Hamlet Flashcards

Drama Revision

1
Q

What are the first words of the play?

A

‘Who’s there?’

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2
Q

At what time does the play begin?

A

Midnight

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3
Q

What is happening as the play begins?

A

There is a changing of the guard

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4
Q

What is the correct term for a tragic hero’s fatal flaw?

A

Hamartia

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5
Q

What type of play is Hamlet?

A

revenge tragedy

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6
Q

Which classical playwright influenced Shakespeare?

A

Seneca

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7
Q

How is Hamlet different to Shakespeare’s earlier tragedies?

A

It is more complex - not solely based on violence and sensationalism.

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8
Q

Which other Renaissance play is thought to have influenced Hamlet?

A

The Spanish Tragedy by Thomas Kyd

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9
Q

Who is the scholar and sceptic that we meet in the first scene?

A

Horatio

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10
Q

What law was passed in 1542?

A

The witchcraft act - this made witchcraft a crime punishable by death.

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11
Q

Who wrote Daemonologie?

A

James I

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12
Q

What was Daemonologie?

A

A pamphlet written by James I warning about the dangers of black magic.

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13
Q

What does Francisco say in 1.1 - ‘I am_______at heart’

A

sick

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14
Q

In 1.1, what does Horatio say of the ghost - ‘it bodes some strange______to our state’

A

eruption

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15
Q

How does Marcellus refer to the ghost in 1.1 - ‘a _______ sight’

A

dreaded

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16
Q

How does Horatio refer to the ghost in 1.1 - ‘it harrows me with ______ and _________

A

fear and wonder

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17
Q

How is Old Hamlet presented in 1.1?

A

A brave and successful warrior

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18
Q

Whilst the men watch for the ghost in 1.1, we also learn that Denmark is preparing for….?

A

war

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19
Q

What is the name of the character that wants to reclaim the lands lost by his father?

A

Young Fortinbras

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20
Q

How is Young Fortinbras described in 1.1 - ‘unimproved mettle_______ and full,

A

hot - meaning he is hot-headed and aggressive

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21
Q

Which quotation in 1.1 presents Young Fortinbras as aggressive and violent?

A

‘unimproved mettle hot and full’

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22
Q

The aim of tragedy is to arouse sensations of_______ and ________’ (Aristotle)

A

pity and fear

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23
Q

‘The opening scene of Hamlet is as well _______ as that of any play ever written’ (T.S. Eliot)

A

constructed

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24
Q

In 1.1, what does Horatio say of the ghost - ‘it started like a _________ thing’

A

guilty

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25
Q

Who was on the throne when Hamlet was first performed?

A

Elizabeth I

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26
Q

Why was there anxiety about Elizabeth’s reign during the time the play was performed?

A

Elizabeth was growing older and had no children or obvious successors

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27
Q

What was The Bishop’s Ban?

A

A ban (put in place in 1599) on any text that was seen as blasphemous or unpatriotic.

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28
Q

How long had Elizabeth I reigned for when Hamlet was first performed?

A

40 years

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29
Q

What is the style of metre used to structure Claudius’ speech in 1.2?

A

Iambic pentameter

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30
Q

‘Though yet of Hamlet _________ dear brother’s death’

A

our

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31
Q

Why does Claudius repeatedly use the plural voice in his 1.2 speech?

A

To unite the royal court, suggesting they share the same grief.

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32
Q

How does Claudius’ speech in 1.2 juxtapose the previous scene?

A

His speech is long, calm and measured, juxtaposing the short choppy rhythms of the opening scene.

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33
Q

‘with one auspicious and a dopping _______’

A

eye

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34
Q

‘Claudius shows every sign of being an excellent ________ and king’ (Knight)

A

diplomat

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35
Q

How does Claudius deal with the threat from Young Fortinbras?

A

He takes a diplomatic route, choosing to write to Norway (the uncle of Young Fortinbras)

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36
Q

‘nor have we herein barr’d/Your better ___________’

A

wisdoms

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37
Q

In 1.2, how is Claudius presented as a different king to Old Hamlet?

A

Claudius favours diplomacy in dealing with Young Fortinbras, whereas Old Hamlet is depicted as a valiant warrior king.

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38
Q

In 1.2, Hamlet is dressed in ‘suits of __________ black

A

solemn

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39
Q

What are some of the words that Claudius uses to appear balanced and logical?

A

‘Though’/’Yet’/’Therefore’

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40
Q

Why was there anxiety about Elizabeth I at the time the play was performed?

A

She was reaching the end of her reign and had no obvious successors.

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41
Q

What had Elizabeth I provided to England during her reign?

A

stability, after a previous period of significant change and a number of different monarchs

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42
Q

Who was the monarch when the play was perfomed?

A

Elizabeth I

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43
Q

How long had Elizabeth I reigned when Hamlet was performed?

A

40 years

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44
Q

Which critic said ‘Claudius shows every sign of being an excellent diplomat and king’

A

Knight

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45
Q

‘_______ madam? Nay, it is. I know not ________’

A

seems

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46
Q

‘A little more than kin, and less than ________’

A

kind

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47
Q

‘I have that within which passes _________’

A

show

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48
Q

‘Ay ________, it is common’

A

madam

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49
Q

What formal term does Hamlet call his mother in 1.2?

A

Madam

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50
Q

What technique is used in the quotation: ‘A little more than kin, and less than kind’?

A

pun

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51
Q

‘Hyperion to a ________’

A

satyr

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52
Q

What is a satyr?

A

A lustful half man half goat

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53
Q

‘____________ thy name is woman’

A

frailty

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54
Q

Of whom is the following referring?’Frailty thy name is woman’

A

Gertrude

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55
Q

‘a ________ that wants discourse of reason/Would have mourned longer’

A

beast

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56
Q

‘no more like my father/Than I to _________’

A

Hercules

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57
Q

‘the salt of most ___________ tears’

A

unrighteous

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58
Q

Whose tears are called ‘unrighteous’ and what does that word mean?

A

Gertrude - it means insincere

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59
Q

Which Gods does Hamlet compare his father to in 1.2?

A

Hyperion (a sun god) and Hercules

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60
Q

Which figure of the time might have influenced the presentation of Gertrude?

A

Mary Queen of Scots

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61
Q

In what way might Mary Queen of Scots influenced the presentation of Gertrude?

A

MQoS, like Gertrude, failed to observe a proper mourning period for her husband and married the man many thought had killed him.

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62
Q

In 1.2, where is Laertes granted permission to return to?

A

University in Paris

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63
Q

In 1.2, which quotation shows Claudius flattering the royal court?

A

‘nor have we herein barr’d/Your better wisdoms’

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64
Q

What does hamartia mean?

A

a fatal flaw (that leads to the downfall of a character)

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65
Q

Who is Polonius?

A

A royal advisor; father of Ophelia and Laertes

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66
Q

‘A __________ in the youth of primy nature’

A

violet

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67
Q

‘___________ it no more’

A

Think

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68
Q

Who tells Ophelia, ‘Think it no more’?

A

Laertes

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69
Q

‘your chaste ________ open’

A

treasure

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70
Q

What technique is used in the phrase ‘chaste treasure’?

A

metaphor

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71
Q

Which word does Laertes repeat when speaking to Ophelia in 1.3?

A

Fear. e.g. ‘Fear it, Ophelia, fear it’/’best safety lies in fear’

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72
Q

‘the _____ galls the infants of the spring’

A

canker

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73
Q

What is the ‘canker’ that Laertes says ‘galls the infants of the spring’?

A

The cankerworm - a phallic image that suggests that purity becomes corrupted by sex.

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74
Q

What is the semantic field that Polonius uses in 1.3 when talking to Ophelia about her relationship with Hamlet?

A

Semantic field of money/currency

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75
Q

Who says ‘contagious blastments are most imminent’ and what is being described?

A

Laertes - in 1.3, describing how Ophelia’s relationship with Hamlet will inevitably lead to corruption and contagion.

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76
Q

‘_________ blastments are most imminent’

A

contagious

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77
Q

‘Think yourself a _______’

A

baby

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78
Q

Who tells Ophelia to ‘think yourself a baby’?

A

Polonius - suggesting she is foolish and naive, and does not understand her relationship with Hamlet.

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79
Q

‘you have taken these __________ for true pay’

A

tenders

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80
Q

After Polonius lectures Ophelia in 1.3 about her relationship with Hamlet, how does she respond?

A

‘I shall obey, my lord’ - she is completely obedient.

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81
Q

‘you do not understand yourself so clearly/As it behoves my __________’

A

daughter

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82
Q

‘you speak like a ______ girl’

A

green

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83
Q

Who tells Ophelia ‘you speak like a green girl’?

A

Polonius - meaning she is naive in how she sees her relationship with Hamlet.

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84
Q

Which word (beginning with a) describes a ghost or ghost-like image?

A

apparition

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85
Q

Which word (beginning with a) describes something that is uncertain or unclear?

A

ambiguous

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86
Q

Which word (beginning with o) describes a public speaker?

A

orator

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87
Q

Which word (beginning with e) means to be fluent or persuasive when using words?

A

eloquent

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88
Q

Which word (beginning with m) refers to a feeling of deep sadness?

A

melancholy

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89
Q

Which word (beginning with d) means a god or godlike figure?

A

deity

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90
Q

Which word (beginning with d) means deceitful?

A

duplicitous

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91
Q

Which word (beginning with p) refers to a system controlled by men?

A

patriarchal

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92
Q

‘they are brokers/Not of the ________ which their investments show’

A

dye

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93
Q

What does Polonius mean when he says to Ophelia: ‘they are brokers/Not of the dye which their investments show’

A

He uses a metaphor to suggest that Hamlet’s promises are like counterfeit money.

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94
Q

‘Ophelia is deprived of thought, _______ and _________’ (Showalter)

A

sexuality and language

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95
Q

Which critic said: ‘Opelia is deprived of thought, sexuality and language’?

A

Showalter

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96
Q

‘In Shakespeare’s society, the ideal female is cherished for her youth, ___________ and purity’ (Rogers)

A

beauty

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97
Q

Which critic said: ‘In Shakespeare’s society, the ideal female is cherished for her youth, beauty and purity’?

A

Rogers

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98
Q

What did Elizabeth say of her own femininity: ‘I know I have but the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart of a ________’

A

king

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99
Q

In order to appear an untouchable and perfect beauty, Elizabeth I conducted her relationships in the style of a…..?

A

Petrarchan lover

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100
Q

Due to her unmarried status and supposed ‘purity’, what was Elizabeth I sometimes called?

A

the virgin queen

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101
Q

In 1.4, how does Hamlet refer to the ghost: ‘a spirit of health or a _______ damn’d’?

A

goblin

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102
Q

In 1.4, what famous line does Marcellus say, suggesting that the ghost perhaps symbolises a corruption within Denmark?

A

‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark’

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103
Q

In 1.4, Horatio worries that the ghost may in fact be a devil that will ‘tempt [Hamlet] toward the ____________?’

A

flood

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104
Q

Who presented herself in court as a Petrarchan lover?

A

Elizabeth I

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105
Q

Young Fortinbras as a character is rash and impetuous, contrasting the play’s more thoughtful protagonist. What word (beginning with f) describes juxtaposing characters?

A

foil (dramatic foil)

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106
Q

Where does Hamlet attend university

A

Wittenberg

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107
Q

What is the significance of Hamlet attending university at Wittenberg?

A

It was the ‘birthplace’ of The Protestant Reformation, one of the key events of the Renaissance. Thus, Shakespeare presents Hamlet as a product and symbol of this era.

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108
Q

‘Ay springes to catch __________’

A

Woodcocks

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109
Q

Who says the following: ‘Springes to catch woodcocks’?

A

Polonius - suggesting that Hamlet’s promises are traps (springes) to ensnare Ophelia (a ‘woodcock’ - an easily caught bird)

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110
Q

‘Speak I am __________ to hear’

A

bound

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111
Q

Who says ‘Speak I am bound to hear’, and to whom does he say it?

A

Hamlet to the ghost - suggesting he feels a sense of filial duy

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112
Q

Which word (beginning with f) means the relationship between son and parent.

A

filial

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113
Q

‘________, ____________, O ____________, if thou didst ever thy dear father love’

A

list (listen)

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114
Q

‘Haste me to know it, that I may _______ to my revenge’

A

sweep

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115
Q

‘__________ me to know it, that I may sweep to my revenge’

A

haste

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116
Q

‘The __________ that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown’

A

serpent (biblical imagery that presents Claudius as a blasphemous figure who has gone against God)

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117
Q

Who is compared to a serpent?

A

Claudius - ‘The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown’

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118
Q

What are the connotations of the following: ‘The serpent that did sting thy father’s life/Now wears his crown’?

A

Biblical imagery - Claudius is compared to the serpent in The Garden of Eden, a figure of deceit whose actions went against God.

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119
Q

‘thy _________ all alone shall live’

A

commandment

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120
Q

How might you describe the tone of the ghost’s language in 1.5?

A

Much of the ghost’s language takes an imperative tone. E.g: - ‘list, list, O list’ - ‘Mark me’ - ‘now, Hamlet, hear’ - ‘remember me’

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121
Q

Who says ‘I have sworn’t’ and when do they say it?

A

Hamlet says it after speaking to the ghost in 1.5 - showing how he sees his promise to his father as an unbreakable sacred pact.

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122
Q

‘I have ___________’

A

sworn’t’

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123
Q

What was the name of Shakespeare’s son?

A

Hamnet

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124
Q

When did Hamnet (Shakespeare’s son) die?

A

1596 - approximately five years before Hamlet was first performed.

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125
Q

How might Hamlet have been influenced by Hamnet’s death?

A

Hamnet/Hamlet were at this time the same name; some have suggested the focus on father-son relationships in the play is shaped by Shakespeare losing his only son.

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126
Q

‘All duties seem _________ to Hamlet’ (Von Goethe)

A

holy

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127
Q

Which critic said: ‘all duties seem holy to Hamlet’

A

Von Goethe

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128
Q

Hamlet is rather an __________ than an agent’ (Johnson)

A

instrument

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129
Q

Which critic said: ‘Hamlet is rather an instrument than an agent’

A

Johnson

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130
Q

Hamlet is rather an instrument than an ____________ (Johnson)

A

agent

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131
Q

What is the name of Polonius’ servant who he sent to spy on Laertes?

A

Reynaldo

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132
Q

What word (beginning with e) means to be cut off from the church?

A

excommunicated

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133
Q

In what year was Elizabeth I excommunicated by the Pope?

A

1570

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134
Q

Why was Elizabeth I excommunicated by the Pope in 1570?

A

For making England a Protestant nation

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135
Q

Why did Elizabeth I establish a spy network?

A

To combat the threat posed by her Catholic enemies in Europe and in England; they wanted to overthrow the Protestant Elizabeth I and replace her with a Catholic ruler (Mary QoS)

136
Q

Which word (beginning with s) refers to ideas of close observation, and is one of the play’s major themes?

A

surveillance

137
Q

‘Put on him what _______ you please’

A

forgeries

138
Q

Who says ‘put on him what forgeries you please’ and what is being referred to here?

A

Polonius tells Reynaldo to spread untruthful stories about Laertes in order to find out about his recent behaviour.

139
Q

What does the name Reynaldo mean?

A

fox-like

140
Q

How does Reynaldo respond to Polonius’ instructions that he slanders Laertes?

A

He is concerned that such untruthful suggestions would taint Laertes’ honour.

141
Q

‘I have been so ___________’

A

affrighted

142
Q

Who says ‘I have been so affrighted’

A

Ophelia - after Hamlet bursts into her chamber acting erratically (and maybe feigning madness)

143
Q

Which quotation means to feign madness?

A

‘antic disposition’

144
Q

What does Hamlet mean when he says that he intends to put on an ‘antic disposition’

A

He means that he intends to feign madness

145
Q

How does Polonius respond to Ophelia’s ‘affrighted’ emotional state in 2.1?

A

He tells Ophelia ‘go we to the king’, using his daughter’s distress to gain favour with Claudius.

146
Q

In 2.2, what does Claudius ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do?

A

spy on Hamlet and ‘gather/So much as from occasion you may glean’

147
Q

Who does Claudius grant ‘quiet pass’ through Denmark?

A

Young Fortinbras

148
Q

Why does Claudius grant Young Fortinbras ‘quiet pass’ through Denmark

A

Because he has made ‘vow before his uncle never more/To give the assay of arms against’ Claudius. Instead, he will travel through Denmark to invade Poland.

149
Q

In 2.2, how does Polonius metaphorically describe the news he has of Hamlet’s strange behaviour?

A

‘the fruit to that great feast’ - this conveys his self-importance and pomposity.

150
Q

Who describes his thoughts as being ‘the fruit to that great feast’?

A

Polonius

151
Q

In 2.2, what does Gertrude instruct Polonius, suggesting she sees him as being unnecessarily verbose?

A

‘More matter, with less art.

152
Q

In 2.2, how does Shakespeare craft Polonius’ language to present him as self important and somewhat ridiculous.

A

Shakespeare gives Polonius language that is unnecessarily complex with his syntax muddled. E.g. when speaking of Hamlet, Polonius says: ‘That he is mad, ‘tis true: ‘tis true ‘tis pity; And pity ‘tis ‘tis true’

153
Q

In 2.2, what does Hamlet call Polonius?

A

A fishmonger

154
Q

Why might Hamlet’s insult to Polonius (calling him a ‘fishmonger’) be considered a pun.

A

A fishmonger was another name for a brothel-keeper (or a fleshmonger - a seller of ‘flesh’). Hamlet is suggesting Polonius treats Ophelia like a prostitute, using her for his own gain.

155
Q

‘to be ___________, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand’

A

honest

156
Q

Who says the following, to whom? ‘to be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand’

A

Hamlet to Polonius.

157
Q

After Polonius exits the scene in 2.2, what does Hamlet say in reference to the royal advisor?

A

‘these tedious old fools’

158
Q

What was the Babington Plot?

A

A plot in 1586 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I and replace her with the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots,

159
Q

When did The Babington Plot take place?

A

1586

160
Q

What does the word eponymous mean?

A

A person giving their name to something.

161
Q

What is the significance of ‘the rainbow portrait’?

A

The eyes and ears patterned on Elizabeth’s dress in this portrait link to her spy network and the surveillance of the time.

162
Q

How weary, stale, flat, and ____________// Seem to me all the uses of this world!

A

unprofitable

163
Q

How does Shakespeare structure the rhythms of Hamlet’s speech in his first soliloquy, e.g.

A

The frequent punctuation creates a much slower rhythm, representing Hamlet’s melancholic state. This is a direct contrast to the free flowing nature of Claudius’ speech that opens 1.2

164
Q

Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing // Quarreling ____________’

A

drabbing

165
Q

Who says the following: ‘Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing, Quarreling drabbing’?

A

Polonius - he instructs Reynaldo to make up shocking stories about Laertes to discover the nature of his behaviour in Paris.

166
Q

What does ‘drabbing’ mean and who uses this word?

A

Drabbing = using prostitutes. Polonius says this when telling his servant (Reynaldo) to spread untruths about Laertes.

167
Q

What technique is used here: ‘Ay, or drinking, fencing, swearing // Quarreling, drabbing’

A

Listing. Shakespeare uses this to show how far Polonius will go to discover the nature of Laertes’ behaviour and, more importantly, to protect his own reputation.

168
Q

What is the name of the play that Hamlet asks the players to perform?

A

The Murder of Gonzago

169
Q

Hamlet can be privileged in madness to say things about the corruption of __________/___________ (Mack)

A

human behaviour

170
Q

Which critic says the following: ‘Hamlet can be privileged in madness to say things about the corruption of human behaviour.’?

A

Mack

171
Q

Which word (beginning with e) means to feel weaker and deprived of a male identity?

A

emasculated

172
Q

What word (beginning with i) means lacking honour?

A

ignoble

173
Q

What does ignoble mean?

A

Lacking honour

174
Q

‘Rogue and _________ slave’

A

peasant

175
Q

Why does Hamlet call himself a ‘rogue and peasant slave’?

A

He sees his behaviour as lowly and ignoble. He calls himself a ‘slave’ as he feels trapped - by his own moral indecision and the pact he has made with his father.

176
Q

‘___________ liver’d’

A

pigeon

177
Q

‘must like a __________ unpack my heart with words’

A

who*re

178
Q

Why does Hamlet call himself a ‘who*re who must ‘unpack my heart with words’

A

He feels that his inaction is cheap and undignified. Hamlet feels a sense of self loathing that he feels compelled to constantly unpick his emotions, rather than acting.

179
Q

‘___________ of my cause’

A

unpregnant

180
Q

‘The play’s the thing/Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the ___________’

A

king

181
Q

Why is a rhyming couplet used at the end of Hamlet’s soliloquy in 2.2

A

It represents him reaching a resolution and finding a relative sense of certainty.

182
Q

Which critic? ‘Hamlet seems incapable of deliberate action’

A

Hazlitt

183
Q

‘Hamlet seems incapable of ___________ action’ (Hazlitt)

A

deliberate

184
Q

‘Hamlet’s delay is due to…a form of _____________’ (Bradley)

A

melancholy

185
Q

Why does Hamlet call himself ‘pigeon liver’d’

A

In the Elizabethan era, the liver was seen as the storehouse or courage. Hamlet is therefore saying that he is cowardly for not taking action.

186
Q

3.1 begins in the middle of Claiudius speaking - what is the correct term for this?

A

media res

187
Q

What is media res?

A

A term meaning ‘in the midst of things’ - where a scene opens in the middle of a conversation, e.g. 3.1 - ‘and can you by no drift…’

188
Q

In 3.1, Claudius compared his ‘most pained word’ to the harlot’s….?

A

‘plastering art’

189
Q

In 3.1, Claudius compares the harlot’s ‘plastering art’ to his….what?

A

‘most painted word’

190
Q

Why does Claudius compare the harlot’s ‘plastering art’ to his ‘most painted word’?

A

They are both constructions used to conceal immorality.

191
Q

What technique is used in the phrase, ‘to be, or not to be’?

A

parallel phrasing

192
Q

‘the slings and arrows of outrageous ____________’

A

fortune

193
Q

‘a __________ of troubles’

A

sea

194
Q

Why does Hamlet compare life to facing ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’?

A

He is suggesting life is unpredictable and governed not by merit or justice, but by luck and chance.

195
Q

What key period might Hamlet be seen as embodying?

A

The Renaissance

196
Q

What does Renaissance mean?

A

rebirth (of questioning and curiosity)

197
Q

What was the name of the philosophy that gained prominence during The Renaissance period which placed ‘man as the measure of all things’

A

Humanism

198
Q

What was Humanism?

A

An intellectual movement of The Renaissance period that placed ‘man as the measure of all things’

199
Q

How is Hamlet attending Wittenburg university perhaps significant?

A

Wittenburg was where The Protestant Reformation (one of the key events of The Renaissance) began. Thus, Shakespeare links Hamlet to the changes of The Renaissance period.

200
Q

What dramatic technique does Shakespeare use for Claudius’ confession in 3.1?

A

aside

201
Q

In 3.1, why does Shakespeare use an aside (rather than a soliloquy) for Claudius’ confession?

A

It presents him as cunning and duplicitous

202
Q

In his 3.1 soliloquy, what does Hamlet refer to death as - ‘the undiscovered ________________’?

A

country

203
Q

To what is Hamlet referring when he talks of ‘the undiscovered country’?

A

death

204
Q

‘for in that sleep what __________ may come’

A

dreams

205
Q

What is Hamlet referring to in his 3.1 soliloquy when he questions ‘for in that sleep what dreams may come’?

A

The uncertainty of what comes after death

206
Q

‘the native hue of resolution/is __________ over by the pale cast of thought’

A

sicklied

207
Q

‘the native hue of ___________ is sicklied over by the pale cast of thought’

A

resolution

208
Q

In his 3.1 soliloquy, how does Hamlet present thought and rationality: ‘the native hue of resolution/is sicklied over by the pale cast of thought’

A

Thought is a form of corruption/disease that infects our natural instinct to act.

209
Q

Which word (beginning with d) means without emotion?

A

dispassionate

210
Q

In which part of the play might Hamlet most obviously be described as dispassionate?

A

In his 3.1 ‘to be, or not to be’ soliloquy. Although he is considering life and death, the tone and rhythm of Hamlet’s speech is measured and in control.

211
Q

‘The single characteristic of Hamlet’s character is by no means hesitation but the strong conflux of ___________ forces.’ (Swinbourne)

A

contending

212
Q

Which critic? ‘Hamlet is a tragedy of thought.’

A

Bradley

213
Q

‘Hamlet is a tragedy of ______________.’ (Bradley)

A

thought

214
Q

‘Beauty will sooner transform/honesty from what it is to a ____________’

A

bawd

215
Q

What is a ‘bawd’ and in which quotation is it mentioned?

A

bawd = woman in charge of a brother. Hamlet says to Ophelia in 3.1, ‘beauty will sooner transform/honesty from what it is to a bawd’?’ He is suggesting that beauty is a corrupting force.

216
Q

‘get thee to a ___________’

A

nunnery

217
Q

Which critic? ‘The single characteristic of Hamlet’s character is by no means hesitation but the strong conflux of contending forces.’

A

Swinbourne

218
Q

What are the different meanings of a ‘nunnery’?

A
  1. A place where nuns live - a setting of purity and virtue. 2. Slang for a brothel - a place stereotypically associated with disease and corruption.
219
Q

‘I have heard of your ____________’

A

paintings

220
Q

What does Hamlet mean when he tells Ophelia in 3.1 ‘I have heard of your paintings

A

He knows of her artificiality and the way she deceptively conceals her inner corruption.

221
Q

‘You jig and amble, and you ________’

A

lisp

222
Q

What does Hamlet mean when he tells Ophelia ‘you jig and amble and you lisp’?

A

That she talks and moves in an affected and artificial way, putting on a performance of innocence.

223
Q

We can imagine Hamlet’s story without _________ but ____________ literally has no story without Hamlet.’ (Edwards)

A

Ophelia

224
Q

Which critic? ‘We can imagine Hamlet’s story without Ophelia, but Ophelia literally has no story without Hamlet.’

A

Edwards

225
Q

What does Hamlet call the play that is performed?

A

The Mousetrap

226
Q

Which word (beginning with a) means to be forgiven for your sins?

A

absolution. E.g. In his soliloquy in 3..3, Claudius is shown to desperately want absolution.

227
Q

Where does Claudius decide to send Hamlet?

A

England

228
Q

Who is told to accompany Hamlet to England?

A

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

229
Q

What is the Great Chain of Being?

A

This was a common belief in the Elizabethan era based on the idea that God created a social order for everybody. This meant that the king or queen was there because they had been chosen by God.

230
Q

What was the name of the common belief in the Elizabethan era that suggested that the king or queen was the chosen representative of God on earth?

A

The Great Chain of Being

231
Q

Which word (beginning with r) means the act of killing a king?

A

regicide

232
Q

What does regicide mean?

A

The act of killing a king

233
Q

my offence is rank, it smells to heaven/It hath the _________________ eldest curse upon’t’?

A

primal

234
Q

What is Claudius referring to when he says that his ‘offence…hath the primal eldest curse upon’t’?

A

He compares his murder of Old Hamlet to the story of the brothers Cain and Abel, Cain being the world’s first ever murderer.

235
Q

Why does Claudius compare his killing of Old Hamlet to the story of Cain and Abel?

A

He is conveying that what he has done is not just a crime, but a deeply blasphemous act against God.

236
Q

Is there ___________ enough in the sweet heavens/To wash it white as snow’

A

rain

237
Q

Is there rain enough in the sweet heavens/To wash it white as ____________’

A

snow

238
Q

How does Shakespeare use juxtaposing colour imagery in his soliloquy?

A

Claudius wants his soul to be cleansed and ‘washed as white as snow’, but he feels that his ‘bosom [is as] black as death’.

239
Q

‘My crown, mine own ambition, and my _____________?’

A

queen

240
Q

‘My crown, mine own ___________, and my queen?’

A

ambition

241
Q

How does Shakespeare present Claudius via the repeated possessives: ‘My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen’?

A

That he feels a sense of ownership, over the crown and queen, despite having gained both immorally. This forms the basis of his conflict: he wants to repent but also doesn’t want to give up what he has gained.

242
Q

‘Claudius is not a ______________, he is morally weak’ (Mabillard)

A

monster

243
Q

Claudius is not a monster, he is morally weak’ (_________)

A

Mabillard

244
Q

‘Claudius is not a monster, he is morally _____________’ (Mabillard)

A

weak

245
Q

‘_____________ is not a monster, he is morally weak’ (Mabillard)

A

Claudius

246
Q

‘Claudius’ soliloquy gives the impression of _____________ pageantry rather than sincere contrition.’ (Arnold)

A

rhetorical

247
Q

Claudius’ soliloquy gives the impression of rhetorical pageantry rather than sincere contrition.’ (__________)

A

Arnold

248
Q

‘Claudius’ soliloquy gives the impression of rhetorical pageantry rather than sincere ______________.’ (Arnold)

A

contrition

249
Q

What does the phrase ‘rhetorical pageantry’ mean and which critic uses it?

A

rhetorical pageantry = an impressive display of language. Arnold uses this when he says that ‘Claudius’ soliloquy gives the impression of rhetorical pageantry rather than sincere contrition.’

250
Q

What does the word ‘contrition’ mean?

A

The state of feeling remorseful

251
Q

‘heart with strings of ____________’

A

steel

252
Q

Who talks of having a ‘heart with strings of steel’?

A

Claudius, in his soliloquy, suggesting his crime has made him emotionally hardened and therefore unable to fully repent.

253
Q

What is the significance of 3.4 taking place in Gertrude’s private closet?

A

It represents Hamlet invading her private world and exposing her.

254
Q

What is the technique used in 3.4 here: ‘Gertrude: Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended//Hamlet: Mother, thou hast my father much offended

A

Stichomythia

255
Q

Why does Shakespeare use stichomythia in 3.4 (closet scene), e.g.

A

To convey how Hamlet is unwilling to accept his mother’s authority - it makes clear from the scene’s opening that Hamlet will defiantly challenge Gertrude.

256
Q

‘Thou wretched rash _____ fool’

A

intruding

257
Q

Who is called a ‘wretched rash intruding fool’

A

Polonius (just after Hamlet kills him)

258
Q

‘let me wring your ____________’

A

heart

259
Q

‘You go not till I set up a glass/Where you may see the _________ part of you’

A

inmost

260
Q

What does Hamlet mean when he tells his mother: ‘You go not till I set up a glass/Where you may see the inmost part of you’?

A

That he is going to force her to ‘see’ her true self and her inner corruption.

261
Q

What word (beginning with p) is a tragic term meaning an irreversible change in fortune?

A

peripeteia

262
Q

‘Gertrude is a moral ________________’ (Muir)

A

defective

263
Q

‘Gertrude is a ____________ defective’ (Muir)

A

moral

264
Q

‘speak no more/These words like ____________ enter into my ears’

A

daggers

265
Q

Who says: ‘speak no more/These words like daggers enter into my ears’

A

Gertrude - after Hamlet has confronted her in 3.4.

266
Q

‘the __________ sweat of an enseamed bed’

A

rank

267
Q

‘an eye like ___________ to threaten and command’

A

Mars

268
Q

Who is said to have ‘an eye like Mars to threaten and command’

A

Old Hamlet (Hamlet describes his father like this in the closet scene)

269
Q

‘A king of shreds and ________’

A

patches

270
Q

What does Shakespeare suggest about how Hamlet sees Claudius when he describes him as ‘a king of shreds and patches’?

A

He sees Claudius as inauthentic and lacking a solid or meaningful royal identity.

271
Q

What is significant about Hamlet comparing his father to Mars (‘an eye like Mars to threaten and command’)

A

Mars was the God of war - hence we see how Hamlet sees his father as a powerful and impressive deity figure.

272
Q

‘The ghost is the _______ of Hamlet’ (Wilson)

A

linchpin

273
Q

What does linchpin mean, and which critic uses this word ‘‘The ghost is the linchpin of Hamlet’

A

linchpin means the element that holds everything together. This is used by Wilson:

274
Q

‘the very ___________ of your brain’

A

coinage

275
Q

What is described as ‘the very coinage [of Hamlet’s] brain’

A

The ghost when it reappears in the closet scene - this makes clear how Gertrude does not see it, and perceives the spirit to be a figment of her son’s imagination.

276
Q

What word, meaning extremely persistent, is used to describe Ophelia in the opening of 4.5?

A

importunate

277
Q

‘Twere good she were spoken with, for she may strew ____________ conjectures’

A

dangerous

278
Q

Which character is being referred to here? ‘Twere good she were spoken with, for she may strew dangerous conjectures’

A

Ophelia

279
Q

What is the significance of Ophelia being described like this: ‘Twere good she were spoken with, for she may strew dangerous conjectures’

A

It presents her as having a ‘dangerous’ and influential voice, which is very different to how she is silenced earlier on in the play.

280
Q

In 4.5 , what phrase does Ophelia repeat showing that she demands to be heard?

A

‘pray you mark’

281
Q

How does Ophelia sing about the concealment of Polonius’ murder, and his lack of a proper burial?

A

‘larded with sweet flowers/Which bewept to the grave did not go’

282
Q

How does Ophelia sing about Hamlet’s dishonesty and the way he took her honour?

A

‘Let in the maid that out a maid/never departed more’

283
Q

In 4.5, what does Claudius repeatedly call Ophelia to try and belittle and dismiss her?

A

pretty Ophelia

284
Q

Although Ophelia’s songs seem the ramblings of a madwoman, how does Shakespeare suggest they have some meaning?

A

They have a regular metre

285
Q

What do the columbines that Ophelia gives out represent?

A

deception and marital infidelity

286
Q

What is significant about Ophelia saying, ‘I would give you some/violets but they withered all when my father died’,

A

Violets symbolise innocence and faithfulness - therefore she is suggesting that her father’s murder has left Denmark corrupted and impure.

287
Q

‘Through madness, Ophelia suddenly makes a _________/____________ of her being’ (Charney)

A

forceful assertion

288
Q

Through madness, Ophelia suddenly makes a forceful assertion of her being’ (________)

A

Charney

289
Q

‘Poor Ophelia/Divided from herself and her fair ___________’

A

judgement

290
Q

Who says the following: ‘Poor Ophelia/Divided from herself and her fair judgement’?

A

Claudius says this in 4.5 to belittle and dismiss Ophelia’s comments about the corruption of the royal court.

291
Q

Who is compared to ‘the ocean, overpeering of his list’

A

Laertes in 4.5 - a metaphor that presents him as wild and out of control.

292
Q

What are the stage directions in 4.5 that present Laertes as a powerful and influential figure.

A

Enter Laertes with followers

293
Q

‘Where is _________ king?’

A

this

294
Q

What is the significance of Laertes asking ‘where is this king’?

A

He is questioning the legitimacy of Claudius’ rule - hence him saying ‘this’, rather than ‘the’, king.

295
Q

‘the drop of blood that’s calm proclaims me _____________’

A

bastard

296
Q

Who says: ‘the drop of blood that’s calm proclaims me bastard’?

A

Laertes - this shows that he thinks to be calm, and not seek vengeance, would betray his father’s memory.

297
Q

‘To hell ___________! Vows to the blackest devil’

A

allegiance

298
Q

Who says: ‘To hell allegiance! Vows to the blackest devil’?

A

Laertes in 4.5 - showing that he is willing to risk damnation in order to avenge his father.

299
Q

What was the name of the private revenge acts in the 1600s that were associated with threats to family honour and reputation.

A

blood feuds

300
Q

What were blood feuds?

A

Private revenge acts that were associated with threats to family honour and reputation.

301
Q

‘Laertes is like a ___________’

A

Prosser

302
Q

Ophelia is a ____________ we have never really known’

A

lesser

303
Q

Ophelia is a lesser we have never really known’ (___________)

A

Kerrigan

304
Q

Laertes is like a hurricane’ (__________)

A

Prosser

305
Q

Which word (beginning with m) means to be cunning and manipulative?

A

machiavellian

306
Q

What does Machiavellian mean?

A

to be cunning and manipulative

307
Q

In 4.7, how does Claudius manipulate Laertes by flattering the memory of Polonius?

A

He refers to him as his ‘noble father’

308
Q

What is the significance of Claudius telling Laertes that ‘He [a Norman soldier] gave you such a masterly report…for your rapier most especial’

A

He flatters him by suggesting Laertes is a renowned dualist so that he will fight Hamlet.

309
Q

The writing of which political thinker may have influenced the presentation of Claudius?

A

Machiavelli - whose political text ‘The Prince’ suggested that sometimes rulers must act ignobly to achieve their goals.

310
Q

What was the name of Machiavelli’s political text that suggested rulers must act ignobly to achieve their goals?

A

The Prince

311
Q

‘are you like the _________ of a sorrow?’

A

painting

312
Q

Who questions ‘are you like the painting of a sorrow?’

A

Claudius asks this of Laertes, questioning whether his grief is genuine of simply an elaborate construction.

313
Q

Her clothes spread wide/And ____________-like awhile they bore her up’

A

mermaid

314
Q

Who is described as a ‘creature native’, and what does it mean?

A

Ophelia is described like this when Gertrude gives news of her death- this means a creature born and equipped to live in water.

315
Q

What is the significance of Ophelia being described as ‘mermaid-like’ and a ‘creature native’ when Gertrude gives news of her death?

A

This shows how, even in death, Ophelia is not given a true or real identity - she is instead presented as a mythical, magical being.

316
Q

Which word (beginning with d) means the closing stages of a plot.

A

denouement

317
Q

What does denouement mean?

A

It is a term used to describe the final stages of a plot.

318
Q

‘Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to ___________’

A

clay

319
Q

‘Alexander returneth to the ____________’

A

dust

320
Q

‘In the final act, Hamlet accepts his world and we discover a ____________/__________’ (Mack)

A

different man

321
Q

In the final act, Hamlet accepts his world and we discover a different man’ (________)

A

Mack

322
Q

What is the significance of Hamlet referring to Caesar and Alexander, and commenting on how they have ‘turned to clay’/returneth to the dust’?

A

We see Hamlet accepts death and how all living things, irrespective of their greatness, must die.

323
Q

‘lay her in the earth and from her fair and ____________ flesh may violets grow’

A

unpolluted

324
Q

Who says the following and of whom? ‘lay her in the earth and from her fair and unpolluted flesh may violets grow’

A

Laertes says this of Ophelia as she is buried in 5.1

325
Q

‘Hamlet is a tragedy without _____________’ (Frye)

A

catharsis

326
Q

Hamlet is a tragedy without catharsis’ (_______)

A

Frye

327
Q

Which word (beginning with c) means a release from intense emotions?

A

catharsis

328
Q

‘I have shot an arrow o’er the house and hurt my ____________’

A

brother

329
Q

Who says the following: ‘I have shot an arrow o’er the house and hurt my brother’?

A

Hamlet to Laertes in the final scene. We see a form of reconciliation here, as the tragic prince acknowledges that his anger was misdirected, hurting someone he held dear.

330
Q

‘Give me your ________, sir. I have done you wrong.’

A

pardon

331
Q

‘Exchange __________ with me, noble Hamlet’

A

forgiveness

332
Q

Who says: ‘Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet’?

A

Laertes in the final scene.

333
Q

‘Bear Hamlet like a __________ to the stage’

A

soldier

334
Q

What is the significance of Young Fortinbras at the end of the play saying: ‘Bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage’?

A

It shows that, in death, the eponymous character finally gains the heroic identity that he has craved for much of the play.

335
Q

‘I have some rights of ___________ in this kingdom’

A

memory