Hamlet Quiz

Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential
tragedies in all of English literature,
"the world's most filmed story after Cinderella"
It has been theorized that Hamlet is based on the legend of Amleth
Shakespeare may also have drawn on or perhaps written an earlier (hypothetical)

Elizabethan play known today as the Ur-Hamlet. H
Three different early versions of the play are extant, the First Quarto (Q1, 1603),
the Second Quarto (Q2, 1604), and the First Folio
Hamlet – Son of the former King, and nephew of the present King.
Claudius – King of Denmark, and Hamlet's uncle.
Gertrude – Queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet.
Polonius – Lord Chamberlain
Ophelia – Daughter to Polonius
Horatio – Friend to Hamlet
Laertes – Son to Polonius
Voltimand and Cornelius – Courtiers
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – Courtiers, friends to Hamlet.
Osric – a Courtier
Marcellus – an Officer
Bernardo – an Officer
Francisco – a Soldier
Reynaldo – Servant to Polonius
Ghost of Hamlet's Father
Fortinbras – Prince of Norway

Gravediggers – a Sexton, and a clown.
Player King, Player Queen, Lucianus, etc. – Players
1. Everyone knows that Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his father-- what is that
ghost's name?
Antonio
None-- he is just called "Ghost" and his name is never given
Osric
Hamlet
2. The minor character of Fortinbras invades Denmark from Norway. Much like
Hamlet, his father- a king- has just died. What was Fortinbras' father's name?
Hamlet
Fortinbras
Yorick
Stefano
3. Although Fortinbras and his Norwegian army aren't a factor until the end of the
play, in the second scene, two ambassadors are sent to Norway. What are their
names?
Cornelius and Voltimand
Cornelius and Lucio
Reynaldo and Lucio
Reynaldo and Voltemand
4. At the end of the play, an ambassador comes to Denmark with a message, only
to find that the king is already dead. From what country is this ambassador?
Norway
England Italy Denmark
5. At Ophelia's funeral, the minor character of the priest gets into a dispute with
Laertes. Why?
Because Laertes challenges the priest to a duel
Because Ophelia is getting a proper burial even though she committed suicide
Because mad prince Hamlet is in attendance and the priest wants him to leave
Because the priest suggests that Claudius murdered the previous king
6. In the play within a play, Hamlet has a troupe of players act out a murder similar
to how Claudius murdered the previous king. In this play, the murderer is given a
name-- what is it?
Lucianus
Claudio
Guildenstern
Decius
7. In an amusing scene, Polonius rambles on and on to one of his uninterested

servants. What is the servant's name?
Rodolfo
Yorick
Osric
Reynaldo
8. The very first few lines of the play- including the famous opening line of "Who's
There?"-- are a dialogue between two minor characters. What are their names?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Fabian and Marcellus
Sampson and Gregory Bernardo and Francisco
9. Who first tells Horatio of the ghost's existence?
Marcellus
Hamlet
Bernardo
Ophelia
10. Our last question focuses on Osrick. Although a minor character, he plays what
important role in the play?
He is the person who poisons the wine
He is the referee for the fight between Hamlet and Laertes
He is the person who physically kills Claudius
He is the person who discovers Ophelia's drowned body
Quiz 2
1. Which two of the guards on the battlements at Elsinore were together when they
saw the ghost that they tell Horatio about?
Your Answer: Bernado and Marcellus
Francisco has just gone off duty. It was during the hours when Bernardo and
Marcellus kept watch that the ghost had started to appear.
2. Apart from the careful watch that is now kept each night what other sign of
impending war with Young Fortinbras of Norway has Marcellus noted?
Your Answer: Men working on ships by both day and night.
Marcelleus talks about the "impress of shipwrights" - suggesting continuous forced

labour. There is no mention of gunpowder, though we are told that new cannon are
being cast. Generally there is a feeling that there is no difference between a week
day and a Sunday and there is little difference between day and night - the war-
work goes on.
3. What job does Claudius allocate to Cornelius and Valtemand?
Your Answer: The job of watching Hamlet's movements more closely.
The correct answer was The carrying of a letter to the uncle of warlike Young
Fortinbras
Claudius opens his part in the play with an impressive speech which works through
a series of items as thought they were on an agenda. First he thanks his court for
their approval of his marriage to Gertrude. Then there is the problem with Young
Fortinbras. After that he deals with the leave-taking of Laertes.Finally he comes to
Hamlet.
4. When Hamlet is first left alone he comments with some strength on the length of
time that elapsed after his father's death before Gertrude married Claudius. How
long does he first say it was?
Your Answer: Less than two months
"That it should come to this -
But two months dead, nay not so much, not two -"
Claudius can claim that he acted quickly to ensure continuity of leadership in the
face of a foreign enemy. Gertrude's motives are not so easily explained
away.Hamlet later reduces it to "within a month."
5. Which of the following reasons does Laertes put to his sister for treating
Hamlet's love with caution?
Your Answer: Hamlet's love was that of a young man and not lasting..
The correct answer was All of these reasons.
Laertes uses a combination of all these arguments to try to put his sister on her
guard. It is notable that he considers carefully what Hamlet's family might require
from the Prince. He is being cautious about Claudius's intentions.
6. After Polonius has just imparted some lengthy advice to his son Laertes he gives
some specific orders to his daughter Ophelia about her future behaviour towards
Hamlet.What are these orders?
Your Answer: Do not spend any time in future talking with Hamlet
At this early stage of the play it is difficult to penetrate Polonius' true feelings. Is
he cynical in his attitude towards Hamlet's so-called honourable advances? Is he
dirty-minded in his "understanding" of young men's behaviour ? Later, it could be
said that if it can advance him with the King, Polonius will use Ophelia as bait and
countermand these orders.
7. Exactly how, according to the Ghost, was the murder of Hamlet's father
committed?
Your Answer: Claudius poured poison in his ear whilst he slept.
The details of the death that the Ghost describes are highly upsetting. The poison's
effects are compared in at least two ways to the way in which leprosy takes over
the body. The idea of the defenceless man sleeping in his orchard is also
particularly disturbing for we are all vulnerable when asleep.
8. In what unusual way does Polonius ask Reynaldo to check up on Laertes whilst
he is in Paris?
Your Answer: By arranging for a local priest to hear his confession
The correct answer was By inventing false accusations of bad conduct to see if
anyone agrees
Amongst the possible "crimes" that Polonius sees his son being involved in are
gaming, drinking, fencing, swearing and drabbing (sexual relationships with paid
women). He tells Reynaldo he can suggest that Laertes is guilty of these sins and
see if the people he talks to confirm this.It's an example of Polonius' over devious
mind.
58% of players have answered correctly.
9. Which of the following is not a part of Hamlet's disordered clothing that Ophelia
describes to her father?
Your Answer: His stockings were hanging down to his ankles.
The correct answer was His cuffs were stained with ink.
His stockings were also "fouled" or muddy. The look on Hamlet's face was of one
who has just got out of hell. He stares at Ophelia closely and keeps staring at her as
he makes his way out of the room. Polonius interprets this as the "ecstasy of love".
10. What reason does Claudius give for sending for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
Your Answer: To help Hamlet cheer up and to find out what is wrong with him.
Claudius is asking for their help in a very plausible way and he asks in a public
scene. Thus, to all eyes, he could be seen as a kindly uncle trying to help his
nephew back to a better spirit. Naturally there could be other reasons for wanting
to know exactly what Hamlet's feelings are.
11. What request do "Old Norway" and young Fortinbras make of Claudius via the
message that Valtemand brings?
Your Answer: That young Hamlet should be allowed to visit Norway.
The correct answer was Free passage across Denmark for the army on the way to
fight the Poles.
Claudius must be full of relief at the success of the mission of Valtemand and
Cornelius. The old king of Norway has "reined in" his nephew so that Denmark is
no longer the target. Instead Fortinbras is to use his recently gathered army against
the Poles.
12. What proposition does Polonius put to the King regarding Hamlet and Ophelia?
Your Answer: To leave Ophelia with Hamlet and they will both hide and watch
them.
By now Polonius appears to have convinced himself that Hamlet's apparent

madness and melancholy has been caused by his frustrated love for Ophelia.
Without the slightest regard for Ophelia Polonius is prepared to use her in order to
prove his point to the King.
13. Whom had Rosencrantz and Guildenstern met on their way to see Hamlet?
Your Answer: The players.
Watching the players was previously one of the pleasures that Hamlet had
apparently taken delight in. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are thus following
Claudius' orders in trying to draw Hamlet on to pleasures.
14. What is the theme of the speech that Hamlet encourages the First Player to
repeat for them?
Your Answer: The killing of King Priam by the brutal Pyrrhus.
Hamlet seems fascinated by the tale of the ruthless killing of an old king by a man
who is depicted as bloody and brutal. Is this meant to reflect the way he feels about
his father and Claudius after he has heard the tale told by the Ghost?

15. With what Hamlet does reproach himself in the soliloquy that he makes after
the Players and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have left?
Your Answer: Lack of passion over his father's death compared with the players'
acting.
The player can get himself worked up over a fictional situation in which he is not
really personally involved. Hamlet is angry at his own lack of feeling and
incapacity for action. However, he has arranged for a play to be performed that
should give him clinching evidence that the Ghost spoke the truth and Claudius is
guilty.
16. What does Hamlet mean when he talks about "paintings" to Ophelia?
Your Answer: He refers to the arras behind which Polonius is hiding.
The correct answer was He refers to the art of make-up where true appearance is
disguised.
Hamlet feels betrayed by all woman-kind by the behaviour of his mother. His
harsh treatment of Ophelia is probably general distrust and disgust rather than any
specific faults in the woman he once loved.
17. In what way does Hamlet confirm that he trusts Horatio?
Your Answer: He asks him to observe his uncle's behaviour at the play.
Hamlet considers that he can "wear" Horatio in his "heart of hearts". He needs
someone to help confirm his suspicions and to view objectively the behaviour of
Claudius when the crucial part of the play is performed.
18. Which part did Polonius once play in "Julius Caesar"?
Your Answer: Julius Caesar
Polonius' own fate is even more ignominious than that of the Roman leader.
However, the idea of being stabbed to death is repeated. Earlier Horatio had made
an allusion to the portents seen before the death of Caesar whilst he was waiting on
the battlements.
19. At which point in the "play within the play" does Claudius call for lights?
Your Answer: When the poison is poured into Gonzago's ears.
Whether the King reacts to the action in front of him or to Hamlet's words as well
is open to debate.His reaction would appear to confirm that what the Ghost said
about Claudius and his chosen method of murder was true.
20. What does Polonius agree is first of all in the shape of a camel, then the shape
of a weasel and then the shape of a whale?
Your Answer: A cloud
Hamlet feigning madness is trying to see how far Polonius will go in humouring
him. He has just accused Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of trying to play on him
like he was a pipe.His old friends have not managed to deceive him for he knows
their loyalty has been given to the King and Queen.
21. When Hamlet gets the opportunity to kill Claudius as he attempts to pray what
reason does he give for not taking it?
Your Answer: Claudius' soul may go to heaven if he is killed in prayer.

Scholars have argued over whether his given reason matches what they see as the
"real reason" for his delay. Ironically Claudius admits to the audience that he
cannot really pray because though his words fly up, his thoughts remain below.
22. Which two pictures does Hamlet force his mother to look at?
Your Answer: One of Hamlet and one of Hamlet's father.
The correct answer was One of Hamlet's father and one of Claudius.
Some suggest miniatures, the first of King Hamlet worn by Hamlet, the second of
Claudius worn by Gertrude.Others suggest full length hanging portraits.
23. What thoughts does the sight of Fortinbras' army cause Hamlet to have?
Your Answer: They are ready to die for nothing - he hasn't the courage to kill
Claudius..
The Captain informs him that the Norwegian army is going to fight against a little
section of Poland that isn't worth very much. The Poles are prepared to defend it
with many men in spite of its lack of worth. Hamlet reflects that he has many good
reasons for taking up arms against a real evil (Claudius, the murderer of his father)
and yet he has constantly delayed doing so.
24. For what skill has Laertes been praised by the Frenchman, Monsieur Lamord?
Your Answer: fencing with the rapier
Claudius wants to make use of Laertes' skill with a rapier as part of his plot to
dispose of Hamlet without drawing too much suspicion on himself. For his part
Laertes does not seem entirely innocent for he is carrying a deadly poison he
bought from a "mountebank". He suggests putting it on the end of his weapon.
25. According to the grave-digger how long had Yorick's skull lain in the earth?
Your Answer: twenty-three years
If we are to believe this statement then it gives us some information about Hamlet's
age. Hamlet claims to have known Yorick and to have ridden on his back and to
have kissed his lips. This places Hamlet's age at least in the mid or late twenties. It
has often been the excuse for older actors to take on the role.
Quiz 3
1. Which one of these "Hamlet" characters wasn't even alive at the beginning of the
play?
Your Answer: Yorick
Yorick, the king's late jester, whose skull was the subject of the famous "Alas, poor
Yorick! I knew him..."
2. Which character went mad before drowning?
Your Answer: Ophelia
Hamlet's brief love interest, Ophelia was the recipient of the famous rejection, "Get
thee to a nunnery."

3. How did Hamlet deal with his disloyal friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
Your Answer: Tearfully forgave them.
The correct answer was Forged their death warrants.
They were Hamlet's friends from Wittenberg University, who were employed by
the king to spy on him.
4. Who does Hamlet mistakenly stab through a curtain?
Your Answer: Polonius
Polonius is concealed behind a curtain when a confrontation between Hamlet and

his mother, Gertrude, turns violent. Polonius moves behind the curtain to help her,
and Hamlet, thinking it was his uncle King Claudius, stabs the curtain and kills
Polonius.
5. Who does not die by the means of a poison-tipped sword?

Your Answer: Reynaldo
Reynaldo is a servant of Polonius and actually survives the play.
6. How did Claudius murder Hamlet's father?
Your Answer: By pouring poison into his ear while he slept.
Poison being the murder instrument of choice in "Hamlet," claiming five lives.
7. Who was responsible for Gertrude's death?
Your Answer: Claudius
Claudius put poison in a cup of wine that was offered to Hamlet. Hamlet declined,
and the poisoned cup of wine was later consumed by Claudius' wife, Gertrude.
Some scholars even suggest that Gertrude knew of the poison and intentionally
drank from the cup.

8. Why didn't Hamlet kill Claudius the first time he set out to do so?
Your Answer: He found Claudius kneeling in prayer.
Hamlet thought that Claudius might be praying for forgiveness and he did not want
him to go to heaven.
9. What did Hamlet's father's ghost reveal to him about his mother?
Your Answer: That Osric was Hamlet's half-brother by a past affair of his mother.
The correct answer was That she had been seduced by Claudius.
Hamlet deeply resented his mother's hasty marriage to Claudius after his father's
death.
10. Not counting Yorick and the Ghost, who were already dead, what was the final
body count in "Hamlet?"
Your Answer: 5
The correct answer was 8
Count them. Ophelia (drowned), Polonius (stabbed) Rosencrantz & Guildenstern

(death warrants), Gertrude (poison), Laertes, Hamlet and Claudius (poison-tipped
sword)
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Quiz 4
1. Hamlet speaks this quotation to which character? Hamlet: "Come, come and sit
you down; you shall not budge; you go not until I set up a glass where you may see
the inmost part of you."
The correct answer was Gertrude
This quotation comes from Act III, scene iv, the closet scene, in which Hamlet
confronts his mother Gertrude about her behavior with the king.
2. Driving the plot of the entire play, to whom does Hamlet speak this quotation?
Hamlet: "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the
thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge."
Your Answer: Ghost
A famous line from Act I, scene v, when Hamlet finds out that his father has been
murdered by his uncle and he implores the ghost to tell him more so that he may
get revenge on his uncle.
3. Hamlet is a little hot under the collar when he utters this quotation to which
character? Hamlet: "If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be
thou as chaste as ice, pure as snow, thou shall not escape calumny."
From the famous, "Get thee to a nunnery" speech to Ophelia in Act III, scene i.
Questioning Ophelia about the whereabouts of her father, he may know Polonius is
watching.
4. Now Hamlet is just being difficult here...who does he fool with in this
quotation? Hamlet: "The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body.
The king is a thing-"
Your Answer: Gertrude
The correct answer was Rozencrantz and Guildenstern
A wonderful play on words from Act IV, scene ii in which Hamlet is confronted by
his schoolmates, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern, sent from the king to find the body
of Polonius. In this speech, Hamlet says the body is with the king, meaning his
dead father, but that the king is not with the body, referring to the current king,
Claudius. He ends this wordplay by calling the king a thing -of nothing.

5. An obvious reply, but not an obvious question. To whom does Hamlet utter this
redundant answer? Hamlet: "Words, words, words."
Your Answer: Rozencrantz and Guildenstern
The correct answer was Polonius
A hilarious scene in Act II, scene ii, in which Hamlet is questioned by the
bumbling Polonius. Having just called Polonius a fishmonger, Hamlet responds to
Polonius's question about what he is reading with this famous line.
6. Sly Hamlet begins to put his plan into motion with this quotation spoken to
which character? Hamlet: "We'll ha't to-morrow night. You could, for a need, study
a speech of some dozen or sixteen lines, which I would set down and insert it't,
could you not?"
Your Answer: 1st Player
Preparing to catch the guilty king by setting up a mock reenactment of his father's
murder, Hamlet asks the first player to add a speech into the performance of 'The
Mousetrap', in Act II, scene ii.

7. No one can pull the wool over Hamlet's eyes. Which character(s) does he
question in this quotation? Hamlet: "Were you not sent for? Is it your own
inclining? Is it a free visitation? Come, deal justly with me: come, come; nay,
speak."
Your Answer: Rozencrantz and Guildenstern
By Act II, scene ii, Hamlet is already suspicious of the king's actions and is keenly
aware that his schoolmates have been sent for by the king to spy on Hamlet and
report his behavior.
8. To whom does Hamlet speak this line? Hamlet: "There is a play to-night before
the king; One scene of it comes near the circumstance which I have told thee of my
father's death: I prithee, when thou seest that act afoot, even with the very
comment of thy soul observe mine uncle:"
Your Answer: Horatio
Of course Horatio is the only character in the play truly loyal to Hamlet and in Act
III, scene ii, Hamlet tells about him about his plan and asks Horatio to watch the
king's reaction during the play-within-the-play.

9. Whose pardon does Hamlet ask for in this line? Hamlet: "Give me your pardon,
sir: I've done you wrong; But pardon't as you are a gentleman."
The correct answer was Laertes
Just prior to the fencing match, in the final scene of the play, Act V, scene ii,
Hamlet apologizes to Laertes for murdering his father. It is of course interesting to
note that Hamlet rashly killed the innocent Polonius, yet struggles throughout the
play to kill the murdering Claudius.
10. This pained line is begged of which character? Hamlet: "If thou didst ever hold
me in thy heart absent thee from felicity awhile, and in this harsh world draw thy
breath in pain, to tell my story."
In Hamlet's parting words in Act V, scene ii to Horatio, the one character who has
remained loyal and true to Hamlet throughout the play, Hamlet begs Horatio to
continue living to tell his story to the coming Fortinbras.
Quiz 4
1. What was Hamlet's father's name?
Your Answer: Hamlet
As the play begins, Hamlet's father has recently died.
2. Who says this memorable line: "Something's rotten in the state of Denmark"?
Your Answer: Hamlet
The correct answer was Marcellus
Marcellus is a guard of the royal castle in Denmark.
3. What does Polonius think is the reason for Hamlet's madness?
Your Answer: forbidden love
Polonius ordered Ophelia to stop seeing Hamlet and Polonius thinks that the reason
for Hamlet's change in behavior is his love for his daughter.
4. Who says "The play's the thing/ wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king" at
the end of Act 2?
Your Answer: Hamlet
The play that Hamlet set up is "The Murder of Gonzago."
5. Why doesn't Hamlet kill Claudius while he is praying in the chapel?
Your Answer: he is afraid that it will result in the king's forgiveness
Claudius is praying for forgiveness at the moment Hamlet comes in and Hamlet
decides not to kill him at the moment.
6. What is Ophelia's final fate?

Your Answer: she drowns
After the death of her father, she goes mad and although it is not clearly stated that
she commits suicide, this sentiment is insinuated.
7. Who, technically, kills Gertrude?
The goblet that Claudius puts poison in is intended for Hamlet, but Gertrude drinks
from it.
8. What poison kills Hamlet's father?
Your Answer: Arsenic
The correct answer was Hebenon
Claudius pours this poison in his brother's ear as he is sleeping in his orchard. It is
thought that the substance "hebenon" refers to henbane, a toxic plant of the
nightshade family.
9. Who does Polonius send to France to spy on Laertes?
Your Answer: Reynaldo
Reynaldo was the servant of Polonius' household.
10. Who, of the characters listed, is still alive at the end of the play?
Your Answer: None of these
Laertes kills Hamlet, Hamlet kills Laertes and Claudius, and Gertrude is poisoned
due to Claudius.
Quiz 5
1. In Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet replied "A little more than kin, and less than kind"
when which character greeted him?
The correct answer was Claudius

Claudius did not realize how resentful Hamlet truly was about the marriage to his
mother, Queen Gertrude. Hamlet acknowledged the forced connection Claudius
tried to make about Hamlet being his son and established the reigning angry
attitude towards Claudius throughout the play.
2. Hamlet greeted which person as being a "fishmonger?"
Your Answer: poloniius
Polonius and Claudius wondered if Hamlet was acting crazy or truly was crazy, so
Polonius walked in on Hamlet and asked him, "Do you know me?" Hamlet replied,
"Excellently well. You are a fishmonger." Ian Holm and Mel Gibson handled this
scene quite well in the 1990 movie version.
3. Whom did Hamlet accuse of having a "wicked tongue?"

The correct answer was Gertrude
Queen mum Gertrude was ready to verbally spank Hamlet for angering Claudius,
due to the whole play-within-a-play setup. She was not prepared for Hamlet's own
anger and gets lashed about both verbally and physically.
4. With whom did Hamlet speak about Julius Caesar in Act 3?
After the players arrived, Hamlet discussed previous plays, particularily "Julius
Caesar" with Polonius, who played the lead role at one point in his much younger
years. Hamlet made a pun, but as usual, Polonius failed to catch the pointed humor.
5. "You will speak of this to no one!" declared Hamlet to himself after seeing the
ghost of his father.
Your Answer: False
Although Hamlet had a few soliloquys in the play, this is not one of them. Hamlet
spoke alone with his father, the ghost, on the platform and when he met up with
Marcellus, Bernardo, and Horatio he was so disturbed by the incident he ordered
the three men not to speak about it at all with anyone.
6. "Give me your pardon, sir: I've done you wrong; But pardon't, as you are a
gentleman" was directed to which character in Act 5, Scene 2?
Your Answer: Laertes
Just prior to the fencing match Hamlet attempted to reconcile with Laertes, hoping
Laertes would accept that he did not mean to cause the death of Polonius or
contribute in any way to Ophelia's.
7. Which woman in the play does Hamlet ask this question: "Are you honest?"
Your Answer: getrude
The correct answer was Ophelia
In Act 3, Scene 1, Ophelia was sent in by her father and the king to find out more
about Hamlet's state of mind. Hamlet suspected she was a merely a pawn of the
two men, sent to spy on him. When he asked if she is "honest" his question has a
double meaning. The first was if she was true, if she could be trusted. The second
meaning refered to if she was a maiden still, which would explain why Ophelia
responded in a rather perplexed, or possibly offended manner.
8. In Act 3, Scene 2, of whom did Hamlet ask, "Will you play upon this pipe?"
The correct answer was Guildenstern
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fell out of favour with Hamlet when he realized they
were merely tools of Claudius. He spoke rudely to Guidenstern. The implication
being made that playing the pipe was as easy as lying and that Guildenstern lied so
easily he should have easily been able to play the instrument.
9. To whom did Hamlet say, "I must to England; you know that?" in Act 3?
Act 3, Scene 4 was a passionate, dramatic scene where Hamlet had it out with his
mother, Queen Gertrude. Not only did he forcibly make her understand that his
father, her former husband the king, was murdered, the deed was done by her
present husband. Upon realizing the truth, Gertrude turned to Hamlet and it
appeared as if he momentarily forgave her, seeing she truly was innocent of the
murder. He told her he must leave for England and she expressed her sorrow that
he had to leave.
10. "A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and cat of the fish that
hath fed of that worm." To whom did Hamlet speak this seemingly nonsensical
speech in Act 4?
Quiz 6
1. What is Polonius's official title?
Your Answer: Lord Chamberlain
A tip to novice Shakespearians: always read "Dramatis Personae" before delving

into the text.
2. Who speaks the first line of the play?

Your Answer: Marcellus
The correct answer was Bernardo
Yes, Act I, Scene I. Enter Bernardo and Francisco, two sentinels.
Bernardo: "Who's there?"
3. Now for a tough question. The prince of Norway in this play goes by the name
Fortinbras. What writer wrote of a canine character with the same name?
Your Answer: [No Answer]
The correct answer was Madeline L'engle
Yes, it was L'engle. Fans of her "Wrinkle in Time" series will surely recall that the
Murray family dog was named Fortinbras. Oddly,he never took over the house.
4. Complete the line: "Something is rotten in the_________"
Your Answer: State of Denmark

How can anyone forget that famous proclamation? Well, apparently, some people
can.
5. How many characters in "Hamlet" are listed by name in the Dramatis Personae?
The correct answer was 17
The correct answer is seventeen. Count them: Hamlet, Claudius, Polonius, Horatio,
Laertes, Voltemand, Cornelius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Osric, Marcellus,
Bernardo, Francisco, Reynaldo, Fortinbras, Gertrude, and Ophelia.
6. In the play-within-the-play, The psuedo king speaks the line "Full thirty times
hath Phoebus' cart gone round" what he referring to by "Phoebus' cart"?
Your Answer: The Chariot of the Sun
"Phoebus' Cart" indeed refers to the sun's chariot. The "King" is referring to thirty
days.
7. Which of these mythological heroes is never mentioned in "Hamlet"?
Your Answer: Pygmalion
The Players talk of King Priam in II.ii. Aeneas is mentioned by Hamlet in the same
scene, and Niobe is mentioned by Hamlet again in I.ii.
8. The play "Hamlet" is based on the Dutch fable "Amleth".
Your Answer: True
The correct answer was f
Actually, "Amleth" was really a Danish story, not a Dutch one. It is recorded in
Saxo-Grammaticus. It tells the story of a Danish Prince of the above title. In this
fable, he has a very similar sequence of events happen to him. "Amleth", in fact
was just one of the cases in which Shakespeare based one of his plays on a
previous piece of literature.

9. What type of poison did Claudius pour in Hamlets' father's ear?
Your Answer: Hebenon
10. What object does Polonius use to hide himself when eavesdropping on Hamlet?
Your Answer: An arras
11. What are Polonius' last words?
Your Answer: O, I am slain!
Polonius, of course had no knowledge of Laertes' ambition to be king. He was not

a particularly clever fellow, so it is doubtful that he would use a mythological
reference for his final breath. And "Remember Your Father" is cliched.

12. Here is a question that is considerably simpler. Finish the Quote: "Alas
poor______I knew him, Horatio--a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."
Your Answer: Yorick
This reference to Yorick has become one of the most famous metaphors in the
history of literature. Here, when Hamlet is informed of the skull's identity, he
ponders to himself about life, and how everyone is ultimately returned to the earth,
even a fellow of infinite jest.
13. True or False: Before the climactic duel, Laertes is favored to defeat Hamlet.
Your Answer: False
The correct answer was t
Of course Laertes is favored to win. There is no other reason Claudius would

suggest a fencing match. All through Act V, before the match begins, Laertes'
legendary skill of the foil is spoken of. When the match begins though, Hamlet
quickly wounds Laertes twice of the needed three times. But Alas! Claudius had
poisoned Laertes' foil, and first Hamlet is mortally wounded, then the rapiers are
changed, and Laertes is hurt. Both die eventually, but not before Laertes has told
Hamlet everything.

14. What are Hamlet's last words?
Your Answer: The rest is silence
15. When was the first edition of "Hamlet" printed?
Your Answer: 1603
The first edition of "Hamlet" was indeed published in 1603 in quarto (Q1, to be
exact).
1. Who are the two guards on patrol in the very beginning of Act I, scene one?
Your Answer: Francisco and Bernardo
Francisco and Barnardo are later joined by Horatio and Marcellus. Barnardo:
"Well, good night. If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus, the rivals of my watch,
bid them make haste."

2. Whom does Prince Hamlet see on the ramparts and what does it tell him?
Your Answer: His father; King Claudius murdered him.
"O wicked wit and gifts that so have the power so to seduce!" Old King Hamlet
was murdered by King Claudius with poison in the ear. The people of Denmark
were told that Old King Hamlet died of a snake bite.
3. Who said: "He took me by the wrist and held me hard. Then goes he to the
length of all his arm, and with the other hand thus o'er his brow he falls to such
perusal of my face as he would draw it."
Ophelia is Prince Hamlet's girlfriend. She has this encounter with Prince Hamlet
after he sees the ghost of his father for the first time. She is quite frightened by his
actions and runs to tell her father, Polonius.
4. Prince Hamlet shows his mother two pictures, one of himself and one of his
father, and asks her who she loves more.
Your Answer: False
Prince Hamlet does show his mother two pictures, but one is of his father and the
other of King Claudius. "Look here upon this picture, and on this, the counterfeit
presentment of two brothers."
5. Now an easy one to make up for all the evil questions I asked earlier. Who said,
"To be or not to be. That is the question?"
Your Answer: Hamlet
This line is one of Shakespeare's most famous. It is often quoted by many. Prince
Hamlet is questioning the reason for living and what is our true purpose.
6. How does Ophelia die?
Your Answer: She drowns picking flowers
Sadly, Ophelia drowns. (tear) "Her clothes spread wide, and mermaid-like. . ."
Some say she did not commit suicide, but that the entire incident was an accident.
7. How does Polonius die?
Your Answer: He is stabbed by Prince Hamlet
Prince Hamlet stabs Polonius through the curtains in his mother's room. Hamlet
thought it was King Claudius spying on him.
8. What was the name of the play Prince Hamlet organized?
Your Answer: Gozango
The correct answer was The Mousetrap
Other accepted answers: the mousetrap mousetrap the mouse trap mouse trap
When asked by the Queen what the name of the play was, Prince Hamlet
sarcastically tells her the title. He calls it this because he wants to "catch" King
Claudius' conscience and force him to confess to the murder. The orginal play that
Prince Hamlet adapted was called "The Murder of Gonzalgo".
9. Who returns to the castle with a mob chanting, "_________ for king!"
Your Answer: Laertes
When Laertes finds out his father is dead, he returns to the castle looking for
vengence.
10. This might be hard: Why is Ophelia's burial in sacred ground questioned?
Your Answer: Because she commited suicide
It is written in the Bible that harming oneself is a sin. The gravediggers were
debating this topic because it was rumored Ophelia commited suicide.
11. Does Prince Hamlet die in England?
Your Answer: n
No, King Claudius wanted Prince Hamlet to be killed in England, but Hamlet
found out and got back to Denmark. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern proceeded on to
England where they were killed.
12. Who is the first one to die in the last scene?
Queen Gertrude drinks a glass of poisoned wine that was meant for Hamlet if he
wasn't stabbed by the poisoned sword.
13. Who is the one to kill King Claudius?
Your Answer: Hamlet
Prince Hamlet forces King Claudius to drink poisoned wine.

14. Who comes in and takes over Denmark?
Your Answer: Fortinbras
"Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage." Fortinbras is from the neighboring
country of Norway. He believes Prince Hamlet was noble in his actions.
15. Final question (just for fun): Who did Ralph Wiggum play in the Simpsons
parody of "Hamlet"?
Other accepted answers: laertes
"Daddy's stomach is crying!" I love Ralph! When King Claudius (Moe) says, "OK
Hamlet, Laertes gets on practice shot," Laertes (Ralph) says, "Yea!" and stabs
himself. Hee Hee!
1. In Act 1, Scene 1 what are the names of the guard on duty?

Your Answer: Bernardo and Francisco
Bernardo and Francisco open the play with their guard scene. They are the first to
see the ghost of Hamlet's father. They are trusted and held in regard by Hamlet,
considering ghost sighting isn't that common an occurrence.
2. In Act 2, Scene 2 with whom does Hamlet discuss "words, words, words?"
Polonius seeks Hamlet out to determine if Hamlet is truly mad or simply acting out
a pretense. Shakespeare shows his aptitude for subtle humor with this exchange,
"What do you read, my lord?" "Words, words, words."
Hamlet delights in messing with the old man's brains in this scene by twisting and
turning words and phrases during their exchange, making them so nonsensical they
are logical.

3. Hamlet is asked to throw off his nighted color in Act 1, Scene 2 by which
character?
While everyone seems happy about Claudius' and Gertrude's marriage, Hamlet is
definitely not pleased. No wonder, considering it's only been about two months
since his father has been buried. Queen mum Gertrude basically asks Hamlet to
stop mourning and be happy for her, "to look like a friend upon Denmark."
This could also be a play on words since a "nighted color" is black, but sounds like
a "knighted color" which would indicate Hamlet's position as prince.
4. Act 3 is when Hamlet devises what kind of a plan to prompt a reaction of guilt
from his uncle?
Your Answer: Actors to perform a play
Players arrive at Elsinore, and Hamlet contrives a means of discovering if his uncle
truly hides the guilt of murder. Hamlet has the players act out a short play which
actually recreates how Hamlet's father died. Hamlet hopes to catch the expression
on his uncle's face--one of guilty confession.

5. Hamlet utters what famous line to Ophelia in Act 3?
Your Answer: "Get thee to a nunnery!"
Moments after Hamlet delivers his famous fourth soliloquy, he and Ophelia meet.
Torn by his true feelings for her, Hamlet nevertheless pushes her away, both
figuratively and literally, and tells her he never loved her. Further insult is
delivered by telling her she basically should never marry and would best to go join
a convent. It's a rough scene, all the way around.
6. Gertrude drinks to whose luck in the second scene of Act 5?
(Hint: foiled again.)
Your Answer: Hamlet
Claudius creates a fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet and Laetres tips the
foil meant for Hamlet with poison. And if that doesn't get him then the poison-
laced wine Claudius offers to Hamlet should do the trick. Unfortunately, Gertrude
knowingly or unknowingly, depending on your interpretation, drinks the wine.
Oops.

7. True or False: Laertes gives Ophelia some brotherly advice in Act 1, Scene 3,
just prior to his departure for France?
Your Answer: True
Laertes basically tells Ophelia that he doesn't think much of Hamlet, and that he
believes Hamlet's attentions and intentions towards her are false. She roundly
replies that he best not be a hypocrite by prescribing chaste behavior and then go
off to have a grand time himself while in France.
8. In Act 3, Scene 4, whom did Hamlet inadvertently kill while he was in counsel
with Gertrude?
After the play-within-the play, Hamlet is sent for by his mother. The play offended
Claudius and Gertrude wanted to express their displeasure over the play's content.
However, Hamlet shows a backbone and takes his mother to task instead, to the
point where she fears for her life. When she cries out for help Polonius, hiding
behind the tapestry, cries out as well. Hamlet stabs him, thinking perhaps it was
Claudius spying on him.

9. Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Hamlet are sent off to which country in Act 4?
Your Answer: England
The king sends Hamlet off to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern after the
death of Polonius. The king hopes to keep Hamlet at a safe distance, but plans go
awry and Hamlet makes his way back to Denmark just after Ophelia has died.
10. In Act 4, Scene 4, from whom does Hamlet receive a revelation about honor?
Your Answer: a captain
Hamlet comes across Fortinbras and his soldiers marching across a plain of
Denmark on their way to invade Poland. It is certain death for the troops, yet in
talking with the captain, Hamlet realizes the importance of upholding honor. He
means to uphold the family honor and avenge his father's death and murder.
1. "Oh, day and _____, but this is wonderous strange!"
Your Answer: ettttrt
The correct answer was night

Said by Horatio, the only character not to die.
2. "But break my ____ I must hold my tongue."
Your Answer: heart
Said by Hamlet. One of my favourite lines.
3. "Tender yourself more dearly lest you tender me a ____."
The correct answer was fool
Said by Polonius. A very clever pun. In Shakespeare's time, fool was slang or
synonomus for child.

4. "I am ___!" (said by Polonius when he's stabbed)
Your Answer: slain
Ah, Polonius.... such an unintelligent man.
5. "Frailty thy name is ____."
The correct answer was woman
Said by Hamlet. This is my friend Andrei's favourite line.
6. "Sir, I ____ advancement."
Your Answer: crave

The correct answer was lack
Said by Hamlet. The funniest line in the whole play.
7. "I will be ____. Your noble son is mad."
The correct answer was brief
Said by Polonius, but then he wasn't! He went on for like a page and a half about
how he "proved" Hamlet was crazy.
8. "Get thee to a _____."
The correct answer was nunnery

Said by Hamlet to Ophelia. Nunnery was slang for a brothel.
9. "He is ____ and _____, lady." (one of Ophelia's crazy songs)
The correct answer was dead and gone
Crazy Ophelia is my favourite part of the whole play.
10. "Mad for thy ___?"
Your Answer: love
Said by Polonius. You really have to feel bad for Ophelia- her father was not a
very nice person.
. Does the play open in the day or night?

Your Answer: Night
There is a tangible tension. Guards are edgy on the battlements, glad to be relieved
of duty in the biting cold. A very skeptical Horatio has joined them or, as he puts it
himself, "A piece of him" is there. Why is he skeptical? He doubts the appearance
of a ghost.
2. Does Hamlet address Claudius directly in Act 1 sc.2?
Your Answer: y
Claudius appears so efficient, officially announcing his marriage, dealing with the
threat from Fortinbras, allowing Laertes back to university, keeping Hamlet in
Denmark to please Gertrude. But he cannot get a straight answer from Hamlet. "I
shall in all else obey you Madam". He only gets a single remark from Hamlet
designed to highlight his resistance to a stepfather "I am too much in the sun".
3. How does Hamlet describe his mother's re-marriage in his first soliloquy?
Your Answer: All of these
Hamlet is torn apart by conflicting emotions: grief at his father's death, fury at his
mother's hasty re-marriage, disgust at what he believes to be her crocodile tears for
Old Hamlet, a feeling of impending ill and a realisation that he is powerless to stop
it.
4. Complete the line: "My father's spirit in arms,
All is not ...."
The correct answer was Well
Hamlet's mood changes to one of excitement; after hearing Horatio's news, he

cannot wait until nightfall to confront the apparition.
5. What does the ghost ask of Hamlet?
Your Answer: Revenge
"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder". Hamlet does not seem to have any
problem with revenge, but he faces a new crisis- was his mother involved in the
assassination? "O! most pernicious woman" comes before his comment on
Claudius.
6. What decision did Hamlet make at the end of Act 1 sc.5?
Your Answer: To leave Elsinore
The correct answer was To assume madness
Hamlet opted to "put an antick disposition on". How many reasons can you think
of for his decision? Easier access to the King and Queen? Inability to cope with the
news? Fact finding as he did not believe the ghost? etc.
7. Why did Shakespeare include Laertes's letter home for more money in the play?
This is a clever dramatic device, which enables Shakespeare to tell the audience
something important indirectly without spoiling the flow. It also prepares us for
changes in Hamlet's behaviour.

8. What does Polonius think is the cause of Hamlet's madness?
Your Answer: Love
Polonius had forbidden any contact between Ophelia and Hamlet, believing it
could not lead to marriage. Having heard Ophelia's story, he concluded that Hamlet
was lovesick. Claudius listened and agreed to spy on Hamlet, but he had other
thoughts on the origins of Hamlet's behaviour.
9. What news did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring to Hamlet?
Your Answer: Travelling players
Hamlet apparently was fond of the theatre in Wittenberg and had made some
friends among the actors. He was genuinely pleased to hear of their arrival.
10. Complete the famous line: "The play's the thing wherin I'll catch the
conscience of ..."
The correct answer was The King
The players' performance depressed Hamlet. This fine actor could alter his face,
voice, etcetera for the part "What's he to Hecuba that he should weep for her?"
Hamlet perceived himself as a rascal, a coward, a talker, but not a doer and a
scullion, by contrast.
11. Where do Polonius and the King hide while Ophelia is "loosed" to Hamlet?
Your Answer: Behind an arras
Eavesdropping is unworthy of a king, indicating lack of trust and underhanded

dealings. This is subtly conveyed here by Shakespeare's having Claudius spy.
Initially Hamlet is delighted to see Ophelia, then three little words bring a sea
change: "Well well well". Does he see Polonius? Does Ophelia betray her father's
presence? Whatever your opinion, Hamlet turns on Ophelia. "Get thee to a
nunnery", a convent if she is honest, a whorehouse if she is not.
12. Where does Claudius plan to send Hamlet?

Your Answer: England
Unlike Hamlet, Claudius acts decisively when faced with a threat. He sees through
Hamlet's madness, and senses trouble. He decides to give Hamlet a job in England
"demand our neglected tribute", a cover story. Secretly he intends to have Hamlet
killed.
13. What does Hamlet say is the name of the play being performed before the
court?
Your Answer: The Mousetrap
Hamlet and Horatio position themselves where they can watch the king. The
actions so closely resemble the murder of Old Hamlet that Claudius cannot stand it
and rises. It is a pyric victory for Hamlet, for now Claudius realises the extent of
Hamlet's knowledge and will not let him live.
14. Who, according to Polonius, wants to talk to Hamlet at the end of the play
within the play?

Once more Polonius intends to act as an eavesdropper for Claudius. Polonius is
unaware of the depth and range of Hamlet's emotions for his mother. "I will speak
daggers to her but use none".
15. Who says "O my offence is rank it smells to heaven"?
The correct answer was Claudius
Claudius kneels to pray but cannot gain forgiveness. He is alone and an easy target.
Hamlet sees him and has an ideal chance to avenge. Ironically, believing that
Claudius is really praying, Hamlet puts away his sword, awaiting a chance "when
his heels may kick at heaven".
16. Hamlet uses two ....to show Gertrude the difference between her two husbands.
Your Answer: pictures

Hamlet forces his mother to listen, showing her the two pictures of her husbands.
All his pent-up emotions burst forth, and his anger mounts to such an extent that
Gertrude fears for her life.
17. What halts Hamlet's outburst?
Your Answer: Guards
The correct answer was The ghost
Hamlet believes that the ghost has come to whet his revenge. Gertrude neither sees
nor hears the ghost and concludes that Hamlet is indeed mad.
18. Complete the line: "O! from this time forth my thoughts be .... or be nothing
worth"
The correct answer was Bloody

Hamlet encounters Fortinbras's captain, who tells him that they are off to fight a
battle, where there is not land enough to bury the dead but "honour" is at stake.
Hamlet re-evaluates his own commitment and promises to be more decisive.
19. Who is the next to die in the play, after the death of Polonius?
The death of her father proves too much for poor Ophelia; she makes one more
appearance in Act 4 sc. 5 madly singing and distributing flowers. She drowns
while trying to collect wild flowers.
20. Laertes returns from Paris to avenge his father's death.
Your Answer: True
Laertes initially held Claudius responsible for his father's death. Claudius directed
that anger towards Hamlet.

21. Act 5 opens in a graveyard; who is being buried?
This scene has at least three purposes I think: to allow Hamlet to see the fate of all
with Yorick's skull; to allow for an initial confrontation and set the scene for a
future confrontation between Laertes and Hamlet; and to show us the change in
Hamlet.
22. How do Claudius and Laertes ensure Hamlet has no chance of surviving the
duel?
Claudius wound Laertes around his finger, fueling his anger at the deaths of his
father and sister and directing that anger at Hamlet.
23. What did Hamlet do before the duel?

Your Answer: Apologised to Laertes
"Give me your pardon, Sir, I have done you wrong". This gesture shows us
Hamlet's moral superiority.
24. Who told Hamlet the truth finally at the end of the play?
Your Answer: Osric
Laertes, realising that he has been justly poisoned by his own treachery, "as a
woodcock to mine own springe", tells Hamlet everything.
25. Who utters the line "Goodnight sweet prince", which has given this quiz its
name?
In a very quick finale Laertes, Gertrude, Claudius, and Hamlet are dead. Horatio
wished to die too, but honoured Hamlet's dying request to "tell my story".

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Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential

tragedies in all of English literature,

"the world's most filmed story after Cinderella"

It has been theorized that Hamlet is based on the legend of Amleth

Shakespeare may also have drawn on or perhaps written an earlier (hypothetical)

Claudius – King of Denmark, and Hamlet's uncle.

Gertrude – Queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet.

Polonius – Lord Chamberlain

Ophelia – Daughter to Polonius

Horatio – Friend to Hamlet

Laertes – Son to Polonius

Voltimand and Cornelius – Courtiers

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – Courtiers, friends to Hamlet.

Reynaldo – Servant to Polonius

Ghost of Hamlet's Father

Fortinbras – Prince of Norway

Player King, Player Queen, Lucianus, etc. – Players

None-- he is just called "Ghost" and his name is never given

Cornelius and Voltimand

Cornelius and Lucio

Reynaldo and Lucio

Reynaldo and Voltemand

England Italy Denmark

Because Laertes challenges the priest to a duel

7. In an amusing scene, Polonius rambles on and on to one of his uninterested

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Sampson and Gregory Bernardo and Francisco

9. Who first tells Horatio of the ghost's existence?

He is the person who poisons the wine

He is the referee for the fight between Hamlet and Laertes

He is the person who physically kills Claudius

He is the person who discovers Ophelia's drowned body

Your Answer: Bernado and Marcellus

Your Answer: Men working on ships by both day and night.

Marcelleus talks about the "impress of shipwrights" - suggesting continuous forced

3. What job does Claudius allocate to Cornelius and Valtemand?

Your Answer: The job of watching Hamlet's movements more closely.

Your Answer: Less than two months

"That it should come to this -

The correct answer was All of these reasons.

Your Answer: Claudius poured poison in his ear whilst he slept.

Your Answer: By arranging for a local priest to hear his confession

Your Answer: His stockings were hanging down to his ankles.

44% of players have answered correctly.

Your Answer: That young Hamlet should be allowed to visit Norway.

68% of players have answered correctly.

By now Polonius appears to have convinced himself that Hamlet's apparent

74% of players have answered correctly.

Your Answer: The players.

72% of players have answered correctly.

Your Answer: The killing of King Priam by the brutal Pyrrhus.

76% of players have answered correctly.

61% of players have answered correctly.

Your Answer: He refers to the arras behind which Polonius is hiding.

17. In what way does Hamlet confirm that he trusts Horatio?

79% of players have answered correctly.

18. Which part did Polonius once play in "Julius Caesar"?

Your Answer: Julius Caesar

28% of players have answered correctly.

82% of players have answered correctly.

Your Answer: A cloud

77% of players have answered correctly.

Your Answer: Claudius' soul may go to heaven if he is killed in prayer.