th
Test date:
5 Six Weeks Exam Review
English IV AP / Mrs. Ramos
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The 5th six weeks exam will be designed to determine the degree to which you are familiar with the
text of the play and the meaning of key elements.
The test will contain objective (multiple choice, true / false, matching-type questions) and written
portions. You will have the assigned class period to complete the test.
Expect that I will check on your required notes (literary terms, images of decay, internal / external
situations) on the day of the exam, either during the test or you will leave your text / notes
with me to grade.
TERMS
The following terms will be addressed on the test:
soliloquy
aside
couplet
elision
polysyndeton
oxymoron
syncope
diacritical accent
allusion
antithesis
pun
apostrophe
masculine rhyme / masculine ending
feminine rhyme / feminine ending
personification
dramatic structure
TEXT
- What is meant by ___ (word, phrase, line[s])? Which character spoke the lines? Under what
circumstances? Why is this statement important?
- What poetic / figurative element is shown in these lines: “___”? Explain the effect of this element.
- What does ___ symbolize in Act ___? Do you see this symbol changing from act to act? Explain.
- What is the purpose of ___’s soliloquy in Act ___?
- What oppositions are apparent in each Act? in the play as a whole?
CHARACTER
Hamlet
- Why does Hamlet ___ (action)? What does this reveal about his character?
- What could motivate Hamlet to say ___?
- What important traits of Hamlet’s character are revealed in act ___? How are they revealed?
- What clues have you discovered about Hamlet’s fatal flaw?
- Of what importance is Hamlet’s relationship with ___? How has this relationship changed over the
- course of the play?
Others
- Characterize ___ in Act ___.
- Describe the nature of the relationship between ___ and ___ in Act ___. In what ways do you see
this relationship changing throughout the play?
- What antagonism exists between ___ and ___?
- What is the significance of ___’s action?
- Explain how the character of ___ develops in the play.
- Which character is least important in this Act? Why?
- Which character said, “(significant quotation)”? What is the significance of this quotation? What
important elements does this reveal about the character?
PLOT
- Describe the narrative structure of Act ___ (not a summary).
- Why did ___ occur? (review main events and their causes)
- Speculate about consequences of ___ (event).
- What oppositions arise, become more complicated, or are resolved in Act ___?
- What is the purpose of ___ (event) in Act ___?
- Which scene in the play do you think is most vital? Why?
- If you had to leave a scene out of the play which one would it be? Explain why the omission of this
scene would not have a great impact on the drama as a whole.
- What does ___ (event) add to the drama?
THEME
- What is the impact of fate on events in Act ___?
- What do motifs in the play lead you to believe about the play’s possible theme(s)?
- What elements of human nature are revealed in the play? What lesson(s) do you think Shakespeare
might have been teaching through these elements?
- Identify a major theme in Hamlet and explain how this theme is developed.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO CONTEMPLATE
- Be prepared to respond to selections of literary criticism about Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
- It is advisable to review all of the characters in the play and where they have scenes. It can
sometimes help to identify a quotation if you know who is supposed to be in the scene in
question.
- Reviewing the notes you’ve made in your text from our class discussions is an excellent place to
study for the test. Many questions will come from the specific elements I’ve pointed out along
the way.