Act and scene summaries

Question 1

Summarise 1.1

Answer 1

-Starts with ‘who’s there’
-ghost appears

Question 2

Summarise 1.2

Answer 2

-Claudius is presented as a skilled orator and attempts to win over the court
-Hamlet’s first soliloquy suggesting he sees Gertrude as duplicitous and speaks proudly of his father

Question 3

Summarise 1.3

Answer 3

-Polonius and Laertes give stern warnings to ophelia to end her relationship with Hamlet

Question 4

Summarise 1.5

Answer 4

-The ghost speaks for the first time and reveals Claudius as his fathers killer

Question 5

Summarise 2.1

Answer 5

-Polonius instructs Reynaldo, his servant to go and spy on Laertes

Question 6

Summarise 2.2

Answer 6

-Claudius asks R and G to spy on Hamlet
-Polonius and Claudius say they will watch the next time Hamlet meets with ophelia
-Hamlet meets a group of players and asks them to perform -the murder of Gonzago’

Question 7

Summarise 2.2 Hamlet’s soliloquy

Answer 7

-Reflects his own inability to take decisive action
-his failure to avenge his father has lead to him feeling emasculated and ignoble
-he decided he will use the play as a way of determining CL’s guilt ‘I’ll catch the conscience of the king’

Question 8

Summarise 3.1

Answer 8

-Hamlet’s soliloquy is different in tone compared to his angst-ridden speech at the end of Act 2
-he dispassionately considers the nature of life and death

Question 9

Summarise 3.3

Answer 9

-After watching ‘the mousetrap’ Claudius is guilty
-Claudius attempts to pray but he cannot as he wants absolution but feels it is out of reach

Question 10

Summarise 3.4

Answer 10

-Hamlet attacks his mother for being corrupt.
-Hamlet thrusts his sword through the curtain believing the hidden presence to be Claudius but it is Polonius

Question 11

Summarise 4.5

Answer 11

-Gertrude opens the scene admitting she is living in a state of worry
-Ophelia is seemingly mad with grief

Question 12

Summarise 4.7

Answer 12

-Claudius manipulates Laertes to get him to agree to the fencing match
-Ophelia drowns

Question 13

Summarise 5.1

Answer 13

-gravediggers offer comic relief

Question 14

Summarise 5.2

Answer 14

-Gertrude dies as she sips from the cup of poison
-Hamlet kills Laertes with poisoned blade
-Laertes kills Hamlet with poisoned blade
-Hamlet kills Claudius by stabbing him and forcing him to drink from the cup of poison