Hamlet - Act I
Before the next scene… A portent is a sign of something that is about to happen. Do you believe in portents? Can you think of any books or movies in which evil omens appear? How do the characters in these stories respond to the omens?
Scene I
1. Describe the atmosphere created in lines 1-20. Where are we, and when, during this scene? Why is there confusion in this scene? Why is Horatio with Bernardo and Marcellus?
2. What is Horatio’s initial response to the story of the apparition? How does he respond after the appearance of the ghost? Why does he address the ghost as “thou”?
3. What does Horatio first assume the appearance of the ghost means? Why are there such intense war preparations in Denmark? What does Horatio suggest by his discussion of Julius Caesar’s death?
4. After the ghost’s second appearance, Horatio’s questions to it represent, according to the thought of the time, the reasons why a ghost would appear: summarize them.
5. Contrast Horatio and Marcellus’s discussions concerning the crowing of the cock.
6. What do we know so far about the nature of the ghost?
Before the next scene… Think about a time when you and your parents reacted differently to a family crisis. How well were you able to communicate your feelings? If you could relive that time, would you change anything?
Scene II
1. With specific reference to the three main items of business in the first 63 lines of Scene II, show how Claudius proves himself to be an able administer. In what ways is he different from Old Hamlet?
2. Describe the qualities of Hamlet's character brought out in each of the following:
a) his first 2 lines in the play
b) his first soliloquy
c) his conversation with Horatio and the sentries
Characterize the type of mind Hamlet has.
Before the next scene…Think about a time when an older person gave you advice which you knew that person would not follow him or herself. What were the results? How did you feel afterwards?
Scene III
1. What does Laertes warn Ophelia about? What, apparently, is the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia?
2. Describe Polonius’s fatherly advice to Laertes: how does Laertes respond to his father?
3. How seriously should Ophelia take the warnings about Hamlet’s lack of seriousness and his inability to choose his own wife?
4. How would you describe the family relationships in Polonius’s family.
Before the next scene…Think of someone in the news lately who has attempted something dangerous, despite the warnings of others. What qualities made this person act, despite the dangers? What is your opinion of these qualities?
Scene IV
1. Examine Hamlet's words in lines 13-38: What is revealed in the first part about Claudius's character; what is Hamlet saying about human nature in the second part?
2. What do Hamlet's reactions to the ghost's appearance in Scene IV reveal about his character?
Before the next scene…Reflect on a moment when you received some unexpected news and thought, “This news will change my life.” As you think back, to what extent did it change your life?
Scene V
1. Summarize the substance of the ghost's revelation to Hamlet. How does Hamlet receive the news?
2. Do father and son have the same opinion of Claudius?
3. In his second soliloquy what general piece of wisdom has Hamlet learned? How soon would you expect him to seek for his revenge?
4. What does Hamlet suggest to the others about his future plans? How might you expect Hamlet to be acting when next you see him?
Hamlet - Act II
Before the next scene…If a parent is supporting a son or daughter living away from home, do you think the parent has a right to “check up” on the child’s behavior? If so, what methods of “checking up” would you consider acceptable or not acceptable?
Scene I
1. Re-read Polonius's advice to Laertes in I,III,55-81. Having sent his son off with so much good advice why does Polonius send Reynaldo off to check up on him? Comment on his method of checking up: what does this tell us about Polonius and his way of thinking and acting?
2. Describe and account for Hamlet's behaviour to Ophelia as she reports it to Polonius. What does her account of the events reveal about Ophelia?
Before the next scene…Suppose your close friend has been acting very strangely. Your friend’s parents ask you to find out the reasons for the strange mood and then report back to them. Under what circumstances would you be willing to do this? How would you feel about this request? Would you tell your friend what you were doing?
Scene II
1. In his opening speech of Scene II show that Claudius seems genuinely concerned for Hamlet's welfare. Is there anything to indicate that he is suspicious of Hamlet? What does his use of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern remind you of?
2. List the different explanations we’ve had to account for Hamlet’s ‘madness’.
3. Has Claudius’s earlier decision to use diplomacy in dealing with Fortinbras been justified?
4. Comment on Polonius's method and actions in trying to prove Hamlet's madness: Who seems more willing to accept Polonius's explanation of Hamlet's madness, Claudius or Gertrude?
5. How does Hamlet behave when he enters? Is this the way we would expect him to act after Ophelia’s description in II.I? Why does he call Polonius a fishmonger?
6. Detail Hamlet's change in mood and attitude during his conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Look in particular at lines 295-310 and summarize Hamlet's thoughts.
7. How does Hamlet react to the arrival of the players? What does his attitude towards them reveal about him?
8. Why are the players traveling and what has been going on in the city?
9. What is the significance of Hamlet’s reference to Polonius as Jephthah?(Judges 11:30-40)
10. What is the subject matter of the speech Hamlet and the First Player recite?
11. Divide Hamlet's lengthy soliloquy at the end of Act II into two parts: Why does Hamlet berate himself in the first part? What use will he make of the players as revealed in the second part?
How might this soliloquy account for his behaviour and actions in this Act?
Hamlet - Act III
Before the next scene…Imagine that you have a friend like Hamlet who thinks deeply and reacts sensitively to events around him or her. Your friend has just written you a letter saying that human life is full of more problems and sorrow than joy or hope. Your friend goes on to say, “What’s the use of living in such a ‘sea of troubles’?” How would you respond to this?
Scene I
1. How much have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern learned about Hamlet's behaviour?
2. What plan has Polonius devised for spying on Hamlet? Why is the King’s conscience troubled by this plan? How believable is such a reaction from him?
3. In regard to Hamlet's 'To be, or not to be' soliloquy, summarize the contents and state the prevailing theme. What is he implying in these lines about cowardly and courageous behaviour?
4. Of what dramatic importance(to plot, characterization, and atmosphere) is Hamlet's interview with Ophelia? What evidence is there that Hamlet is aware of the presence of the eavesdroppers?
5. Explain and account for Hamlet's view of women as revealed in his last two speeches to Ophelia in Scene I.
6. Who has the most accurate perception of Hamlet's bahaviour in Scene I- Polonius or Claudius?
Before the next scene…Think about an incident when you trapped someone(or someone trapped you) into admitting guilt about something. How did you feel?
Scene II
1. Give a brief synopsis of Shakespeare's view on acting as revealed in Hamlet's advice to the First Player.
2. Outline the qualities in Horatio that Hamlet admires in Scene II? Why is his friendship with Horatio so important?
3. How does the ‘play-within-a –play’ reflect the issues bothering Hamlet? What is Claudius’s mood as he stops the play? If Hamlet has indeed confirmed that Claudius is guilty, what might others attending the play have learned?
4. What does the recorder episode between Hamlet and Guildenstern in Scene II add to the play?
Before the next scene…Think about a time when telling one lie or doing one wrong thing put you in a situation where, to cover your first lie, you had to tell more. How did you finally break the cycle of lies?
Scene III
1. What quality of Claudius’s character is revealed at the start of this scene? What message about kingship does Rosencrantz deliver to Claudius?
2. What does Claudius admit in his attempt topray? Has the play actually had an effect on him? Why can’t he ask for forgiveness?
3. Why doesn’t Hamlet kill Claudius in this scene? What is ironic about his decision?
4. How does Hamlet's soliloquy in Scene III contradict the soliloquy that ends Scene II?
Before the next scene…Most of us have had, or will have, reason to confront another person and express a lot of anger that we have been storing up. Think of a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” about this type of confrontation. Then think of a confrontation you have already experienced. How many of your “do’s” and “don’ts” did you follow? If a similar situation were to occur, how would you handle it this time?
Scene IV
1. Describe the tone of the first part of the interview between Hamlet and Gertrude. What goes wrong, even before Polonius’s death?
2. How is the murder of Polonius 'poetic justice' in our view, yet disastrous for Hamlet? Why is this act so uncharacteristic of Hamlet? How do you explain Hamlet’s lack of remorse over the death of Polonius?
3. Does the evidence support the view that Gertrude knows that Claudius killed Hamlet’s father?
4. What device does Hamlet use to force Gertrude to consider what she’s done?
5. Why does the ghost appear during this scene? How is its appearance different from its appearances in Act I? What is its message to Hamlet?
6. What is Gertrude’s state of mind when Hamlet leaves? What has she been instructed to do and not to do?
7. Hamlet says he is being cruel only to be kind: what is your understanding of this statement?
Hamlet - Act IV
Before the next scene…Think about a situation when something terrible has happened to someone close to you, but you have been too wrapped up in your own problems to think about that person’s troubles. What was your first reaction to the other person’s bad news? How did you behave toward him or her? In the future, would you try to deal with similar situations any differently? If so, how?
Scene I
1. Re-read the conversation between Claudius and Gertrude in Scene I: how accurately is Gertrude describing Hamlet's killing of Polonius? How much of her interview with Hamlet does she reveal?
Do you think her attitude towards Claudius has changed?
2. How does Claudius respond to the news of the death of Polonius? Does he understand the implications of what happened? What will he do now?
Before the next scene…If you were on a bus and overheard a conversation in which one person called the other a “sponge”, what would you think it meant?
Scene II
1. Attempt to explain Hamlet's strange behaviour concerning the body of Polonius.
2. Explain the analogy Hamlet uses in his conversation with Rosencrantz.
Before the next scene…Sometimes people find themselves laughing and/or joking in a situation where they are expected to be serious. How would you explain this unexpected response? Have you ever found yourself in this situation? If so, why do you think you responded the way you did?
Scene III
1. Why does Claudius believe that he can’t simply arrest Hamlet?
2. Examine the imagery used in Hamlet's description of Polonius's body in II, 17-38: What does it tell you about his character and state of mind?
3. What do Claudius’s letters tell England to do with Hamlet? Why does he expect to be obeyed?
Before the next scene…Think about a situation where you took a strong stand on principle about an issue that other people did not think was important. What did you gain or lose by doing this?
Scene IV
1. Why is Fortinbras passing through Denmark?
2. What sort of judgment does the Captain make about the place they are fighting for? How does Hamlet describe it?
3. Comment on the prevailing mood and theme of Hamlet's last soliloquy.
Before the next scene…Suppose you are writing a screenplay about someone your age who has a mental breakdown as a result of a traumatic experience. Think about what that person’s appearance, conversation, and actions would be like.
Scene V
1. At the beginning of Scene V why is Gertrude reluctant to see Ophelia? What do we learn about the state of Gertrude’s soul in her aside? What does this say about her response to Hamlet’s accusations in III, IV?
2. Why are Ophelia’s songs both startling and sad? What is the cause of her madness?
3. Compare Hamlet’s ‘antic disposition’ with Ophelia’s madness with respect to the manner in which it is demonstrated? How does her bahaviour win the sympathy of the audience?
4. How does Laertes’s approach to revenging his father’s death compare to Hamlet’s? Explain how both Claudius and Laertes are used as contrasts to Hamlet in different ways in this scene.
Before the next scene…Think about a time when, under pressure, you acted in a way that surprised you.
Scene VI
1. What qualities of Hamlet's character are shown in the letter in this scene?
Before the next scene…Think about a time when someone used flattery to manipulate you into doing something. Have you ever tried to manipulate someone else through flattery? What wre the results?
Scene VII
1. What do we learn about the relationship between Gertrude and Claudius in lines 11-16?
2. Explain the significance Cladius's singling out the two words "naked" and "alone" from Hamlet's letter.
3. Comment on how Claudius 'talks' Laertes into carrying out the revenge plan: what does this reveal about Claudius's character?
4. Describe what happened to Ophelia.
5. How does Laertes's last speech, l. 186-192, reveal both the best and worst in his nature?
Hamlet - Act V
Before the next scene…Think about a time when a friend or relative returned from an absence and seemed to have a very different personality. Did you believe that the change was real? What circumstances might cause a person to change greatly in a short period of time?
Scene I
1. Describe the humour of the grave-diggers' episode in Scene I. Why do you suppose Shakespeare creates humour at this time? Why might the workers be joking at this time?
2. What is Hamlet's reaction to the skulls tossed up by the gravediggers(be specific)? What general view of life does Hamlet express in his comments to Horatio at this time?
3. What do we learn from Gertrude’s farewell to Ophelia? Would Polonius have been surprised if he had heard this?
4. Why is Hamlet so angry when he appears to the others?
5. Assess the dramatic importance of Ophelia's funeral: what does it contribute to plot, character, and thematic development?
Before the next scene…Think about a situation in which you might have said, “I’ve done what I could, whether right or wrong. Now the rest is up to Fate.” How did you feel once you had decided you could not do anything more? Looking back, do you think you were right? What did you mean by “Fate”?
Scene II
1. What new attitude to life do you see in the Hamlet of the first 80 lines of this scene?
2. What fate has Hamlet contrived for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? Account for Hamlet's actions and attitude towards the two.
3. Of what importance to the plot and atmosphere is the Osric episode in Scene II?
4. What is Hamlet’s reaction to the idea of the match? How is this ‘consistent’ with Hamlet’s new attitude in this scene?
5. What premonition of disaster does Hamlet have before the duel? What is his attitude towards death at this time?
6. Hamlet clearly apologizes to Laertes in this scene: how do you account for Laertes’s response? Has Laertes followed his father’s advice? Is he an honourable man?
7. How do we account for the fact that Claudius, who throughout the play has shown his love for Gertrude, does not tell her the wine is poisoned before she drinks it?
8. Describe Horatio's role in the last scene: do you agree with his analysis of Hamlet’s character?
9. How is the moral order re-established at the end of the play?
10. What final tribute does Fortinbras give to Hamlet? Is it justified?