polonius' plan for testing his theory that Hamlet is love-crazy?
a. Polonius plan to test his theory is with Ophelia and Hamlet to meet, and Reynaldo and
Polonius will spy on them meanwhile they meet.
7. Look at Hamlet’s speech about his depression (The “what a piece of work is a man” speech).
How does Hamlet describe his personal problems to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? What
does he tell them?
a. Hamlet tells them no one delights him anymore and he’s confused with himself.
8. What does Hamlet mean when he says, “I know a hawk from a handsaw?” (2.2.385)
a. What Hamlet is trying to say when he said, “I know a hawk from a handsaw?” Is that he
can tell the difference between things.
9. What arrangement does Hamlet make with Player 1?
a. The arrangement that Hamlet made with player 1, which was to act out his father’s
murder.

10. What are three main points of Hamlet’s second soliloquy at the end of Act Two?
a. Hamlet described himself as a low life.
Act Three
1. Hamlet’s famous “To be or not be” soliloquy is in scene one. Describe two of his main
points.
a. Hamlets means that people are afraid of what is to come, and you can’t hide who you
truly are.
2. What does Claudius mean when he says, “How smart a lash that speech doth give my
conscience”? (3.1.51)
a. Claudius tried to say whip up my guilty feelings.
3. Why do you think Hamlet’s encounter with Ophelia goes so badly?
a. Hamlet is trying to conceal himself from Ophelia.
4. What do the King and Polonius decide about Hamlet's condition after eavesdropping on
Hamlet and Ophelia?
a. They decided that Hamlet’s condition is due to sadness and confusion.
5. Hamlet’s best friend is Horatio. What especially does he admire about his friend? (3.2.67-76)
a. He admires everything and what it is whether it be good or bad.
6. Summarize what happens in “The Murder of Gonzago?”
a. The king is poisoned by his brother. When the king and queen are in love a man pours
poison into the king ears and when the queen finds out she is calmed by 3 people.
7. What was the King's reaction to the play, and what did Hamlet and Horatio decide his
reaction meant?
a. He found it rude, so they assume that he truly has something to do with it.
8. What message does Rosencrantz deliver from the Queen?
a. That she wants to have a word with hamlet, and she was surprised by his actions.
9. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern inquire once more into the reasons for Hamlet’s
strange behavior, Hamlet asks the players for a flute-like instrument called a recorder and
uses it as the basis for his answer. Explain this answer.
a. Used it to insult them in the form of a metaphor and point out the fact they are liars
10. The King has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern prepare to do what? Why?
a. Handle diplomatic business in England with hamlet because they feel he is getting
crazier.
11. What are three main points of Claudius speech when he praying? (scene 3)
a. That he sins a lot, he asks for forgiveness and feels that god should automatically forgive
him, and he feels praying should free him of his sins and he can go right back to it
afterwards.
12. Why doesn't Hamlet kill the King when the King is kneeling? And what is ironic about this?
a. He doesn’t want to kill him in church so that he goes to heaven and he’ll end up going to
hell for himself.
13. How does Polonius die? (scene 4)
a. Hamlet stabs Polonius cause he thought he was Claudius.
14. What are two main points of Hamlet’s passionate speech to his mother?
a. He speaks on how selfish she was to move on quick and how she downgraded, and he
wants her to go back to her old ways.
15. What does Hamlet ask his mother to do in regard to Claudius?
a. To not please him tonight and not to discuss anything they spoke about.

Act Four
1. What are the reasons the King must "not put the strong arm on" Hamlet? (scene 3)
a. His mother would be bad along with everyone in Denmark since they all love him.
2. When the King asks Hamlet where Polonius is, what is Hamlet's answer?
a. Hamlet says he is at a dinner conference with worms. (Act 4 scene 2)
3. What is the content of the letters the King sends with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to
England with Hamlet?
a. He tells the king of England he wants hamlet dead or else the king won’t be happy
4. After Hamlet runs into Fortinbras’ soldiers he gives another soliloquy. ("My thoughts be
bloody or be nothing worth!") What are three main points of this speech? (scene 4)
a. He has the ability to solve the problem, god gave him a powerful mind and he
considers his thoughts to be useless if they aren’t violent
5. Why does Laertes force his way in? What does he want? (scene 5)
a. He found out how his father was killed and is willing to help the friends of his father
with his life
6. What is the content of Hamlet's letter to Horatio? (scene 6)
a. He updates the, about how he is on a ship and has important things to tell them about
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
7. What is the specific plan the King and Laertes discuss to kill Hamlet? (scene 7)
a. Laertes plans to stay in his room while wearing a white coat and stab hamlet with
poison and if the plan were to fail, they will fence.
8. Describe all that has happened to Ophelia in Act Four.
a. She loses her mind and commits suicide because of hamlet.
Act Five
1. Who is Yorick and why is Hamlet talking about him? (scene 1)
a. A jester who hamlet has memories of- he was holding his skull
2. What does Hamlet say about Alexander the Great?
a. He says although he was so great he turned into dirt that is just used to cover up holes
3. Laertes thinks that Ophelia should have a better funeral service. What is the priest's
answer?
a. He said the only reason she’s getting anything is because the king considers her to be
a gentle woman
4. Laertes jumps into Ophelia’s grave during her funeral. Hamlet is greatly angered by this.
Why?
a. He actually loved Ophelia much more that Laertes did
5. What does the King say to Laertes to console him after Laertes and Hamlet are separated?
a. He tells him to be patient because they will have the situation handled very soon
6. What did Hamlet do to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? (scene 2)
a. He had them executed
7. What news does Osric bring Hamlet?
a. ` That Claudius wanted him to fence with Laertes
8. Explain what Hamlet mean by the following lines: “And that should learn us/there’s a
divinity that shapes our ends.”
a. He has come to peace with his anger and will let the lord deal with everything
9. Summarize the ending of the play, including what happens to Queen Gertrude, King
Claudius, Hamlet, and Laertes?
a. The king dies, hamlet drank poison, hamlet got killed by the sword of Laertes while
Laertes was killed by the poison that was on his own sword, hamlet uses the wrong
sword to fight, and the queen drank from the cup that was intended to kill hamlet and
she ends up dying
10. Why does Hamlet implore Horatio to stay alive?
a. To tell his story and make Fortinbranz the king.
11. Why do you think Laertes reveals that the “King’s to blame”?
a. He didn’t want to feel guilt and he was saying how the plan went wrong and eneded
up blaming the king for their death