Hamlet guided reading questions.pdf

Hamlet Study Guide (Signet Classics Edition) Act I Answer the questions in complete sentences. 1. Act 1 Scene 1: What is Horatio's opinion of the ghost before and after he sees it? What does the ghost look like? 2. Act I Scene 1: Explain the political unrest that takes place in Denmark at the beginning of the play. (lines 80 - 107) 3. Act I Scene 2: Explain Claudius’ comments to Hamlet regarding his father’s death. What advice is given? (lines 87 - 117) 4. Act I Scene 2: Explain Hamlet’s feelings in his soliloquy. How does he feel about his father’s death and mother’s marriage? (lines 129 - 159) 5. Act I Scene 3: Compare Laertes’ advice to Ophelia (lines 10 - 44) with Polonius command to Ophelia (lines 115 - 135) 6. Act I Scene 4: Explain Horatio’s fear about the Ghost. (lines 69 - 78) 7. Act I Scene 5: What is the instructions given to Hamlet by the Ghost? 8. Act I Scene 5: What does Hamlet mean when he says he will "put on an antic disposition"? Why do you think he will do this? Do you think he is acting or is his madness real?(lines 170 - 180) Act II Scene 1 9. Where is Reynaldo being sent? Why? 10. Describe the encounter between Ophelia and Hamlet. (lines 77 - 100) 11. What conclusion does Polonius come to at the end of this scene? (lines 110 - 120) Scene 2 12. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? What are they instructed to do? (1-40) What similarities do you see between this and what Polonius does with Reynaldo? 13. How does the King of Norway respond to his Nephew's plot against Denmark? What is young Fortinbras new plan of action? (60-80) 14. What does Gertrude believe to be the cause of Hamlet's "distemper"? (56-57) 15. What does Polonius believe to be the cause of Hamlet's "distemper"? (96 – 113). How many lines does it take him to say this? What does it tell you about his character/personality?

16. What is Polonius' plan to find the true cause of Hamlet's "antic disposition"? (162 - 167) What does this say about his parenting skills? 17. How does Hamlet treat Polonius? Describe his behavior (170 - 221) What does Polonius reveal about is thoughts in his asides? 18. How does Hamlet treat Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? (225 - 240) 19. What is Hamlet's excuse for his behavior? What is his opinion of humanity? (301 - 319) 20. A group of players (or actors) arrive at Elsinore. What is the significance of the speech about Pyrrhus that Hamlet requests to hear? 21. What 2 requests does Hamlet ask of the actor? 22. Explain Hamlet's comparison of himself to the actor. (560 - 576) 23. How has Hamlet's opinion of the ghost changed? What is Hamlet's new plan of action. (601-617) Act III Scene 1 24. What instructions is Ophelia given at the beginning of this scene? 25. Copy the line where we see Claudius admit his guilt. 26. Explain what Hamlet means in line 67 " when we have shuffled off this mortal coil." 27. According to the "to be or not to be" speech, list two reasons Hamlet considers taking action. 28. What does the king decide to do with Hamlet in lines 173 - 178? what is his fear? 29. What does Polonius plan to do in lines 184 - 190? Scene 2 30. What does Hamlet instruct Horatio to do before the play? 31. Describe Hamlet's behavior at the play. How does he speak to his mother, uncle, Polonius, and Ophelia? 32. Explain why Hamlet compares himself to a musical pipe. Think about how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are treating him. (lines 358 - 380) 33. Explain Hamlets feelings in lines 396 - 407. How is this soliloquy different from others? 34. What does “acting” suggest about the nature of reality in this play? Which characters act in this play?

Scene 3 35. Read the king's soliloquy. Is he sorry he killed his brother? What would he have done in order to repent? Explain his prayer. 36. Why won't Hamlet kill Claudius and get revenge in this scene? (lines 73- 95) Scene 4 36. What is the setting of Act 3 Scene 4? What 4 characters are present? 37. Why does the ghost reappear? (lines 111 - 116) 38. What does Hamlet explain to his mother about his madness? (lines 185 - 189) 39. What 2 things does Hamlet command his mother not to do? Act IV Scene 1 40.What does Gertrude relate to the king? What is the king's fear? (lines 6 - 23) Scene 3 41. According to Hamlet, where is Polonius? Explain his lines, (lines 16 - 25) What is suggested about worldly titles, honors and social hierarchies in Hamlet’s exchange with the king? 42.What does the King plan for Hamlet? (lines 54 - 68) Does he share the full plan with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Scene 4 43. Why has Fortinbras come to Denmark? (lines 1 - 30) 44. Explain the comparison between Hamlet and the army of soldiers in the solioquy. (lines 32 – 66) 45. Describe Hamlet's attitude at the end of Scene 4. (lines 65 - 66) Scene 5 46. What happened to Ophelia and why? (lines 1 - 96) See your notes for a further analysis of Ophelia. 48. Why is Laertes angry and what does he desire? Scene 6 49. What happens to Hamlet on his trip?

Scene 7 50. Why doesn't Claudius execute Hamlet for the murder of Polonius? (lines 9 - 24) 51. How will the king go about killing Hamlet? (61 - 68) 52. Review the king’s question to Laertes in lines 107 - 125. What is the nature of Claudius questions? 52. Note Laertes response in line 126. Compare Laertes and Hamlet as sons. What is the nature of Claudius' questions? 53. How do Laertes and Claudius plan to kill Hamlet? (lines 127 - 139) 54. What happens to Ophelia at the end of act 4? Act V Scene 1 55. What are the grave diggers debating over? 56. How does the grave digger answer Hamlet’s questions? (lines 118 - 145) How does this connect with Hamlet’s exchange with the king in Act 4? 57. What does the grave digger state about England? (lines 155 - 157) 58. About how old is Hamlet? (lines 150 - 164) 59. Describe Laertes and Hamlet’s actions at the funeral. Scene 2 60. What does Hamlet relate to Horatio? (lines 4 - 56) 61. What is Hamlet’s opinion of Osric? What message does Osric bring and what is Hamlet’s response? What does this suggest about Hamlet’s change? Does Horatio agree? (lines 210 – 219) 62. What does the Queen request of Hamlet before the duel? Does he do it? What does this suggest about his character? 63. Who arrives at the end of the play? What is his reaction to what he finds in Denmark? 64. How many people die in this play? List them, and the manner & order in which they died. 65. How do Laertes, Horatio and Fortinbras speak about Hamlet at the end? What does this suggest about Hamlet’s character?