Hamlet Study Guide Acts 1-5

1 Hamlet Study Guide Levels Two & Three Wilson Know the Characters: Hamlet Claudius Gertrude Polonius Ophelia Laertes Horatio Fortinbras - Courtiers: Rosencrantz Guildenstern Osric - Cornelius - Voltemand - Officers, Soldiers, and Servants: Francisco Marcellus Bernardo Reynaldo - Act One, scene One 1. What is the setting for the play? 2. What are Bernardo and Francisco doing at the beginning of the play? 3. What is going on that makes this necessary? 4. Why is Horatio summoned to the roof of the castle? 5. What decision does horatio make after witnessing what he does? Act One, scene Two 6. What has recently happened in Hamlet s family? 7. Why is Hamlet being scolded by his uncle? 8. What does Laertes request of the King? 9. How is Hamlet responding to his Uncle? What literary technique Shakespeare using, explain and cite examples.

2 10. What is the audience s first impression of the prince? 11. What is a Soliloquy? What is the purpose? How is different from a monologue? 12. When is Hamlet s first soliloquy? What is the topic? 13. What does this say about his mental state? 14. How do Hamlet and Horatio know each other? 15. Horatio is a very important character of in the play. He is depicted as being rational and scientific. Why might these characteristics be important when put into contrast with Hamlet ? 16. How is the ghost dressed? How is this interpreted? 17. What is the plan? Act One, scene Three 18. What advice does Laertes receive from his father before leaving? 19. What warning does Laertes give his sister Ophelia? 20. What is her response? Act One, scene Four 21. What does the ghost want Hamlet to do? Act One, scene Five 22. Describe the scene between Hamlet and the ghost of his father?

3 23. What information does Hamlet get from the ghost? 24. What instruction does the ghost give? 25. What is Hamlet s response? 26. What does Hamlet make the other witnesses swear? Who are the other witnesses? Act Two, scene One 27. What is the nature of Polonius conversation with Reynaldo in this scene ? What does this say about his character? 28. Ophelia goes to her father in this scene ; she is very upset. Why? 29. What advice does Polonius give her? 30. Is Polonius correct about the cause of Hamlet s Distraction ? Why or why not? Act Two, scene Two 31. Why have the king and queen supposedly sent for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? 32. What new does Voltemand bring from Norway? 33. What does the following quote Mean: More matter with less art ? (Gertrude: 103) To whom is it directed? 34. What evidence does Polonius offer to prove his theory about Hamlet ?

4 35. What is Polonius plan? 36. When Hamlet appears in this scene , how does he treat Polonius? 37. How does Polonius interpret this? 38. Hamlet gives a few characters the opportunity to prove themselves and be truthful to him in this act. Who are the characters what is the result? have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern invited to the castle? Why 40. There is a reference in the speech, which Hamlet asks the player to perform, to another text we have read this year. What is the text? (Think epic!) 41. What favor does Hamlet ask of the player? 42. For what is Hamlet criticizing himself in the final soliloquy of this act? 43. Describe Hamlet s plan regarding the play. Act Three, scene One 44. What are Polonius and Claudius doing at the beginning of this scene ? 45. During Hamlet s famous to be or not to be speech, what is he contemplating?

5 46. How does Hamlet insult Ophelia? 47. Does Hamlet know they are being watched? 48. What does Claudius think is the cause of Hamlet s madness? What does Polonius think? Act Three, scene Two 49. What is Hamlet hosting for the royal court of Denmark? 50. What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do for him? 51. Who does Hamlet sit with during the play? 52. What does Hamlet say is the name of the play? 53. What is Claudius reaction to the play? 54. Hamlet says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: Why do you think I am easier to be played upon than a pipe? Why does he ask that? What does he mean? 55. Who wants to see/speak with Hamlet at the end of scene two? Act Three, scene Three 56. Where is Hamlet going? Who is going with him? 57. Who is going to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude s conversation? 58. Hamlet has the chance to kill Claudius, why doesn t he?

6 59. Claudius is torn between two choices; what are they? Act Three, scene Four 60. What is the setting of the scene ? 61. Where is Polonius? What happens to him? 62. For whom does Hamlet mistake Polonius? 63. What does Hamlet ask his mother? What two People does he compare? 64. Can Gertrude see the Ghost? What might this signify? What does the ghost say to Hamlet ? 65. What instructions does Hamlet give to his mother? Act Four, scene One 66. What does Gertrude tell Claudius? Act Four, scene Two 67. Who has gone to find Polonius body? Act Four, scene Three 68. Where does Hamlet say Polonius is? 69. Hamlet is leaving to go where? 70. What does Claudius send with him? Act Four, scene Four 71. Where is Fortinbras army headed? 72. Who does Hamlet meet? 73. How does this meeting affect him?

7 Act Four, scene Five 74. What is wrong with Ophelia? What has caused this? 75. Who returns to Denmark? Why is he angry? 76. Why is Claudius worried? 77. What does Ophelia think she is giving everyone? Act Four, scene Six 78. What is delivered to Horatio? 79. What has happened to Hamlet ? Act Four, scene Seven 80. What are the two reasons Claudius will not execute Hamlet ? 81. What is brought to Claudius? 82. What plan do Laertes and Claudius come up with for Hamlet ? 83. What is their back up plan? 84. What has happened to Ophelia? Act Five, scene One 85. What are the gravediggers debating? 86. What do the gravediggers provide for this play? 87. Whose funeral is it? 88. For what had Gertrude hoped? 89. What do Laertes and Hamlet do at the funeral? Act Five, scene Two 90. How does Hamlet treat Osric?

8 91. What new does Osric bring to Hamlet ? 92. To what does Hamlet agree? 93. Before the match, what does Hamlet do and why? 94. How does each person die: a. Queen Gertrude b. King Claudius c. prince Hamlet d. Laertes 95. Who does Hamlet leave to tell his story? 96. What does Fortinbras do for Hamlet ? 97. Who is the new king of Denmark?