Hamlet Act 1 AP Lit
Authored by Meera Goodness
English
12th Grade
CCSS covered
Used 167+ times
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About
This quiz comprehensively covers Act 1 of Shakespeare's *Hamlet*, targeting 12th-grade students studying Advanced Placement Literature and Composition. The questions assess students' understanding of plot exposition, character relationships, setting, and dramatic devices including soliloquy, aside, and foreshadowing. Students need solid comprehension of Elizabethan family structures, political dynamics of medieval Denmark, and the supernatural elements that drive the play's central conflict. The assessment requires students to analyze character motivations, particularly Hamlet's psychological state following his father's death and mother's hasty remarriage, while also understanding the political tensions with Norway and the domestic intrigue within the Danish court. Students must demonstrate knowledge of key relationships—Hamlet's friendship with Horatio, the Polonius family dynamics, and the complex uncle-nephew/stepfather-stepson relationship between Claudius and Hamlet—as well as interpret Shakespeare's use of literary devices like wordplay and dramatic irony. Created by Meera Goodness, an English teacher in the US who teaches grade 12. This quiz serves multiple instructional purposes in an AP Literature classroom, functioning effectively as a comprehension check following students' reading of Act 1, a review tool before moving to Act 2, or a formative assessment to identify students who may need additional support with Shakespearean language and plot complexity. Teachers can use this as a warm-up activity to activate prior knowledge before class discussions, assign it as homework to ensure students complete their reading assignments, or implement it as a low-stakes quiz to gauge student understanding before major assessments. The question format supports differentiated instruction by including both basic recall items for foundational understanding and higher-order thinking questions that require textual analysis and interpretation. This assessment aligns with Common Core standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3, and CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.4, which emphasize textual evidence, character analysis, and interpretation of literary language.
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24 questions
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1.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
What is NOT an event that occurs prior to the beginning of the play?
The marriage of Hamlet's uncle and mother
The mysterious death of King Hamlet
The conflict between King Hamlet and Fortinbras
The breakup of Hamlet and Ophelia
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.8.3
2.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Of which country does Hamlet's family rule over?
Norway
France
Denmark
Sweden
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.8.7
3.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Who is Horatio?
A guard of the castle Elsinore
adviser to King Claudius
diplomat for Denmark to France
good friend of Hamlet
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.8.7
4.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
What strange event has happened twice at night near the castle?
The ghost of King Hamlet has appeared
Hamlet and Ophelia have been spotted spending time alone together
An unexplained light has appeared near the grave of King Hamlet
Prince Hamlet has had an emotional meltdown
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.1
5.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Why does Horatio want to inform Hamlet about the ghost?
He is the Prince of Denmark and as a ruler, deserves to know
He is Horatio's best friend and Horatio can tell him anything
He is the son of the dead King Hamlet who looks like the ghost
Hamlet has experience with ghosts and the supernatural
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.8.10
6.
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
Why does King Claudius say that the kingdom should not worry after the death of King Hamlet
King Claudius will be a better king than King Hamlet
King Claudius will defend Denmark from the invasion of Sweden
The royal family will remain the same since Claudius married his sister-in-law
Prince Hamlet will still be next in line for the throne after Claudius
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10
CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10
CCSS.RL.8.7
7.
MULTIPLE SELECT QUESTION
1 min • 1 pt
What unhelpful piece of advice do either the king and queen NOT give Hamlet for his grief?
Everyone dies, so the death of his father is nothing special
It is weak and lame to grieve so long
The sooner he stops mourning, the sooner he can marry.
Hamlet has a new father because of the king and queen's marriage
Tags
CCSS.RL.11-12.3
CCSS.RL.7.6
CCSS.RL.8.6
CCSS.RL.9-10.3
CCSS.RL.6.3
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