Hamlet Acts 3,4, and 5

(Act 3) Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy is in Scene One. Which of the following paraphrases his main points?

• He questions whether love, either romantic or family love, is worth all of the pain it causes.

• He is pondering whether a miserable life is better than the unknown of death.

• He questions whether peace of mind is a good substitute for material wealth.

• He questions the traditions about succession to the throne in Denmark. He feels that either he or his mother should be the rightful successor to his dead father

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(Act 3) What do the King and Polonius decide about Hamlet's condition after eavesdropping on Hamlet and Ophelia?

• They decide he is love-sick, and the only cure is to find him another love.

• Claudis decides he is not love-sick; rather; he has some other trouble deep in his soul. Polonius still thinks Hamlet is love-sick.

• They decide his father's death has left him troubled.

• They decide he's not sick at all; he's just being a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum.

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(Act 3) Why does Hamlet give instructions to the players?

• In his madness, he believes that he is really a great actor, not the Prince of Denmark.

• He is helping them remember their lines because he does not want to disappoint his mother when she watches the play.

• He is merely showing off his superiority, to keep in character with his masquerade of being mad.

• He does not want the parts to be over-acted. He wants it to appear as natural and as real as possible, so it will hit home to the King.

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(Act 3)What was the King's reaction to the play, and what did Hamlet and Horatio decide his reaction meant?

• The King had no reaction to the play. They decided it meant they were wrong, and that he was innocent after all.

• The King laughed and laughed. They decided he didn't really get the point, and they would have to be more direct the next time.

• The King got up and called for the lights. They were convinced that the ghost had been correct.

• The King clenched his teeth and gripped the arms of his chair, but said nothing. They thought they were on the right track, but would need to do something else to force the King into making a confession.

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(Act 3) What message does Rosencrantz deliver to Hamlet from the Queen?

• She is angry and won't speak to him for one month.

• She wants to see him.

• She is arranging for him to have dinner with a girl she thinks he will like.

• She wants him to go to Norway immediately.

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(Act 3) What does Claudius do that makes Hamlet hesitate killing him (at least for a little while)?

• Appears to pray for forgiveness

• Apologizes

• Mourns in the graveyard by his father's tomb

• Treats him with great respect

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(Act 3) Why doesn't Hamlet kill the King when the King is kneeling?

• Hamlet wants his mother to be there to witness the deed.

• Hamlet loses heart, and realizes that his father would not have wanted another murder committed.

• Hamlet wants the King to die without a chance for a last confession. If he is praying, he may not be in enough sin to get eternal punishment.

• He thinks he hears noises in the hallway. He is afraid that someone will see him. He decides to wait until he can be sure they are alone.

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(Act 3) What does Hamlet criticize?

• Marriage

• Ophelia

• Women

• All of these choices

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(Act 4) When the King asks Hamlet where Polonius is, what is Hamlet's answer?

• First he says he has "brought the fair body to the chapel." Then he says it is in a place where no harm will come to it.

• First he says it is with the other vermin. Then he says it is on its way to England, so as not to desecrate good Danish soil.

• First he says it is "not where he eats, but where he is eaten." Then he tells the King to look for him in Heaven, and if he can't find Polonius there, to go to "the other place" (hell) himself.

• First he says Polonius is now "keeping company with my dear dead father." Later he tells the King he has put the body on display in the marketplace for all the people to see, telling them that this is what happens to those who disobey the King.

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(Act 4) What is the content of the letters the King sends with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England with Hamlet?

• The King wants Hamlet to be killed as soon as he reaches England.

• The King sends money to the King of England to pay for Hamlet's upkeep for one year.

• The King sends a document saying that Hamlet is mad, and asking that he be imprisoned in the Tower of London until he regains his sanity.

• It is a letter thanking the King of England for his help, and inviting him and his wife to visit Denmark the following spring.

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