English 12 Final Exam

As the action begins, what or who had the castle guards seen?

The castle guards saw King Hamlet's ghost.

Who does Hamlet feel contempt for? Why?

Hamlet despises his new stepfather which is his new uncle because he married his mother. He married her barely a few weeks after King Hamlet died. Their marriage irritated him. He thinks their marriage is incest and that it is immoral. He feels like Claudius is hiding something about his father's death.

What is the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia?

Ophelia is Hamlet's love interest. He genuinely cares about her.Ophelia's father Polonius is skeptical about Hamlet's motives which is making their relationship complicated.

What advice does Polonius give Ophelia?

Polonius told Ophelia to avoid Hamlet and to reject his gifts. He also told her to stop accepting his attention. He believed Hamlet's love is not genuine and that Ophelia's relationship with him will harm her reputation and the reputation of the family since she is expected to stay pure.

How did Old King Hamlet die?

When Hamlet was resting in the garden, his brother Claudius killed him by putting poison in his ear.

What does the ghost tell Hamlet to do?

The ghost warns Hamlet not to hurt his mother, but also asked him to kill Claudius to avenge his murder.

What is Hamlet's mental state at the end of this segment? How do you know?

Hamlet is horrified, furious and determined to get revenge for his father's murder. He was overwhelmed and he remembered what his father's ghost told him and forget everything else.

What country serves as the setting for the play?

Denmark

What two countries recently been at war?

Denmark and Norway

The ghost resembles

Old King Hamlet

In the beginning of Act I, why is Hamlet angry with Claudius?

He married his mother

What is the relationship between Polonius and Ophelia?

Father to daughter

Overall, what advice does Ophelia get from the persons in number 5?

Stay away from Hamlet

The only person the Ghost actually speaks to is

Hamlet

The ghost told Hamlet to leave this person alone:

Queen Gertrude

Hamlet makes Horatio and Marcellus promise to

Keep the sighting of the ghost a secret

Why does Polonius think that Hamlet has been acting strangely

Polonius thinks Hamlet has been acting strangely because Polonius won't let Hamlet see his daughter; Polonius knows that Hamlet is in love with her but he wants Ophelia to stay far away from him so that she can maintain a good reputation.

What does Polonius' plan for proving this

Polonius plans on proving this by finding the king and reporting Hamlet to him.

Is Polonius' theory correct? Why or why not?

Polonius is not correct because the reason why he is behaving like this because of how his father died and how his mom was so quick to move on. That's what's driving him crazy. Especially since he really doesn't like his uncle.

What is Gertrude's theory about Hamlet's behavior?

Queen Gertrude thinks that Hamlet is behaving the way he is because of his father's death and how quickly she moved on and got married to Hamlet's uncle, Claudius.

What plan does Hamlet come up with regarding the play?

Hamlet plans on getting the actors to reenact how his father died and perform it in front of King Claudius to see how he'll react. He knows some performances can be so powerful that some people confess their crimes.

Describe the interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia that she tells Polonius about at the beginning of act two.

Hamlet took Ophelia by the wrist and stripped her hard. He stretched out his arm and he used his other hand to study her face as if he was trying to draw it. Hamlet stared like that for a very long time. He shook her arm and he nodded his head three times. He sighed and let her go.

Why does Polonius think Hamlet has been acting strangely?

Polonius thinks that Hamlet has been acting strangely because he is in love with Ophelia. He also wrote a poem to Ophelia to try and express his love for her and Polonius did not take that well.

Who does Polonius plan to tell this

King Claudius and Queen Gertrude

Polonius is correct about why Hamlet has been acting strangely

False

Polonius annoys Gertrude when he talks too much

True

Why does Gertrude think that Hamlet has been acting strangely?

Queen Gertrude thinks that Hamlet has been acting strangely because of King Hamlet's death and her quick remarriage to his Uncle Claudius

When Hamlet speaks to Polonius, he is kind and respectful.

False

Hamlet is motivated by the actor's speech

True

What is Hamlet's plan with the play?

Hamlet's plan is to reenact his father's death in front of his stepfather who is also his uncle Claudius to see how he'll react. He knows that plays have a big effect on people and some people confess their crimes out of guilt because of plays.

How has Hamlet changed since the beginning of the play?

Hamlet has started to act more strangely. In the beginning of the play he was behaving normal but ever since he found out how his father died he has been deliberately acting crazy. He feels anxious about how he is going to go about killing his uncle Claudius. He's been very tense and having weird interactions with people.

How does Claudius react at the end of that play?

At the end of the play, Claudius reacted with remorse and anxiety. He stood up immediately and left the room. Hamlet is convinced that he responsible for killing King Hamlet based of his reaction.

What does this tell us about his character?

This tells us that Claudius is afraid of being discovered and is feeling guilty about what he did. Even though he pretends to be a powerful and confident monarch, his reaction shows that he is hiding something and he feels uncomfortable when he is confronted with the truth.

How does Hamlet feel about Claudius's reaction?

Hamlet feels thrilled over Claudius's reaction because it validates what the ghost told him. He see's Claudius' outburst as evidence that his plan worked and that he was right to be suspicious about Claudius. It gives Hamlet more confidence for taking revenge.

Who dies in act three? How does this person die?

Polonius died in this act. Hamlet believed Claudius was spying on him and stabbed him through the curtain without checking, When he pulled the curtain back he saw that he accidentally killed Polonius.

Describe Hamlet's state of mind at the end of act three.

Hamlet's state of mind was mentally unstable. He was furious. After he killed Polonius he didn't feel guilty. He said that Polonius got what he deserved for spying on him. He also confronted his mother and he spoke with his father's ghost again.

Why is it important to Hamlet that Claudius see the play?

It is important that Hamlet shows Claudius the play because he needed to confirm if King Claudius killed his father. His reaction will prove whether he did or not.

Hamlet sat next to Gertrude as they watched the play

False

Who is going to spy on Hamlet and his mother as they talk?

Polonius

Why doesn't Hamlet kill King Claudius while he was praying?

Hamlet didn't kill King Claudius while he was praying because he didn't want him to go to heaven.

Who killed Polonius?

Hamlet

Who did this person think they were killing?

King Claudius

How does Claudius react at the end of the play?

Claudius got up abruptly and he was flustered. He had a guilty reaction.

Why does Claudius react this way?

Claudius reacted that way because the play reminded him of what he did to his brother and he feels guilty about it.

Literary Device

Words or combination of words that are used to bring style and emotion to what you are reading

Simile

Comparing one thing to another using the word's "like" or "as"

Simile Example

I'm as hungry as a horse

Metaphor

Comparing one thing to another without using the words like or as

Metaphor Example

Her eyes were diamonds

Rhyme

When the ending of words sound the same

Rhyme Example

Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.

Onomatopoeia

A word that imitates the sound it makes.

Onomatopoeia Example

Clap, Zap, Bang, Buzz

Alliteration

When the beginning of words have the same sound

Alliteration Example

She sells seashells by the seashore.

Repetition

When the words or phrases are repeated to emphasize something.

Repetition Example

It was a cold, cold morning.

Hyperbole

To exaggerate something for effect.

Hyperbole Example

My feet are killing me.

Imagery

Words that are used to make us see, hear, smell or taste.

Imagery Example

I saw the beautiful peacock spreading it's feathers.

Hamlet

Prince of Denmark

Father has recently passed away

Mother has married his uncle

Love interest: Ophelia

Hamlet Character Traits

Indecisive, Emotional, Clever, Vengeful

Claudius

Hamlet's Uncle

The new king of Denmark

Brother of Hamlet's deceased father, Old Hamlet (who was the king of Denmark)

Now married to Gertrude, Hamlet's mother

Claudius Character Traits

Ambitious

Manipulative

Guilty

Gertrude

Hamlet's mother

Now married to Claudius, brother of Old Hamlet

Queen of Denmark

Gertrude Character Traits

Loyal,Naive, Dependent

Polonius

Main advisor to the king

Father of Laertes and Ophelia

Polonius Character Traits

Nosy, Controlling, Deceptive

Ophelia

Love interest of Hamlet

Daughter of Polonius

Sister of Laertes

Ophelia Character Traits

Obedient

Innocent

Emotionally Vulnerable

Laertes

Son of Polonius

Brother of Ophelia

About Hamlet's age

Laertes Character Traits

Protective, Impulsive, Honorable

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Childhood friends of Hamlet

Used by King and Queen

They seem like minor characters, but aren't

Important to plot development

Rosencrantz Character Traits

Manipulative, Superficial, Unintelligent

Guildenstern Character Traits

Passive, Compliant, Oblivious

How is Hamlet treating Claudius in scene one?

Hamlet is treating Claudius like an idiot. King Claudius knows how Polonius died and who killed him but instead of telling King Claudius where the body is he is being passive and speaking in riddles.

What has happened to Ophelia's mental state?

Ophelia has gone mad because of her father's death. She loved her father so much.

Why do you think this happened?

I think that this happened because her father's death had an impact on her because of how much she loved him and cared for him.

How are Hamlet's and Laertes' reactions different when it comes to their father's deaths?

Laertes' was very serious about his father's death and he wanted to take action immediately. He didn't even know the full story before wanting to take action. Hamlet wanted to avenge his father's death as well but he was more indecisive about it and failed to take action when he had multiple opportunities to.

Who decides to join forces at the end of this act?

Laertes and King Claudius decided to join forces at the end of this act because they are planning on killing Hamlet. They are conspiring against him. Laertes plans on fencing with him with a sharp blade though they are not supposed to be sharp. He intends to put poison on the blade and he intends to poison the goblet of wine.

How do Claudius and Laertes plan to make sure Hamlet dies? This conversation happens at the end of Act five.

Claudius and Laertes conspire against Hamlet by putting poison in the goblet and wanting him to drink it. Making sure that the blade is very sharp even though it is not supposed to be and putting poison on the blade.

What happens to Gertrude during the duel?

During the duel Queen Gertrude decided to drink the poisoned wine in the goblet and she died.

How does Laertes change during the duel?

Laertes changed during the duel once the Queen died. He ends up confessing to his crimes and he feels remorseful. Before the duel he didn't feel guilty.

What happens to Claudius at the end of the duel?

Claudius dies at the end of the duel because Hamlet poured the poisoned wine inside of his mouth.

What is Hamlet's response when asked where Polonius' body is?

When Rosencrantz asked Hamlet where Polonius' body was he said "Mixed with dust, which it is related." He was speaking in riddles and being passive about it.

Who goes with Hamlet on his journey to England?

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Hamlet arranges for the death of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

True

When Laertes returns from France, he thinks Hamlet killed his Father

False

Why does Laertes challenge Hamlet to a duel?

Laertes challenged Hamlet to a duel because King Claudius and Laertes planned to have a duel so that they could kill Hamlet.

What are the three parts of the plan that Claudius and Laertes devise to kill Hamlet?

Poisoning the wine

Putting poison on the blade

Making sure that the blade was sharper than normal

What are two pieces of dramatic irony happening at the beginning of act five?

We knew that Ophelia was dead but Hamlet didn't

The duel that Hamlet agreed to with Laertes was his death sentence and was part of the plan for his execution

Who speaks the famous line "Alas, poor Yorick ! I Knew him, Horatio?"

Hamlet

Who is Osric , and what role does he play in Act five?

Osric was a young courtier and his role was to tell Hamlet a message that came from King Claudius

Explain the significance of Ophelia's madness and death in act four.

Ophelia's madness and death in act four was significant because of why she became mad, She went insane after her father died. She loved her father a lot. Her father would tell her what to do and she would obey him. Without her father in her life she feels like she has no direction. She really valued having a male figure and father figure in her life. Since she doesn't have a mother, she didn't have and parents.

Does Hamlet actually go mad or is it an act? Explain.

Hamlet was pretending to go mad in the beginning of the play but later once he found out that Ophelia died he wanted to fight Laertes at her funeral which is crazy. Also during the duel when he realized that his mother died because she drank the poisoned wine that's when he finally took action and killed Claudius

What is Hamlet's tragic flaw?

Hamlet's tragic flaw is his indecisiveness. His indecisiveness is his flaw because it's part of the reason why he died. When his father's ghost told him to avenge his death and kill King Claudius he should have done it immediately but he didn't. He was always looking for the perfect time to kill him. He had multiple opportunities to kill him but didn't. For example Hamlet saw him praying, trying to ask for forgiveness for killing King Hamlet. Hamlet could have killed him then but he didn't because he didn't want King Claudius to go to heaven.