Hamlet
Act 3 quiz
1.
“And for your part, Ophelia, I do wish that your good beauties be the happy cause of Hamlet’s
wildness. So shall I hope your virtues will bring him to his wonted way again, to both your
honors” (3. 1. 41-46).
Before meeting with her son in her bedroom, what seems to be Gertrude’s motivation?
2.
“To be or not to be – that is the question” (3. 1. 64).
What is Hamlet saying here?
3.
In the same soliloquy, Hamlet says, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” (3. 1. 91).
What does he mean by this?
4.
“Be not too tame neither, but let your own discretion be your tutor. Suit the action to the
word, the word to the action, with this special observance, that you o’erstep not the modesty of
nature” (3. 2. 17-20).
Hamlet’s advice to the actors reflects Shakespeare’s own advice to his actors, and again we see
his criticism of the contemporary Elizabethan stage. What is one of these criticisms?
5.
“Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation coped withal” (3. 2. 56-57)
What assignment does Hamlet give Horatio in this scene?
6.
“Then thus she says: hour behavior hath struck her into amazement and admiration” (3. 2. 354355).
Why does Hamlet go to his mother’s bedroom after the play? Why does he go to this room?
7.
“’Tis now the very witching time of night, when churchyards yawn and hell itself <breathes> out
contagion to this world” (3. 2. 419-421).
It isn’t yet the “witching time of night” when Hamlet says that it is. What does he mean?
8.
“Now could I drink hot blood” (3. 2. 422-423).
Hamlet says this after the “play within a play.” Why do we see such a major change in his
language here?
9.
“I like him not, nor stands it safe with us to let his madness rage” (3. 3. 1-2).
What does the King tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do with Hamlet?
10. “I’ll call upon you ere you go to bed, and tell you what I know” (3. 3. 37-38).
Why could it be argued that Polonius gets what he deserves at the end of Act 3?
11. “And am I then revenged to take him in the purging of his soul, when he is fit and seasoned for
his passage?” (3. 3. 89-91).
What is ironic about the reason why Hamlet doesn’t kill Polonius in Act 3?
12. “O, I am slain!” (3. 4. 30)
Why does Polonius reveal his hiding place in the Queen’s bedroom?
13. “What wilt thou do?” (3. 4. 26)
What is one specific reason why we believe that the Queen did not know the truth about
Claudius’ actions until Hamlet tells her?
14. “This is the very coinage of your brain. This bodiless creation ecstasy is very cunning in” (3. 4.
157-159).
What are TWO of the possible reasons why the Queen does not see the ghost?
15. “What shall I do?” (3. 4. 202)
After confessing her sin in marrying her husband’s brother, Gertrude asks Hamlet what she
should do next. What does he say?
(Act 3 Analysis Sheet)
Take-Home Literary Analysis
Choose one of the topics below:
1)
To what extent does Hamlet correspond to classical notions of tragedy? What, if anything, is
Hamlet’s fatal flaw? Why does he hesitate to act after promising his father’s ghost that he will
avenge his murder?
2) Like Hamlet, Fortinbras and Laertes are sons confronted with a father’s death. To what extent
do they function as foils to Hamlet? What do they have in common? How do they differ?
3) Hamlet is a play in which nothing can be taken at face value: appearances are frequently
deceptive, and many characters engage in play-acting, spying and pretense. What deliberate
attempts are made at deception? While some deceptions are perpetrated in order to conceal
secrets, others aim to uncover hidden truths. Which are which? Consider references to
appearances, disguises, pretense, seeming, masks, acting, etc.
4) Pay attention to the treatment of Gertrude and Ophelia. Is there any basis for the Freudian
interpretation of an Oedipal attraction between Hamlet and his mother? How does Hamlet’s
perception of his mother affect his behavior or attitude toward Ophelia?
5) Hamlet claims that his madness is feigned, an “antic disposition” which he puts on for his own
purposes. Why would Hamlet want to feign madness? How can an appearance of insanity help
him achieve his ends? What about Ophelia’s mad scene? Is it real or feigned? Is there “method
in her madness” as well, or is she entirely irrational?
Write a 3-5 page (900 words minimum), thesis-driven literary analysis based upon one of the above
topics. Include textual support, quotes from the play, quotes from THREE secondary sources, and a
Works Cited. Again, a solid analysis hinges on a strong thesis and strong topic sentences, so concentrate
specifically on these.
Due Date: Tuesday, February 1.
I will take and comment on rough drafts ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY, JANUARY 28.