HAMLET TEST
Answer 10 of the following questions
1. One of the central cruxes of the play concerns the nature of the ghost. Examine
carefully all references to the ghost. What contradictory explanations for the ghost’s
nature are offered in the play?
2. Notice carefully all references to time in the play. Why is the passage of time so
important in this particular tragedy?
3. Note carefully all references to the ages of the characters. When and how in the play
do we discover Hamlet’s age? Is there anything surprising about his age?
4. How long after his encounter with the ghost does Hamlet delay in pursuing his
revenge? What reasons does he give for his delay? How would these reasons have
perhaps been evaluated by an Elizabethan audience familiar with the Revenge Tragedy?
5. In Act II, Claudius and Polonius discuss Hamlet’s madness. Is he really insane or only
playing a role? Does Shakespeare give us contradictory evidence?
6. Very early in the play we are given the reasons for Hamlet’s melancholy. What is the
initial cause of his despair? What later events exacerbate this despair?
7. What is Hamlet’s purpose in putting on the “play within a play”? What is the structural
function of the “play within a play”?
8. Hamlet is frequently interpreted as a man who cannot act. Do we sometimes see him
acting rashly and foolishly? Do we sometimes see him acting decisively and bravely?
Where?
9. In your opinion, does Hamlet make a tragic mistake in judgement (Hamartia)? If so,
where?
10. What is the climax of the play?
11. When we first meet Claudius, what kind of person does he appear to be? Does he
appear to be a good king? Support your answer from the text.
12. How do both Laertes and Fortinbras function as foils to Hamlet? Be specific. Does
Ophelia serve as a foil also? Why or why not?
13. Many critics have noted that after his return from England, Hamlet appears changed.
What is the nature of this change? Does this change constitute traditional tragic
enlightenment or anagnorisis?
14. How many people die in the play? What is the manner and cause of each of each
death? Could these deaths have been avoided?
If you do research, seek out opposing viewpoints and then, tell me what you think.