Hamlet Scenes

Question 1

Act I, scene v

Answer 1

• Hamlet follows the ghost of his father along the outside of the castle
• the ghost makes Hamlet promise to avenge his death, tells him Claudius seduced Gertrude and poisoned him (through his ear)
• ghost tells hamlet to leave the queen alone then says “remember me”
• Hamlet makes Horatio and Marcellus promise not to tell anyone what they saw (even though they don’t know the story behind Old Hamlet’s death)
• Hamlet tells Horatio he is going to pretend to go mad to spy on the king and queen

Question 2

Act IV, scene iii

Answer 2

• Claudius decides he can’t imprison Hamlet for his part in Polonius’ death because of Hamlet’s popularity among the people
• only Hamlet knows where Polonius’s body his, won’t tell anyone, engages in word play with the king
• Hamlet hints at where the body is and gives it away, Hamlet is escorted to a ship where he will be taken to England where Claudius has already arranged for his death

Question 3

Act IV, scene v

Answer 3

• Ophelia goes crazy after her fathers death, singing fragments of various songs about chaos, death and unrequited love while the king and queen try and talk to her
• Horatio is sent to watch over her
• Laertes comes home and demands the king to give him his father’s body, king placates him some what
• Ophelia comes back in, Laertes sees her in such a terrible state and alludes to her death along with their father’s
• with Laertes attention the king promises him satisfaction in the avengement Polonius

Question 4

Act IV, scene vii

Answer 4

• Claudius confirms that Hamlet killed Polonius, Laertes is confused why the king let him get away with such crime, king tells him he’s not going to get away with it
• king gets letter that Hamlet is still alive, makes agreement with Laertes to out him in a (sword fight) duel with Hamlet
• Claudius says the tip of Laertes sword will have an unblunted point, Laertes comes up with the idea to dip the sword in poison and Claudius also makes sure Hamlet will drink from a poisoned goblet of wine
• Gertrude comes in and announces Ophelia’s death

Question 5

Act V, scene i

Answer 5

• gravediggers are digging a grave for Ophelia, bring up the idea of suicide, second gravedigger leaves
• Hamlet and Horatio come on the seen, Hamlet and the gravedigger partake in witty banter, asking questions and answering them (gravedigger tells him that Hamlet is mad and has been sent to England)
• Hamlet continues the comical dialectic to get more info from the gravedigger, Hamlet contemplates life and death, (dramatic irony) Hamlet finds out the grave is for a girl…
• picks up the skull of Yorick
• Hamlet and Horatio hide as the king, queen and Laertes bring over Ophelia’s coffin, priest won’t give her proper Christian burial but allows her to be buried on sacred grounds
• Hamlet and Laertes jump into the grave and fight over who loved her the most

Question 6

Act V, scene ii

Answer 6

• Hamlet explains to Horatio how he found out about his planned execution in England, how he swapped the death mandates and then came back to Denmark with pirates
• Hamlet will now act quickly to get rid of the king, says he feels bad that Laertes got brought into this, king puts money on Hamlet to make is not seem like murder
• Hamlet is confident and ready to receive his destiny if worst comes to worst, Hamlet apologizes to Laertes about jumping in Ophelia’s grave and for his madness killing Polonius, Laertes says he holds no grudge
• Hamlet gets a hit and the king drinks and then adds a pearl to Hamlet’s wine, Hamlet does not drink
• Hamlet gets a second hit, Gertrude offers him wine and then drinks it herself
• Hamlet and Laertes each get cut by the poisoned blade, queen falls due to drink, Hamlet orders doors locked, Laertes gives up murder plot, Hamlet stabs the king with the poisoned blade and pours the poisoned drink down his throat
• Hamlet and Laertes forgive each other, Laertes dies, Hamlet tells Horatio to tell his story, he dies, Horatio gives control over the kingdom to Fortinbras who is after just attacking the Poles with English ambassadors to announce Rosencrantz and Guildensterns execution