Hamlet Questions

Chantal Oweissi
April 10, 2013
ENG4U
Mrs.Stravaski

Hamlet Act 1

1) Bernardo had seen the ghost at prior watch (1.1.38). He is explaining how it has been two nights that this has occurred
2) Marcellus believe that Horatio should speak to the ghost because he’s well educated (1.1.49) He thinks that Horatio is better at communicating to the ghost and wont offend him
3) Fortinbras wants to get revenge on the king who killed his father, therefore he wants to kill Hamlet instead because he is the kings son. (1.1.99)
4) The guards want to tell Hamlet about the ghost because the ghost looks like his father. (1.1.168) They believe that he should be the first to know because it is his father and they trust him
5) Claudius sends Cornelius and Voltimand to Norway. (1.2.35) He does this because he wants to ask the king of Norway for help
6) The king tells Hamlet that he is questioning his depressed aurora (1.2.120) Claudius doesn’t believe that Hamlet is true, he think he is mad
7) Hamlet is upset that his father is dead and who murdered him, also because his mother married his uncle. (1.1.145) Hamlet doesn’t believe his mom should be with his uncle, he is determined to find out how his dad died
8) Horatio tells Hamlet that his father appeared to him on a watch (1.2.198) He tells him this because his father is dead, meaning that it was the ghost of his father.
9) After Hamlet hears this he wants to appear on watch (1.2.204) Hamlet is determined to see his dad and find out what happened
10) Laertes advice to Ophelia is to not believe Hamlet’s love, he will not get married to her because she isn’t of nobility. He warns her to stay away from Hamlet entirely. (1.3.12) Laertes doesn’t believe Hamlet’s intentions with Ophelia are true.
11) Polonius advice to Laertes is to be sociable, but he must not get distracted from his studies. To keep his friends close, and never to borrow or lend money. To stay under the radar. (1.3.60-85) Polonius is saying this so Laertes doesn’t get caught for snooping around.
12) Ophelia promises her father she will not talk to Hamlet, she won’t accept his letters or gifts, she also agreed to find out if Hamlet is crazy. (1.4.145) She is only saying this to appease her father, she is conflicted.
13) The ghost tells Hamlet the truth about the king’s death, how he wasn’t killed by a snake but by his brother who poisoned him. And also how Claudius seduced Gertrude, the ghost wants Hamlet to avenge him. (1.5.50)
14) Hamlet swears Horatio that he go along if he should go crazy and tell no one what he is doing. (1.5.156) he says this because he wants to figure out what truly happened to his father
Quote:
1) (1.1.142) Ghost. This section is when the ghost (king) is communicating with the men, he is stating that he wants them to talk to him, to warn him if any bad things are happening to his country. He just wants peace.
2) (1.2.195) Hamlet. He is talking about his dead father and how great he was also how he will never be able to see him again.
3) (1.3.84) Polonius. He is saying that in general you must be true to yourself, and you won’t be fake to anyone else. Then he says goodbye.
4) (1.4.100) Marcellus. He is talking about following Hamlet who wants to see the ghost, “’something is wrong with Denmark’” means that something is very wrong
5) (1.5.49) Ghost. The king is talking about how Claudius had seduced his wife and how he pensioned him.

Hamlet act 2

1) Polonius sends Reynoaldo to take money and notes to Laertes. But his real reason is to spy on Laertes because he wants to see his behaviour, his faults Polonius loves manipulation and spying. (2.1.1)
2) Polonius thinks Hamlet is mad because he is in love with his daughter (2.1.125) Hamlet is of higher social class and loving someone who is below means you will lose your status.
3) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have come to the castle because Claudius and Gertrude asked them to find out what is wrong with Hamlet. (2.2.4) Roscencrantz and Guildenstern are basically Claudius’s puppets, they will do anything for him.
4) Polonius’s theory for testing Hamlets love for Ophelia is that he will put Hamlet and Ophelia in a room and he will let them talk and Polonius and Claudius will hide behind the curtain and listen to them. (2.2.105) Polonius is very close to Claudius, and also he is very good at spying; he loves to do it so this theory is expected of him.
5) Hamlet can tell Rosencratz and Guildenstern were sent by Claudius because they seem very guilty, he confessed how the world was wonderful but now he doesn’t view it in a coloured glass (2.2.78) Hamlet doesn’t see the world in a rose coloured glass due to his father’s death and his mother who married his uncle.
6) Hamlet arranges with Player 1 that he would act out in the play how Claudius killed his father (2.2.560) This would initiate many theories to hoe King Hamlet died and Hamlet doing this would avenge is father in a sense.
7) Hamlet is not “mad” in particular because the ghost/king told him to pretend like he was to buy some time. I don’t think Hamlet is mad, he is smart but I think this is going to be a bad turnout for him. (2.2.205) (2.2.166) Hamlet knows too much and is different from everyone else, making him seem mad but he isn’t
Quote
1) (2.2.97) Polonius, he is trying to tell Gertrude that her son is crazy in this section
2) (2.2.327) Hamlet, he is explaining why he seems so depressed “mankind is glorious and marvelous” but yet Hamlet doesn’t seem to be happy

Act 3
1) Rosencratntz and Guildenstern tell the King that Hamlet wishes the King and Queen to see the play. The King gladly accepts. (3.1.20)
2) Hamlet is pondering whether a miserable life is better than the unknown of death. (3.1.64 ) He is thinking this due to all the trauma he has gone through.
3) Hamlets tone is really quite rude and aggressive when talking to Ophelia. (3.1.113)
4) The king and Polonius decide that Hamlet is not love-sick; but instead he has some other trouble deep in his soul. (3.1.175) They think this because they are spying and seeing how Hamlet is treating Ophelia.
5) Hamlet does not want the parts to be over-acted. He wants it to appear as natural and as real as possible so it will hit home to the King.
6) The King reaction to the play is he got up and called for the lights. Hamlet and Horatio decided that Claudius had murdered King Hamlet.
7)The message that Rosencratntz told Hamlet was that the Queen wanted to see him.
8) The King has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern prepare to take Hamlet to England. Claudius is beginning to feel threatened by Hamlet so he wants him away from Elsinore. In fact, he wants Hamlet dead.
9)Hamlet doesn’t kill the King because he wants the King to die without a chance for a last confession, as his father died. Hamlet thinks that if the King is praying, he may not be in sin enough to get eternal punishment.
10) Polonius dies by spying on Hamlet and the Queen.. He hides behind the
Tapestry but makes some noise, because of this Hamlet runs through the tapestry with his sword killing Polonius.
Hamlet thought it was Claudius and not Polonius,that is why he killed him by accident.
11) Hamlet wants his mom to not sleep with the King anymore.

Quote:
1) (3.2.193) Hamlet. Hamlet is telling Rosencrantz that he knows he is playing him, Hamlet caught onto the act and isn’t buying it, he told him to not play him for a fool.
2) (3.3.56) King .Claudius is explaining why he murdered King Hamlet. He did it for the crown, ambition and for the Queen.
3) (3.4.63) Hamlet. Hamlet compares Claudius to a satyr and his father to a God. He also says that his mom basically left a mountain to live on a moor.
4) (3.4.165) Hamlet. Hamlet is showing how he understands human nature even though he seems mad. He is also telling the Queen to get away from Claudius.

Act 4
1) Hamlet thinks Rosencrantz and Guidenstern are sponges, that is the word he uses to describe them, saying they soak up the King's words, commands and gifts. (4.2.11)
He thinks they are weak and not smart enough to see that they arebeing used by the King.
2) Hamlet's mother truly loves him and would want no harm to come to him, and the people of Denmark love him and would be uneasy if something would happen to him. That is why the king should “not put the strong are on” Hamlet. (4.3.)
3) The King asks Hamlet where Polonius is he says "not where he eats, but where he is eaten." Then he later tells the King to look for him in Heaven, and if he can't find Polonius there, to go to "the other place" (hell) himself. (4.3.37)
4) The letter states how the King wants Hamlet to be killed as soon as he reaches England.
5) Hamlet says “My thoughts be bloody or be nothing worth!” when he realizes his father has been murdered, that Claudius is a murderer, his mother is living in an incestuous marriage, and the soldiers killing each other over a little piece of land which is not worth anything. (4.4.59)
6) Ophelia has gone crazy. (4.5.70) She goes crazy because her dad died
7) Laertes forces his way in because he wants revenge for his father's death. (4.5.130) He wants to kill Hamlet because he accidentally killed his father
8) The content of the letter is Hamlet explaining that he escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern onto a pirate ship. He is a prisoner,that is treated quite well because the pirates like him. Hamlet wants Horatio to give letters he has written to the King and Queen and then to come to see him as quickly as possible. (4.6.13)
10) The plan that the King and Laertes discuss is to set up a duel between Laertes and Hamlet in which Laertes will kill Hamlet If Hamlet lives the King will poison him. (4.7.150) They want full revenge on Hamlet, and the King is fishy about him.
11)The news that the Queen gives Laertes is that she tells him that Ophelia is dead; she has drowned.(4.7.187)

Quote
1) (4.7.27) Laertes. He is explaining how he has lost his father and how his sister isn’t the same but he will avenge both of them.
2) (4.4.34) Hamlet. Hamlet is thinking about how a human who just eats and sleeps is just a beast; God didn’t create us to do just that. This is motivating Hamlet to do something to get revenge.
3) (4.5.137) King. The King is telling Gertrude to leave Laertes alone; Laertes has something to tell the King and he wants to hear it.
4) (4.5.206) Ophelia. She is talking to the King and giving him flowers that represent mercy, unhappy love, faithfulness. She explains how all these flowers have dried up when her father had died, this is when they realize she is going crazy.
5) (4.7.211) Laertes. He is talking to the Queen how she has seen too much water (Ophelia drowning) and that he will not cry to see manly but he contradicts it saying that humans cry, he cries while he leaves.

Act 5
1) Laertes thinks that the priest is more or less saying that Ophelia is lucky to be getting as nice of a funeral as she is, because how she died. (5.
2) He doesn’t Laertes does
3) The King tells Laertes not to worry, that Laertes will have the appropriate time to kill Hamlet, and Hamlet will die somehow. (5.
4) Hamlet replaced Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s letters which was originally for Hamlet's execution. But instead it was the execution of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. (5.
5) Osric tells Hamlet of the wager the King has made on Hamlet's in a contest between Laertes and Hamlet.
6) The King is run through and killed by Hamlet. Hamlet is killed by the poison on Laertes' sword. Laertes is killed by the poison on his own sword. The Queen is poisoned and killed by the drink the King had prepared for Hamlet.
7) Hamlet recommends Fortinbras to the throne

Quote

1) (5.1.190) Hamlet. In this section Hamlet is conversing with a skull, it is showing how he may be mad.

2) (5.1.214) Hamlet. Hamlet is explaining how someone great like Caesar could patch a wall because he died and is now dirt. This means everyone ends up in the same place no matter what their social class is.
3) (5.2.381) Hamlet. Hamlet is telling Horatio to not drink the poison, to live on and tell his story.
4) (5.2.407) Ambassador. He is saying how news from England is no longer useful because everyone that was supposed to benefit from it is dead; the news was that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.