Hamlet
General Considerations
Act I Reading
I.i
What’s Scene I for ? (Which different “dramatic tasks” are accomplished?)
What does the ghost look like?
What are the significant differences between the guards (Fernando,
Marcellus, Bernardo) and Horatio?
I.ii
What is the nature of King Claudius’ first speech?
What sort of character is Laertes?
Which lines seem most interesting (and loaded) in the exchanges between
the Claudius-Gertrude couple and Hamlet?
What does Hamlet reveal in his first soliloquy about his feelings?
I.iii
Paraphrase the brief conversations among Ophelia, Laertes, and Polonius.
I.iv
What does Hamlet think about the situation in Denmark?
I.v
What are the main points of information Hamlet “learns” (no telling if it’s
true) from the ghost?
Representatives, Associations, Symbols, Motifs
What ideas are emerging in your mind about the roles of the following? Which abstract
concepts are associated with each of these? Where are there double-meanings or even
more ambiguity?
Light, color
Ghost
Armor, weapons
Gardens, weeds
Rottenness
Monarchy (crown, throne, etc.)
Royal “we”
Father-son relationships
Clothing, appearance
Ears
Church, Catholicism, religion
Death
Hamlet
General Considerations
Act II Reading
II.i
What does Polonius want Reynaldo to do? Why?
What happened between Hamlet and Ophelia? What is the effect of only
hearing about it (rather than staging it)?
II.ii
Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and what is their role in the play?
What are the basics about the situation Voltemand describes? What’s
happening dramatically as a result of this situation?
What is Hamlet’s madness all about? Where are the most interesting aspects
of his words and behavior?
Representatives, Associations, Symbols, Motifs
What ideas are emerging in your mind about the roles of the following? Which abstract
concepts are associated with each of these? Where are there double-meanings, or even
more ambiguity?
Madness
Spying, suspicion
Monarchy (crown, throne, etc.)
Father-son (and brother- and uncle-nephew) relationships
Appearance, acting
Revenge
Light, color
Death
Hamlet
General Considerations
Act III Reading
III.i
What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report about Hamlet? What do
Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius plot for him?
What is Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy all about?
What happens between Hamlet and Ophelia? Why?
III.ii
What are the main roles of the play-within-a-play?
III.iii
What happens in the play-within-a-play (and outside it)?
What is behind Claudius’ monologue-prayer? What about Hamlet’s reaction to
it?
III.iv
What happens between Hamlet and his mother?
What happens to Polonius?
Representatives, Associations, Symbols, Motifs
What ideas are emerging in your mind about the roles of the following? Which abstract
concepts are associated with each of these? Where are there double-meanings, or even
more ambiguity?
Madness
Spying, suspicion
Monarchy (crown, throne, etc.)
Expectations, aspirations, dreams
Parent-child relationships
Appearance, acting
Revenge
Sex
Mirrors
Church
Light, color
Death
Hamlet
General Considerations
Act IV Reading
IV.i
What happens between Claudius and Gertrude, and Claudius and
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
IV.ii
What happens between Hamlet and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
IV.iii
Why doesn’t Claudius have Hamlet killed?
What is behind all of Hamlet’s riddling?
IV.iv
What is happening with Fortinbras and his army? What impact do related
events have on Hamlet?
What is behind the change we’re seeing in Hamlet?
IV.v
What is behind the madness Ophelia is displaying? Do you see any
“meaning” in her words?
What is Claudius thinking now? What is happening in the larger world?
What happens when Laertes arrives?
IV.vi
What happens in this scene and why do we find out as we do?
IV.vii
What happens between Laertes and Claudius? What is the plan from here on
out?
How is Ophelia’s death described? What effect does it have on Laertes?
Representatives, Associations, Symbols, Motifs
What ideas are emerging in your mind about the roles of the following?
Which abstract concepts are associated with each of these? Where are there
double-meanings, or even more ambiguity?
Madness
Spying, suspicion
Monarchy (crown, throne, etc.)
Journeys
Parent-child relationships
Appearance, acting, clothes
Revenge
Sex
Flowers
Rottenness
Light, color
Death
Hamlet
General Considerations
Act V Reading
V.i
What are the gravediggers talking about? What about Hamlet in his Yorick
comments?
What is Horatio’s role here?
Compare/contrast the various characters’ responses to Ophelia’s death.
V.ii
What really happened to Hamlet on the voyage?
Explain the duel that is to supposed to take place.
Trace the actual events that occur before, during, and after the duel.
How do you interpret the very ending? What sort of new leader will
Fortinbras be?
Representatives, Associations, Symbols, Motifs
What ideas are emerging in your mind about the roles of the following?
Which abstract concepts are associated with each of these? Where are there
double-meanings, or even more ambiguity?
Madness
Deception
Monarchy (crown, throne, etc.)
Journeys
Parent-child relationships
Appearance, acting, clothes
Revenge
Sex
Rottenness
Light, color
Death