48 pages • 1 hour read
William ShakespeareHamlet
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1609A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Quiz
Acts I-II
1. As Hamlet opens, which country is threatening to invade Denmark?
A) Sweden
B) Norway
C) Poland
D) Finland
2. When Claudius and Gertrude question Hamlet about his mourning garb, how does he defend wearing it?
A) He says that the customary mourning period hasn’t passed yet.
B) He says that he brought nothing else with him from Wittenberg.
C) He says that the clothes reflect his sincere grief.
D) He says that he will continue wearing it until his father’s murder is avenged.
3. What best describes the advice Polonius gives his son before Laertes leaves for France?
A) long-winded
B) perceptive
C) harsh
D) surprising
4. What concern do Laertes and Polonius share regarding Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet?
A) They fear Hamlet is unstable because of his father’s death.
B) They fear Hamlet is interested in her money.
C) They fear Hamlet will sleep with her but not marry her.
D) They fear Hamlet has been unfaithful to her.
5. According to King Hamlet’s ghost, how did Claudius kill him? (short answer)
6. When Polonius tries to determine the cause of Hamlet’s “madness,” what do Hamlet’s responses indicate about his decision to feign insanity?
A) He wants to elicit sympathy.
B) He wants to avoid marrying Ophelia.
C) He wants to kill Claudius without fear of reprisal.
D) He wants to say things he couldn’t otherwise say.
7. Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
A) old friends of Hamlet’s
B) cousins of Laertes and Ophelia
C) royal advisors
D) traveling performers
8. What play does Hamlet ask the theater group to perform? (short answer)
Acts III-IV
9. According to Hamlet, why do most people put up with life’s travails?
A) They have faith God will reward them for their patience.
B) They are afraid of the unknown, and death is an unknown.
C) They feel they have a responsibility to those around them.
D) They don’t realize how unhappy their lives truly are.
10. Where does Claudius propose to send Hamlet?
A) back to Wittenberg
B) Norway
C) the countryside
D) England
11. Which of the following best describes Hamlet’s tone towards Ophelia before and during the play?
A) frustrated
B) concerned
C) mocking
D) apologetic
12. What promise to the ghost does Hamlet break in the aftermath of the play?
A) He will avoid seeking revenge on Gertrude.
B) He will avoid bloodshed.
C) He will kill Claudius while he’s engaged in some sinful activity.
D) He will not tell Horatio about his plans.
13. Who does Hamlet stab and kill through the tapestry in Gertrude’s room? (short answer)
14. Which of the following characters is likely a foil to Hamlet?
A) Polonius
B) Fortinbras
C) Rosencrantz
D) Lamort
15. What does Ophelia, in her madness, offer to Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude?
A) a glass of wine
B) a prayer book
C) Hamlet’s love letters
D) flowers
Act V
16. What does Yorick’s skull represent to Hamlet?
A) the inevitability of death
B) the deceitfulness of humanity
C) the costs of war
D) the infidelity of women
17. What controversy arises surrounding Ophelia’s burial?
A) Hamlet does not want her buried near court.
B) She might have committed suicide.
C) She might not have been a virgin.
D) Hamlet claims she was murdered.
18. How does Hamlet evade Claudius’s plans to assassinate him? (short answer)
19. Which best describes Osric’s significance as a character?
A) He serves as a confidante for Hamlet.
B) He causes Hamlet to reconsider his plans for revenge.
C) He embodies the insincerity of the Danish court.
D) He voices the play’s ideas about mortality.
20. Which two characters’ duel serves as the play’s climax? (short answer)
21. Why does Gertrude drink from the poisoned cup?
A) She doesn’t know that it’s poisoned.
B) She has just learned that Claudius is a murderer.
C) She has just watched her son die.
D) She mixes it up with a different cup.
22. Before he dies, what does Hamlet ask Horatio to do?
A) take the throne of Denmark
B) kill Claudius
C) pray for his soul
D) tell his story
Answers
Acts I-II
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. C
5. By pouring poison into his ear while he was asleep.
6. D
7. A
8. The Murder of Gonzago (with an additional scene inserted by Hamlet)
Acts III-IV
9. B
10. D
11. C
12. A
13. Polonius
14. B
15. D
Act V
16. A
17. B
18. He changes the commission Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are carrying to request their execution instead.
19. C
20. Hamlet and Laertes
21. A
22. D
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By William Shakespeare
