Hamlet Act 2 and 3 Quiz

Describe what Hamlet does when he enters Ophelia's room. Why, do you suppose, Hamlet chose Ophelia to be the first person to whom he reveals his new, strange behavior? (Act 2, Scene 1)

According to Polonius, what is the force that causes the most insanity/self-destruction in the world? Write the line that show you this. (Act 2, Scene 1)

• Anger

• Love

• Fear

• Jealousy

Which quote best supports your answer to Question 2?

• "This is the very ecstasy of love, whose violent property fordoes itself and leads the will to desperate undertakings as oft as any passion under heaven."

• "This must be known, which being kept close, might move more grief to hide than hate to utter love."

• "And with a look so piteous in purport as if he had been loosed out of hell to speak horror."

• "That hath made him mad"

How has the problem with young Fortinbras been solved? Do you think King Claudius should give permission for young Fortinbras to pass through Denmark on his way to attack Poland? Why or why not? (Act 2, Scene 2)

Early in the scene, Polonius delivers this famous line: "...brevity is the soul of wit." What does this line mean?

• It means being brave is soulful.

• It means being brave makes you smart.

• It means using long, flowery language shows how smart you are.

• It means choosing your words carefully shows how smart you are.

Polonius is so certain that he is correct about the source of Hamlet's insanity that he points to his head and shoulders and says, "Take this from this, if this be otherwise," meaning he should be killed if he's wrong. Given that we know the truth about Hamlet and given that this is a famous tragedy, what do you suppose is going to happen to Polonius by the end of this play? (Act 2, Scene 2)

• Polonius will likely die by the end of the play.

• Polonius will be proven right and Hamlet will shape up when he marries Ophelia.

• Polonius will be proven wrong and humiliated.

• Polonius will be proven wrong and forced to leave Denmark.

Why is Hamlet's choice of hearing the speech about Pyrrhus, Priam, and Hecuba an interesting choice? (Act 2, Scene 2)

• The Greek comedy makes for a good laugh.

• The Greek Tragedy pulls at his heart strings and he wants to feel something.

• The Greek Comedy greatly resembles something funny that happened in his family.

• The Greek tragedy holds parallels for what he wants to do to King Claudius and the grief that Hecuba will feel about seeing her dead husband.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern don't have much helpful information to share with the royal couple, so King Claudius and Polonius move forward with their plan to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia. Right before Hamlet enters, Polonius says that people who are sinners often use "devotion's visage and pious action" to "sugar o'er the devil himself." What does Polonius mean? (Act 3, Scene 1)

• Polonius means that people who sin often use sugary language to sound less sinful.

• Polonius means that sinners often act holy and devoted to God when they are really just using their church attendance/religious tokens as a mask to hide their sinful natures.

• Polonius means that sugar cures all bitterness.

• Polonius means that people who sin are bad bakers.

In Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy, what is his main point/idea? (Act 3, Scene 1)

In his soliloquy, Hamlet briefly lists an assortment of pains that people have to endure in their daily lives. Which of the following is one of the four of the indignities that Hamlet mentions. ( Act 3, Scene 1)

• Peasants being treated poorly by the nobility

• Poor treatment that good people endure from bad people.

• Having to live in a crummy country

• Fashion shouldn't be a factor in deciding whether someone is worthy or not.