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Worksheets

Hamlet Act 2 and 3

Total questions: 40

Worksheet time: 26mins

Name
Class
Date
1.
In Scene 1, Polonius instructs Reynaldo to
a)
determine Laertes's behavior indirectly
b)
supervise Laertes to keep him out of trouble.
c)
spread damaging rumors about Laertes.
d)
help Laertes make friends and learn the language.
2.
Hamlet visits Ophelia “with his doublet all unbraced, / No hat upon his head” to
a)
ask her how she feels about him.
b)
declare his love for her.
c)
convince her of his madness.
d)
tell her about the ghost of his father.
3.
 Polonius believes that the “very cause of Hamlet's lunacy” is his
a)
father's death.
b)
mother's overhasty marriage.
c)
rejection by Ophelia
d)
obsession with revenge.
4.
Why does Hamlet ask the player to recite the tale of Priam's slaughter?
a)
It has a theme of revenge
b)
It is familiar to him.
c)
He knows it is popular with audiences.
d)
He knows it is popular with audiences.
5.
Hamlet's soliloquy in Scene 2 expresses
a)
frustration with his weak and indecisive nature. 
b)
anticipation of how he will feel if his plan works.
c)
satisfaction with the plan he has made.
d)
anxiety over the action he must take.
6.
A major reason for Hamlet's dilemma is that he
a)
likes Claudius.
b)
knows his mother would be sad to learn the truth
c)
is uncertain of the Ghost's authenticity.
d)
does not want to become king himself.
7.

Why does Polonius send his servant, Reynaldo, to France?

a)

to spy on & spread rumors about his son, Laertes

b)

to spy on Ophelia

c)

to find out what is wrong with Hamlet

d)

to beg a favor from King Claudius

8.

Why is Ophelia so upset in Scene 1?

a)

She misses her brother.

b)

She misses Hamlet.

c)

Hamlet has visited her & seemed out of his mind.

d)

Gertrude refused to hire her as a lady's maid.

9.

How do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern know Hamlet?

a)

They were schoolmates in childhood.

b)

They are all cousins.

c)

They served in the military together.

d)

Then went to college in Wittenberg together.

10.

What does Claudius want Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do?

a)

to retrieve Laertes from France

b)

to discover the cause of Hamlet's odd behavior

c)

to spy on Prince Fortinbras

d)

to find out if Ophelia plans to marry Hamlet

11.

What does Hamlet call Polonius when he first sees him in Scene 2, and what does it mean?

a)

a farmer - Polonius is shoveling "manure" while talking to Hamlet

b)

a fishmonger - Polonius is "fishing" for info & is using his daughter to bait Hamlet

c)

a king - Polonius is wiser than the king & will help Hamlet

d)

a great man - Hamlet wants to continue dating Ophelia

12.

What does Hamlet call a "prison" in scene 2? Why does he say this?

a)

Polonius' house - he can't get what he wants there

b)

Ophelia's heart - she won't speak to him

c)

Denmark - his uncle holds his mother & the country hostage with his lies

d)

school - he hates taking quizzes

13.

What is the purpose of the play, The Murder of Ganzago, to be staged by the traveling actors?

a)

to give Hamlet something to distract himself

b)

to distract Prince Fortinbras from his attack

c)

to ease the somber mood at Elsinore

d)

to prove or disprove the claims of the ghost

14.

How does Hamlet plan to confirm his uncle's guilt?

a)

He has an eye witness who saw Claudius murder the king.

b)

He'll convince Claudius to confess to the court.

c)

He'll observe his uncle's reaction to the murder scene.

15.

How does Hamlet plan to prove Claudius's guilt?

a)

Spy on him

b)

Write him a letter

c)

Catch him in the confessional

d)

With a play

16.
How are Hamlet and Fortinbras alike?
a)
They both are in love with Ophelia.
b)
They both hate Claudius for marrying Gertrude.
c)
They both have fathers that they wish to avenge.
d)
They are both Danish princes.
17.
What literary device uses hints or clues to suggest what will happen next?
a)
Irony
b)
Suspense
c)
Flashback
d)
Foreshadowing
18.

What literary device is when the opposite of what is expected happens?

a)

Suspense

b)

Irony

c)

Flashback

d)

Symbolism

19.

What is the setting of the play?

a)

Paris, France

b)

Wittenberg University, Germany

c)

Elsinore Castle, Denmark

d)

Elsinore Castle, Germany

20.
What group of people arrives in Act II, Scene II?
a)
a theater troupe
b)
a golf team
c)
a well-known comic
d)
a group of disgraced court jesters
21.

Who is killed in Act 3?

a)

Rosencrantz

b)

Laertes

c)

Fortinbras

d)

Polonius

22.

In this act, which characters know that Hamlet is but "mad in craft" and not truly mad?

a)

Polonius & Claudius

b)

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern

c)

Horatio & Gertrude

d)

Ophelia & Horatio

23.

What does Hamlet criticize in this act?

a)

Marriage

b)

Ophelia

c)

Women

d)

All of the above

24.

What does Claudius do that makes Hamlet hesitate in killing him, at first?

a)

apologizes for the murder

b)

mourns at the grave site

c)

treats Hamlet with great respect

d)

prays for forgiveness

25.

Where does Polonius hide when Hamlet is talking to Gertrude?

a)

between 2 statues

b)

behind a hanging tapestry

c)

under a bed

d)

in a closet

26.

To where does Hamlet tell Ophelia to go?

a)

to a nunnery

b)

to a nursery

c)

to a brothel

d)

to her father's house

27.

In which scene of Act 3 does the climax of the play occur? (Think about the highest action, what the story has been leading to since Hamlet was told the truth.)

a)

Scene 3 – Claudius prays

b)

Scene 1 – before the play begins

c)

Scene 2 – the viewing of the play

d)

Scene 4 – Hamlet talks with his mother

28.

In the soliloquy, "To be or not to be...", Hamlet philosophizes on the nature of:

a)

love & marriage

b)

poverty & wealth

c)

life & death

d)

revenge & acceptance

29.

When Claudius shouts for "lights!" before the play is over, Hamlet is convinced

a)

That Claudius is really mad

b)

That he will never be able to determine Claudius' guilt

c)

That Claudius is guilty of his father's murder

d)

That the ghost was lying to the trick him

30.

___________ is Hamlet's tone when he speaks to Ophelia.

a)

He crazy in love with her and asks her to marry him.

b)

He respectfully asks her to come with him after the play.

c)

He's angry & tells her to become a nun & not have children.

31.

When Gertrude meets with Hamlet, what does she promise to keep secret from Claudius?

a)

That she knows Claudius killed King Hamlet

b)

That Hamlet is only pretending to be crazy to seek revenge on Claudius

c)

That Hamlet killed Polonius

d)

That Hamlet is going back to school

32.

Why does Gertrude cry out when Hamlet storms into her room?

a)

She wants to warn Polonius

b)

She sees the Ghost of King Hamlet

c)

She is overwhelmed by guilt

d)

She is afraid for her own life

33.

Hamlet is overcome with guilt when he realizes he has murdered Polonius.

a)

true

b)

false - he calls Polonius a "foolish, prating knave" who deserved death

c)

false - he only says he's sorry when he sees the ghost

d)

false - he sees how upset his mother is and only thinks about comforting her

34.

Whom does Hamlet assume is hiding behind the curtain?

a)

Horatio

b)

King Claudius

c)

Ophelia

d)

Polonius

35.

What does Hamlet mean by "To be or not to be, that is the question"?

a)

Should I even exist? Should I end my life?

b)

Should I really kill King Claudius? Does he deserve to live?

c)

Was my father murdered? Should I trust a ghost?

d)

What will come of my revenge? Should I continue with my plan?

36.

Act 3 Scene 3: What is King Claudius trying to figure out?

a)

what Hamlet is going to do next

b)

why there is a ghost visiting

c)

if he should confess that he murdered his brother

37.

Act 3 Scene 4: Why does Polonius hide behind the arras (curtains)?

a)

to eavesdrop on the conversation between Hamlet and the Queen

b)

to scare Hamlet while he talks to the Queen

c)

because Polonius is scared of Hamlet

38.

Act 3 Scene 4: Why does the ghost return?

a)

to attack Hamlet

b)

to remind Hamlet to avenge his murder

c)

to help Hamlet

39.

Act 3 Scene 4: How does the Queen react to the ghost appearing?

a)

she cannot see or hear the ghost

b)

she is terrified of the ghost

c)

she is heartbroken about the ghost of her dead husband

40.
A character speaking his/her thoughts aloud, when no other characters can hear, is called a:
a)
speech
b)
stanza
c)
soliloquy
d)
flashback