Pero Hamlet SG 1
Study Guide: Hamlet
Ms. Pero
Scene 2
Scene 3
Name: __________________________
ACAD
Act I
1.
What mood is apparent at the beginning of the play? What makes you think this?
2.
What does Claudius acknowledge about Hamlet while they are at the funeral?
3.
How do you think Hamlet feels about Claudius?
4.
What things are King Claudius discussing with the court?
5.
What has Hamlet’s mother done that makes Hamlet so upset?
6.
What request does Laertes have? Is it granted?
7.
What kind of relationship do you think Polonius and Laertes have? What makes you
think that?
8.
Who is in the room Gertrude looks towards?
9.
What does Gertrude ask Claudius to do when they meet in the hallway?
10.
How does Hamlet feel about Claudius calling him “son”?
Pero Hamlet SG 2
11.
What two names does Claudius call Hamlet? Why?
12.
Why do you think Claudius does not want Hamlet to go back to school?
13.
14.
Explain what Gertrude means when she says:
“Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off,
And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark.
Do not for ever with thy vailed lids
Seek for thy noble father in the dust.
Thou know'st 'tis common. All that lives must die,
Passing through nature to eternity.”
What is Hamlet’s reaction to his mother’s speech?
15.
What does Hamlet mean when he says:
“Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not 'seems.'
'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,
Nor customary suits of solemn black,
Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,
No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,
Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,
Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief,
That can denote me truly: these indeed seem,
For they are actions that a man might play:
But I have that within which passeth show;
These but the trappings and the suits of woe.”
Pero Hamlet SG 3
Scene 4
Scene 5
16.
What does Gertrude ask of Hamlet? Why?
17.
What is Hamlet’s response to his mother’s request? Why?
18.
What does Hamlet want to do after Claudius and Gertrude leave the room?
19.
Why can’t he?
20.
What does Hamlet compare Claudius to? Explain.
21.
How long has Hamlet’s father been dead?
22.
How did Hamlet perceive his parents’ relationship before his father’s death?
23.
How does Hamlet feel about his mother?
24.
What advice does Laertes give Ophelia? What does this tell us about Laertes?
25.
What advice does Polonius give to Laertes? What does this tell us about Polonius?
26.
What does Ophelia say to defend Hamlet’s actions towards her?
Pero Hamlet SG 4
Scene 6
Scene 7
27.
What does Polonius think is the reason for Hamlet’s gifts and kind words to Ophelia?
28.
What does Polonius tell Ophelia she can’t do? Why?
29.
Why is Horatio back from Wittenberg? (Name both reasons)
30.
Explain what Hamlet means by this:
“
The funeral bak'd meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.”
31.
What does Horatio tell Hamlet he’s seen?
32.
When and where has the ghost appeared?
33.
How does Hamlet feel about these appearances?
34.
Explain what Hamlet means when he says the following about the feast being celebrated:
“But to my mind, though I am native here
And to the manner born, it is a custom
More honour'd in the breach than the observance.”
35.
According to Hamlet, what does the feast make other countries think about the people of
Denmark?
Pero Hamlet SG 5
Scene 8
Scene 9
36.
What does Hamlet do when he first sees the ghost? Why?
37.
Why does Horatio not want Hamlet to follow the ghost?
38.
What is the ghost doomed to do each night and day?
39.
What does the ghost tell Hamlet to do?
40.
According to the ghost, how did the king die? Who is responsible?
41.
Who is Hamlet not allowed to take revenge on? Why?
42.
What is Hamlet’s reaction to the ghost’s news? Why?
43.
What does Hamlet swear to do? Why?
44.
What does Hamlet tell Horatio? Why does he confide in him?
45.
How is Hamlet going to act towards Claudius now? Why?
46.
What two things must Horatio and the guards swear to for Hamlet?
Pero Hamlet SG 6
Scene 10
Scene 11
Scene 12
Act II
47.
How does Hamlet appear at the beginning of this act?
48.
What does Polonius tell Claudius and Gertrude about Hamlet?
49.
What proof does Polonius have?
50.
What do Claudius and Polonius want Ophelia to do for them?
51.
Why does Gertrude think Hamlet’s gone mad?
52.
How does Hamlet act towards Polonius in the library?
53.
What does Hamlet mean when he says to Polonius:
“You cannot, Sir, take from me any thing,
that I will more willingly part withal,
except my life, except my life.”
54.
What does Gertrude hope happens once Ophelia speaks to Hamlet?
55.
What does Ophelia give Hamlet? Why?
56.
Why does he deny giving her the gifts?
Pero Hamlet SG 7
Scene 13
57.
What does Hamlet say about women and what they can do to men?
58.
What does Hamlet mean when he says, “Those that are already married, all but one shall
live. The rest shall keep as they are!”
59.
Why do you think Hamlet is so cruel to Ophelia? Is he justified?
60.
How do Claudius and Polonius view the meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet?
61.
What does Claudius want to do with Hamlet? Why?
62.
What does Claudius mean when he says, “Madness in great ones must not unwatched
go”?
Act III
63.
What does Hamlet consider in his “To be or not to be” speech?
64.
How does he talk himself out of it?
65.
What does Hamlet mean when he says, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all”?
66.
What does Hamlet call Denmark? Why?
Pero Hamlet SG 8
Scene 14
Scene 15
Scene 16
67.
Why do Ros and Guil say they are there? Who sent for them?
68.
Why does Hamlet say they are there?
69.
What are they sent to do?
70.
What is Hamlet’s reaction to their mission? Should he react this way or not? Explain.
71.
Who are the Players?
72.
What does Hamlet mean when he says to Ros and Guil:
"I am but mad north-north-west:
when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw."
73.
What is Hamlet’s plan to find out for sure if Claudius is guilty?
74.
Why does Hamlet get upset with himself after he tells them that?
75.
Describe Hamlet before the play begins.
76.
Why is Hamlet bothering Ophelia?
77.
How long has the King been dead now?
Pero Hamlet SG 9
Scene 17
Scene 18
78.
What is the name of the play? Why is the name significant?
79.
What happens during the play?
80.
What is Gertrude’s reaction to the play? Why?
81.
What does Hamlet mean when he says this to Claudius: “’Tis a knavish piece of work,
but what of that? Your Majesty and we that have free souls, it touches us not.”
82.
What is Claudius’s reaction to the play? Why?
83.
What does Hamlet confess to Ophelia? Why might that be important?
84.
Who sends Ros and Guil to Hamlet?
85.
What does Hamlet mean when he tells Ros and Guil that they must not “play him like a
pipe”?
86.
What does Hamlet say he is ready to do?
87.
Where does Hamlet meet up with Claudius after the play ends?
88.
What does Hamlet want to do?
Pero Hamlet SG 10
Scene 19
Scene 20
Scene 21
Scene 22
89.
Why does he not do it? When will he?
90.
Who does Hamlet go see next? Why?
91.
Why does Polonus hide in the room?
92.
What happens to Polonius? Why?
93.
What does Hamlet tell Gertrude? Why is it so important that she hear this?
94.
Does Gertrude believe him now? Why or why not?
95.
Why does the ghost appear again in this scene?
96.
Can Gertrude see the ghost?
97.
What do Hamlet’s actions during this scene reveal about his character at this point?
98.
How is this the turning point of the play?
Act IV
99.
How does Gertrude feel about Hamlet now? Why?
Pero Hamlet SG 11
Scene 23
100.
What won’t Hamlet tell Claudius?
101.
How are a king and a begger the same, according to Hamlet?
102.
Where does Hamlet tell Claudius to look for Polonius?
103.
Where did Hamlet put him?
104.
Where does Claudius want to send Hamlet?
105.
What does Claudius say is his reason for sending Hamlet away?
106.
What is his real reason?
107.
What do the letters Ros and Guil are carrying say?
108.
Does Hamlet trust Ros and Guil?
109.
What does Hamlet say to reassure Gertrude before he leaves for England?
110.
How does Ophelia react to the news of her father?
111.
What does she reveal about her relationship with Hamlet?
Pero Hamlet SG 12
Scene 24
Scene 25
Scene 26
112.
How does Gertrude act towards Ophelia?
113.
How is Polonius buried? Why is that significant?
114.
Who must Ophelia speak to about her father?
115.
What does Claudius command for Ophelia? Who does he send?
116.
What has Hamlet done with the letters?
117.
What happens to Ros and Guil?
118.
What does Laertes’s anger lead him to do?
119.
Who does he think killed his father?
120.
Who does Claudius convince him is at fault?
121.
What is Ophelia doing that concerns Laertes? What is Laertes’s reaction to his sister?
122.
What finally happens to Ophelia?
123.
Who brings the news?
Pero Hamlet SG 13
Scene 27
Scene 28
Act V
124. What do the grave diggers and Hamlet discuss?
125.
Why is this scene in the play?
126.
Does the digger know who he is talking to? Why is this important to know?
127.
What does Hamlet play with? Who does it belong to?
128.
Whose funeral is occurring?
129.
What does Gertrude say to Ophelia that might needed to be said while Opheila was alive?
130.
What is Hamlet’s reaction to the funeral?
131.
What happens when Laertes sees Hamlet at the funeral?
132.
What does Hamlet say about Laertes?
133.
What are Hamlet’s true feelings for Ophelia?
134.
Why does Gertrude ask Horatio to follow Hamlet?
Pero Hamlet SG 14
Scene 29
Scene 30
Scene 31
135.
What does Claudius say about why Hamlet cannot be killed outright?
136.
What are Claudius and Laertes planning Hamlet’s death to appear as? Why?
137.
What message does the messenger bring to Hamlet?
138.
Explain Claudius and Laertes’s plan to have Hamlet die.
139.
What does Hamlet ask of Laertes before the duel? Why?
140.
What is Laertes’s response?
141.
Who wins the first hit?
142.
Why does Claudius put the pearl in the goblet?
143.
Who wins the second hit?
144.
Why does Laertes take the cheap shot at Hamlet?
145.
Explain how Hamlet and Laertes are killed?
146.
Explain how Gertrude dies.
Pero Hamlet SG 15
Scene 32
147.
Why does Laertes confess?
148.
Who is blamed for the entire mess?
149.
Why does no one help the King?
150.
What does Hamlet ask Horatio to do at the end of the scent? Why?
151.
What is the final outcome for the kingdom?
152.
What honor does Fortinbras bestow on Hamlet? Why?
Pero Hamlet SG 16
The Who’s Who of Hamlet
Character Name
Related to
Emotional Problem
Method of Death