Hamlet Acts III-V

Hamlet struggles with the idea of whether “...to be, or not to be...” throughout the play.  What reason does he give for not killing himself?

• He is unsure about punishment in the afterlife.
• He cannot kill himself until his father’s murder is avenged.
• He wants to kill himself, but lacks the courage to face the physical act of dying.
• He feels that there is still something left to live for in the world, yet he doesn’t know what.

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When left alone with Hamlet, Ophelia attempts to break up with Hamlet by 

• insulting him and how he was dressed when he entered her closet in Act II.
• by giving Hamlet back his love letters.
• by telling him that she has found a new lover that will marry her.
• by telling him that her father and brother do not approve of their relationship.

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Why does Hamlet tell Ophelia to “Get thee to a nunnery!”

• He thinks Ophelia can only save her soul by committing to the church.
• He thinks that the only husband she will find worthy is God.
• He doesn’t want her to breed, have children, and create more sinners.
• He wants her to be shut away in a convent, out of his sight and out of his life forever.

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Hamlet enlists Horatio to

• help kill Claudius.
• find out if Gertrude was in on the murder.
• lead Denmark after the death of the royal family.
• confirm his suspicions about Claudius.

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How does Claudius react to the murder scene in the play?

• He looks menacingly at Hamlet, then leaves the room without a word.
• He shows no outward reaction whatsoever; he simply leaves the room.
• He is visibly shaken by the scene, calls for light, then rushes out of the room.  
• He looks suspiciously at Gertrude, then leaves the room without saying a word to her.

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Hamlet catches Claudius praying alone, in the dark, and utterly defenseless.  What reason does he give for hesitating to kill his uncle?

• He does not want to end up in hell.
• He believes the ghost may be an evil spirit trying to tempt him to his doom.
• He does not want to send his uncle to heaven.
• He wants to kill his uncle where everyone will see.

Why does Claudius have a hard time praying?

• He doesn’t want to give up the things he has received due to his sin.
• He can’t focus on praying because he is still bothered by the play.
• He knows he is being watched by Hamlet.
• He is too frustrated with the guilt to take the time to pray.

The Queen accuses Hamlet of all of the following EXCEPT (during their conversation in Act III)   

• being crazy
• being disrespectful to the King
• threatening to kill her
• planning Claudius’s death

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Why does Hamlet kill Polonius?

• Hamlet is tired of the old man’s interference in his affairs.
• Hamlet is angry at finding Polonius in his mother’s bedroom.
• Hamlet, because of his madness, is hallucinating and kills him accidentally.
• Hamlet is simply killing an eavesdropper.

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What are Hamlet’s main requests for Gertrude during Act III, Scene IV? (MARK 2 ANSWERS in the test - only one answer can be marked here)

• to confess her sins
• to go to a nunnery
• to confess to killing King Hamlet
• to apologize to King Hamlet’s ghost