Hamlet Act I, Scene ii-iii quiz

The apparition that appears in the play is the ghost of...

• King Fortinbras

• King Claudius

• King Hamlet

• Mufasa

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

Act the beginning of Scene II, what event is the court celebrating?

• The birthday of Queen Gertrude

• The coronation of Prince Hamlet

• The wedding and coronation of Claudius

• An old Danish holiday similar to Christmas

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

Scene II opens with the following monologue from Claudius:

"Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death,

The memory be green, and that it us befitted

To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom

To be contracted in one brow of woe;

Yet so far has discretion fought with nature

That we with wisest sorrow think on him

Together with remembrance of ourselves.

Therefore our sometimes sister, now our queen,

Th' imperial jointress of this warlike state,

Have we (as 'twere with a defeated joy,

With one auspicious and one dropping eye,

With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,

In equal scale weighing delight and dole) 

Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred  

Your better wisdoms which have freely gone

With this affair along. For all, our thanks.

Now follows that you know — young Fortinbras, 

Holding a weak supposal of our worth,

Or thinking by our late dear brother's death

Our state to be disjoint and out of frame,

Colleagued with the dream of his advantage,

He has not failed to pester us with messages,

Importing the surrender of those lands

Lost by his father with all bonds of law

To our most valiant brother. So much for him.

[Enter messengers]

Now for ourself and for this time of meeting. 

Thus much the business is: we have here writ

To Norway (uncle of young Fortinbras

Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears

Of this his nephew's purpose) to suppress

His further gait herein in that the levies,

The lists, and full proportions are all made

Out of his subjects. And we here dispatch 

You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand,

For bearing of this greeting to old Norway,

Giving to you no further personal power

To business with the king more than the scope

Of these delated articles allow.

Farewell, and let your haste commend your duty. "

In this, his first speech to royal court, what does Claudius spend most of the speech speaking about and trying to do? Should that be his focus os king?

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

At the end of Claudius speech to the Royal court, he casually speaks of Fortinbras's rebellion and his plan to stop him. He says,

"To Norway,uncle of young Fortinbras

Who, impotent and bed-rid, scarcely hears

Of this his nephew's purpose to suppress

His further gait herein in that the levies,

The lists, and full proportions are all made

Out of his subjects. And we here dispatch 

You, good Cornelius, and you, Voltemand,

For bearing of this greeting to old Norway,

Giving to you no further personal power

To business with the king more than the scope

Of these delated articles allow."

As his first action as King, does it seems like a powerful move to merely send messengers to Fortinbras's uncle to tell on Fortinbras? Does Claudius seems to care much about this? Should he?

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

How is Hamlet dressed in this scene?

• In cheerful clothes appropriate for a wedding

• In mourning clothes appropriate for a funeral

• In formal clothes appropriate for a coronation

• In casual clothes appropriate for a holiday

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

Noting that Hamlet is still mourning and celebrating his marriage and coronation as king, Claudius asks Hamlet, "How is that the clouds still hang on you? " (I,ii, 68) Hamlet then responds sarcastically with a pun ( a play on words) stating, "Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun." (I.ii.69)

Which of the following is not an implied meaning in Hamlet's response?

• Hamlet resents being forced to spend time in the sun as an attempt to cheer him up.

• Hamlet resents being referred to by Claudius as his "son."

• Hamlet resents Claudius questioning him about his grief for his his father.

• Hamlet feels his status as King Hamlet's son deeply in the presence of his inferior uncle.

Tags

CCSS.RL.2.6

CCSS.RL.8.3

When questioned about his funeral attire at a wedding, Hamlet gives a monologue touch a key theme of appearance versus reality in this play. He argues he is very honest and true to his feelings, while others may merely seem to be so. He says:

"Seems, madam! Nay, it is! I know not 'seems.'

'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,

Nor customary suits of solemn black,

Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,

No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,

Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief,

That can denote me truly. These indeed seem, 

For they are actions that a man might play.

But I have that within which passes show.

These but the trappings and the suits of woe."

Which lines in this monologue best touch on this theme?

• "Seems, madam! Nay, it is! I know not 'seems.'

• 'Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,

  Nor customary suits of solemn black,

  Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,

  No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,

  Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage,

  Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief,

  That can denote me truly.

• These indeed seem, 

  For they are actions that a man might play.

• But I have that within which passes show.

  These but the trappings and the suits of woe."

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

When Claudius tells Hamlet that his persistent mourning is "sweet and commendable," he goes on to that Hamlet's grief is "impious stubborness'" and "unmanly grief" and exhibits "an understanding simple and unschooled (iI.ii. 90-101)." What tone best describes Claudius words here to Hamlet?

• sympathetic

• humorous

• Insensitive

• modest

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

Why did Laertes leave the University to come to Denmark?

• His daughter is getting married

• His daughter's birthday

• To deliver a message to Prince Hamlet

• For the coronation of the new king

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10

Why does Claudius forbit Hamlet to return to the university at Wittenberg?

• He doesn't believe Wittenberg is a good university

• He wants to train Hamlet to become the new king someday

• He wants Hamlet to be available to fight in the impending war

• He wants to keep a close eye on Hamlet

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.10

CCSS.RL.11-12.3

CCSS.RL.8.3

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10. RL.11-12.10