Hamlet: Act I discussion questions
I.ii
1. What do you think is the main idea of Hamlet’s first soliloquy? (133-164) How does the
comparison to Hercules function in the speech? Who does he seem to detest more: Claudius or
his mother?
2. What is the “joke” in Hamlet’s exchange with Horatio? (183-188)
3. Note the key words in Hamlet’s speech at the end of the scene. What is repeated here? What is
echoed from earlier in the play?
I.iii
4. This scene is all about advice: giving and getting. Who is giving what advice to whom? Sketch it
out as best you can: Laertes to Ophelia, Ophelia to Laertes, Polonius to Laertes, Polonius to
Ophelia.
I.iv
5. Hamlet says of Claudius’s carousing: “it is a custom/More honored in the breach than the
observance.” What is he saying about Claudius? How does he continue this line of argument later
in this speech? (15-41)
6. Why don’t Horatio and the others want Hamlet to follow the Ghost? Cite specific lines.
7. Marcellus says, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” How does this relate to previous
lines in this scene and in the play?
I.v
8. What does the Ghost tell Hamlet about where he is (literally) coming from? If you are familiar
with Christian theology, where is the Ghost’s soul?
9. How does the Ghost describe his death? What specific words does he use? How does he describe
Claudius? What does he say about Gertrude? What does he urge Hamlet to do? What does he
urge him not to do?
10. Does Hamlet believe what his father’s ghost tells him? What does he tell the other men after the
Ghost leaves?
11. What does Hamlet tell Horatio in the final lines of the Act and scene (185-212)? Cite specific
passages. What do you think this means?
Hamlet: Act II discussion questions
II.i
12. How does Polonius plan to use Reynaldo (a minor character)? Quote at least four lines from one of
Polonius’s speeches that summarize his intentions and strategy.
13. How does Ophelia describe Hamlet’s appearance to her father? Find a quote that says something of
Polonius’s interpretation of her description.
14. Indicate where in his speeches to Ophelia and Reynaldo you see Polonius’s tendency to use too many
words or to get muddled within his own speeches.
II.ii
15. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Try to name a defining feature that distinguishes one from the
other. Note how Claudius and Gertrude refer to the two men: what in the speeches of the king and queen
illustrates how difficult it is to discern Rosencrantz from Guildenstern?
16. What is similar in the requests of the King and Queen to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as in the previous
scene with Polonius to Reynaldo?
17. What new information do we learn of young Fortinbras? (II.ii.65-85) What did the elderly king of
Norway (“old Norway”) do?
18. What is Polonius’s theory about Hamlet’s alleged madness? List at least three funny quotes from
Polonius’s ridiculous verbal exchange with the king and queen. Does he “use no art”?
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19. Explain the following wordplay by Hamlet (to Polonius):
Let her not walk i‘ the sun. Conception is a
blessing, but as your daughter may conceive,
friend, look to ‘t.
What word does Polonius use (unwittingly) later in the scene to comment on Hamlet’s way of speaking?
How does it make Hamlet’s three lines above even more relevant?
20. In the same scene (Hamlet and Polonius), show three other instances where Hamlet uses humor to
frustrate his enemy.
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21. How does Hamlet have a mixed reaction when reuniting with his childhood pals Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern?
22. Look closely at Hamlet’s speech in II.ii. 316-334. What seems to be the reason he gives them for having
“lost all [his] mirth”?
23. Interpret Hamlet’s “warning” to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: “I am mad north-north-west. When the wind
is southerly, I know a hawk from a hand-saw” (II.ii.402-404). Think back to what he told Horatio in I.v.189202.
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24. “The play’s the thing”: how do you interpret this line? After his encounter with the Players, how do we see
Hamlet’s plan taking shape in this soliloquy at the end of Act II? What do you make of the chiasmus:
“What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba/That he should weep for her?”
Hamlet: Act III discussion questions
III.i
25. What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern reveal about Hamlet when they “report back” to the King
and Queen at the start of scene 1? What previous speeches from the play does Guildenstern’s
description (“crafty madness”) remind you of?
26. What does the King’s short soliloquy (III.i.56-62) reveal about his character?
27. What does the exchange between Hamlet and Ophelia say about Hamlet’s true feelings for her?
Does it clarify or muddle what we already know? How?
28. What does Hamlet say to Ophelia that echoes his “to be or not to be” soliloquy? his attitude
toward the kingdom and his mother’s marriage? his attitude toward life in general? Consider the
speech he gave to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in II.ii.316-332 (“…this quintessence of dust”).
III.ii
29. How does Hamlet humorously skewer Polonius yet again in III.ii.104-112?
30. How does Hamlet cruelly and jokingly toy with Ophelia in the lines that follow (up to 275)?
31. How would you characterize Hamlet’s interjections throughout the performance of the play?
What does Ophelia call him? How does he act after the play is over?
32. What are the key difference between these three situations: (1) the alleged murder of King
Hamlet by Claudius; (2) the play “The Murder of Gonzago;” (3) this play as changed by Hamlet
and performed by the players as “The Mousetrap” (as he calls it)?
33. How does Claudius react the way he does to the play? What is he reacting to? What emotions
does he feel? (there is more than one answer, at least two interpretations).
34. How would you describe a change, if any, in Hamlet’s character in Act III? Similarly, how does
his sense of humor evolve? Give examples from speeches and actions.
III.iii
35. At the beginning of III.iii, what does Claudius confide in R & G that he will do with Hamlet?
36. How does Claudius’s long soliloquy (III.iii.40-76) expand upon his short one in III.i (question
2)? What do we learn here at last?
37. Explain Hamlet’s course of action (or inaction) when he comes upon Claudius in this scene. What
does this remind you of in previous scenes (and class discussions)?
III.iv
38. How would you describe the rhythm of the initial conversation between Hamlet and his mother?
39. What is ironic about Polonius’s death? What “job” has he assumed in the moments before his
death?
40. Count how many times Hamlet refers to eyes and ears in his speech to his mother in lines 63-98.
What is he trying to force his mother to understand?
41. Why does Hamlet stop screaming at his mother? How does this remind us of what Hamlet was
warned in I.v? What does this episode say of Hamlet’s madness (our impression as readers vs.
Gertrude’s impression, for instance)?
42. Explain Hamlet’s line “I must be cruel only to be kind” (III.iv.199) in the context of his character
and the maneuvering of the other characters throughout the play.
Hamlet: Act IV discussion questions
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vii
43. Look closely at Claudius’ first lines after hearing the news about Polonius’ death from Gertrude: “It
had been so with us, had we been there.” (line 14) What is he literally saying? (remember he talks in
the royal “we”) What does his immediate reaction tell us about his character? (scene i)
44. When talking to Claudius, does Gertrude follow Hamlet’s instructions to her from the end of the last
act? How? Use quotations from scene i.
45. Take note of Hamlet’s jokes in scenes ii (to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) and iii (to Claudius).
How has his sense of humor become more menacing or dark versus the way it was in Acts I and II?
46. Claudius speaks alone at the very end of scene iii. What does he reveal of his plans for sending
Hamlet to England?
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47. We actually get to meet Fortinbras briefly. How does he speak, grammatically, i.e., what is his
primary verb form? What does this tell you about him as a character?
48. How does Hamlet’s soliloquy show his marvel at the fact of Fortinbras’ imminent battle over the land
in Poland? How does he measure himself against Fortinbras? How does this compare to previous
estimations that Hamlet has made of himself?
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49. Note what the Gentleman (unnamed) says (lines 5–17) to Gertrude about Ophelia’s behavior and
speech. Compare his words to the way others have described Hamlet’s behavior and speech
throughout the play. What’s the primary difference between Hamlet and Ophelia at this point?
50. Who is Ophelia “blaming” for her troubles with her songs? What double entendres are contained
within these songs?
51. In the second half of this scene, Claudius deals with the return of a raging Laertes. How does
Claudius “calm him down”? How does Ophelia’s appearance change the mood of this scene?
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52. Note the letter from Hamlet to Horatio. How does Hamlet not end up in England? What happened to
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
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53. Note how Claudius is a master of persuasion in this scene. He not only convinces Laertes that
Hamlet is the source of all of his (Laertes’) problems, he convinces him to be the key player in a
devious plan to kill Hamlet. Why is Claudius doing this? Why doesn’t Claudius just kill Hamlet
himself?
54. Translate and interpret Claudius’ speech: “that we would do/We should do when we would; for this
'would' changes/And hath abatements and delays as many/As there are tongues, are hands, are
accidents;/And then this 'should' is like a spendthrift sigh,/That hurts by easing.” (134–140)
55. What are the elements of their plan to kill Hamlet? What is the first way they can kill him?
(Laertes’ plan) What is the “backup” plan? (Claudius calls it “a back, or second”)?
56. How is Ophelia’s death described by Gertrude? What is not said outright, though implied by
Gertrude’s speech?
Hamlet: Act V discussion questions
V.i
57. The two gravediggers are often named “Clown 1” and Clown 2” in some manuscripts of the play.
A Clown meant “simpleton” in Shakespeare’s time, but it also carries its more contemporary
meaning of “joker,” “jester, or “buffoon.” What kind of jokes does the Gravedigger make? How
does he “divide” the idea of an “act” into three parts (V.i.10-13)? How is this ironic?
58. How would you describe the rhythm of the conversation between the two gravediggers? What is
the conclusion of their exchange (V.i.30-60)?
59. How does Hamlet think differently about death in this scene than he had before? How are his
thoughts similar to what he’s said in the past? Use specific quotes.
60. Look at the repeated puns and wordplay during the exchange between Hamlet and the
Gravedigger. Who comes out on top in this war of words? How might this be significant? Hint:
contrast this exchange with any of the earlier exchanges between Hamlet and Polonius. Think of
the idea of the comedian and the straight man (like Abbott and Costello).
61. Think about the symbolism of the “appearance” of Yorick, the king’s jester, during this scene.
What is the role of a court jester? How has humor evolved throughout the play until now? How
does Hamlet address Yorick’s skull?
62. What is the controversy over Ophelia’s burial later in the scene? Hint: the Gravediggers were
arguing about it, also.
63. Where specifically do Hamlet and Laertes end up fighting each other? (look closely at stage
directions) How does Hamlet try to make peace with him?
64. How does Hamlet’s outpouring give us the final word on his feelings about Ophelia? Why might
we take him seriously now?
V.ii
65. In lines 1-90, describe how Hamlet brought on Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s fate. How does
he feel about his old friends?
66. Look closely at Hamlet’s speech in lines 235-237 (and its translation on the left-hand page): “The
readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is’t to leave betimes? Let be.” How
has Hamlet’s attitude changed?
67. Note all the stage directions in the middle of the scene. How does the fencing match unfold? Who
is winning? (We will watch a film version to clarify everything)
68. How does Hamlet get his revenge? Does he? How would you characterize the finale?
69. What is fitting about Fortinbras’s appearance at the end of the play. What is ironic? What is
surprising about his treatment of Hamlet?