Shakespeare Review Quiz

Which of the following BEST describes the conflict in this soliloquy by Hamlet?

• An internal conflict about whether it is better to live or to die.

• An internal conflict about whether to kill his stepfather or not.

• An external conflict with his friends and family who are opposed to his taking up arms to fight the enemy.

• An external conflict with his priest about whether it is moral to take another person's life or not.

• An external conflict with Ophelia about whether or not she should commit suicide because he does not love her.

What character traits are revealed through the author's use of imagery in this soliloquy given by Hamlet?

• Hamlet reveals that he is lazy, sleepy, and unhappy.

• Hamlet reveals that he is angry, violent, and vengeful.

• Hamlet reveals that he is thoughtful, confused, and indecisive.

• Hamlet reveals that he is indifferent to what other people say or think about him.

• Hamlet reveals that he is impassioned, forthright, and confident.

Which of the following is NOT a function of this speech from Hamlet?

• To demonstrate an internal conflict within Hamlet.

• To describe an external conflict between Hamlet and the nature of the world.

• To spark empathy in the reader for Hamlet's situation.

• To create loathing for Hamlet in the reader.

• To demonstrate the thematic elements of the play.

The line, "To be, or not to be," from Hamlet's soliloquy is one of the most famous lines in literature. Which of the following statements about this line is incorrect?

• The author refers to suicide, a taboo topic.

• The author ponders life and death, a memorable topic.

• The author avoids using any imagery in this specific line and follows it with many images.

• The line reveals that the speaker is confident in his opinions about mortality.

• The line uses only monosyllabic words.

In the context of this soliloquy, what does Shakespeare most likely mean by the phrase “take arms” against troubles?

• To reach out for help from a friend or ally

• To fight against suffering life by committing suicide

• To steal a weapon in order to inflict suffering on others

• To wrap one’s arms around oneself

• To help others to overcome their depression

In the context of the soliloquy, the phrase “the rub” most likely means which of the following to Hamlet?

• The physical pain that Hamlet has endured.

• A solution to the problems that are bothering Hamlet.

• The problem with not knowing what happens after death.

• The act of suicide that Hamlet is considering

• A distraction from Hamlet’s problems.

The phrase “when we have shuffled off this mortal coil” most likely refers to which of the following?

• deep sleep

• lucid dreaming

• the moment of death

• the afterlife

• nightmares

What rhetorical device is used in the lines quoted below?

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?

• personal anecdote

• rhetorical question

• purposeful repetition

• deceptive imagery

• pointed hyperbole

The tone of this soliloquy can best be characterized as

• accusatory

• balanced

• pensive

• calculated

• conservative

The phrase “insolence of office” is an example of

• personification

• metaphor

• simile

• irony

• motif