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Hamlet Background Knowledge

Total questions: 33

Worksheet time: 24mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. Which term best describes a composition written to be performed on stage?

a)

Drama

b)

Novel

c)

Poem

d)

Essay

2.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. The ability to formulate an idea or understand a concept in one's mind is to:

a)

Conceive

b)

Perceive

c)

Deceive

d)

Receive

3.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. When a statement or situation can be understood in multiple ways, it is said to be:

a)

Ambiguous

b)

Clear

c)

Definite

d)

Obvious

4.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. The characteristic of being honest and having strong moral principles is known as:

a)

Integrity

b)

Deception

c)

Apathy

d)

Indifference

5.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. To foresee or expect something that is likely to happen in the future is to:

a)

Anticipate

b)

Ignore

c)

Forget

d)

Overlook

6.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. Which word best describes the act of revealing or disclosing information, often unintentionally?

a)

Divulging

b)

Concealing

c)

Fabricating

d)

Withholding

7.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. What term refers to a group of people united by a common cause or belief?

a)

Faction

b)

Individual

c)

Solitude

d)

Isolation

8.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. Which word describes someone who is clever and skillful, often in a deceptive way?

a)

Cunning

b)

Honest

c)

Naive

d)

Clumsy

9.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. What term refers to the act of completing or fulfilling something?

a)

Consummation

b)

Initiation

c)

Interruption

d)

Postponement

10.

Match each term with the appropriate definition. Which word describes a subtle, often negative suggestion or implication?

a)

Insinuation

b)

Compliment

c)

Praise

d)

Flattery

11.

Which of the following best defines a tragic hero?

4 lines
12.

Identify the example of direct characterization:

4 lines
13.

Which of the following best describes the English Civil War?

4 lines
14.

What is the literal meaning of the term "Renaissance"?

a)

New beginning

b)

Cultural awakening

c)

Rebirth

d)

Artistic revolution

15.

Which famous playwright wrote numerous works during the Elizabethan Era?

a)

Charles Dickens

b)

William Shakespeare

c)

Jane Austen

d)

Geoffrey Chaucer

16.

What is a soliloquy in Shakespearean drama?

a)

A conversation between two characters

b)

A speech given to the audience when other characters are present

c)

A long speech given by a character alone on stage, revealing their thoughts

d)

A short, witty exchange between characters

17.

In Shakespearean plays, an aside is:

a)

A comment spoken by a character directly to the audience

b)

A scene that takes place off-stage

c)

A minor character who rarely speaks

d)

The final speech of the play

18.

In Shakespearean English, "thou" is equivalent to which modern pronoun?

a)

You

b)

They

c)

We

d)

Us

19.

What is the purpose of a foil character in Shakespearean drama?

a)

To provide comic relief

b)

To contrast with and highlight traits of another character

c)

To deliver important messages between characters

d)

To narrate the story to the audience

20.

Subplots in Shakespearean plays often serve to:

a)

Confuse the audience and make the story more complex

b)

Provide background information about the setting

c)

Reinforce or contrast with the main plot

d)

Introduce supernatural elements

21.

Which of the following is an example of a paradox?

a)

The early bird catches the worm

b)

Time flies like an arrow

c)

The only constant is change

d)

A rolling stone gathers no moss

22.

"Her voice was as smooth as silk" is an example of:

a)

Metaphor

b)

Personification

c)

Allusion

d)

Simile

23.

In literature, an allusion to "opening Pandora's box" refers to:

a)

Discovering a hidden treasure

b)

Unleashing unforeseen troubles

c)

Solving a complex puzzle

d)

Revealing a secret identity

24.

"The wind whispered through the trees" is an example of:

a)

Simile

b)

Metaphor

c)

Allusion

d)

Personification

25.

"Life is a roller coaster" is an example of:

a)

Personification

b)

Simile

c)

Allusion

d)

Metaphor

26.

Match the characters to the correct description: Widow of King Hamlet, now married to Claudius

a)

Queen Gertrude

b)

Ophelia

c)

Lady Macbeth

d)

Desdemona

27.

Match the characters to the correct description: Brother to the late King Hamlet

a)

King Claudius

b)

Prince Hamlet

c)

Queen Gertrude

d)

Polonius

28.

Match the characters to the correct description: Prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude

a)

Hamlet

b)

Claudius

c)

Laertes

d)

Polonius

29.

Match the characters to the correct description: Son of Polonius

a)

Laertes

b)

Hamlet

c)

Horatio

d)

Fortinbras

30.

Match the characters to the correct description: Hamlet’s friend and confidant

a)

Horatio

b)

Claudius

c)

Polonius

d)

Laertes

31.

Match the characters to the correct description: Councillor to King Claudius

a)

Polonius

b)

Horatio

c)

Laertes

d)

Ophelia

32.

Match the characters to the correct description: Daughter of Polonius

a)

Ophelia

b)

Gertrude

c)

Desdemona

d)

Juliet

33.

Match the characters to the correct description: Hamlet’s late father

a)

King Hamlet/The Ghost

b)

Polonius

c)

Claudius

d)

Laertes