characters

Question 1

hamlet

Answer 1

• the prince of denmark
• around 30 at the start of the play
• melancholy, bitter, cynical
• full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming , and disgust for his mother’s sexuality
• reflective and thoughtful - studied at the university of wittenberg
• often indecisive and hesitant - but at other times is impulsive and rash

Question 2

claudius

Answer 2

• the king of denmark, and hamlet’s uncle
• the play’s antagonist
• calculated and ambitious
• driven by his sexual appetites and lust for power
• occasionally shows guilt and human feeling

Question 3

gertrude

Answer 3

• queen of denmark, hamlet’s father
• loves hamlet deeply
• is a shallow and weak woman
• places affection and status over moral rectitude or truth

Question 4

polonius

Answer 4

• lord chamberlain of claudius’ court
• a pompous, conniving old man
• father of laertes and ophelia

Question 5

ophelia

Answer 5

• polonius’ daughter
• beautiful young woman, who hamlet has been in love with
• sweet and innocent
• obeys her father and her brother, laertes
• dependent on men
• maidenly, even in her lapse into madness and death

Question 6

laertes

Answer 6

• polonius’ son and ophelia’s brother
• spends much of the play in france
• passionate, and quick to action
• a foil for hamlet

Question 7

the ghost

Answer 7

• hamlet’s recently deceased father
• claims to have been murdered by claudius
• calls upon hamlet to avenge him
• not certain if the ghost is what it appears to be
• hamlet speculates the ghost may be a devil sent to deceive him

Question 8

horatio

Answer 8

• hamlet’s close friend
• studied with him at the university in wittenberg
• loyal and helpful to hamlet
• remains alive to tell hamlet’s story after his death

Question 9

fortinbras

Answer 9

• the young prince of norway
• his father was killed by hamlet’s father
• wishes to attack denmark to avenge his father’s honour
• another foil for hamlet

Question 10

rosencrantz and guildenstern

Answer 10

• two bumbling courtiers
• former friends of hamlet

Question 11

osric

Answer 11

• foolish courtier
• summons hamlet to his duel with laertes

Question 12

voltimand and cornelius

Answer 12

courtiers whom claudius send to norway to persuade the king to prevent fortinbras from attacking

Question 13

marcellus and bernardo

Answer 13

• the officers who first see the ghost
• they summon horatio to witness it
• marcellus is present when hamlet first encounters the ghost

Question 14

francisco

Answer 14

soldier and guardsman at elsinore

Question 15

reynaldo

Answer 15

• polonius’ servant
• sent to france by polonius to spy on laertes