Introduction

How now, the mighty play. I have not taught this play for a long, long time. Long enough so that I need to update my handouts.

Sections

This unit is broken into the following sections.

Introduction

These first two scenes set the play. From this ground, Shakespeare will build.

Act I, scene 1

Answer the following questions fully.

1. Very odd to begin the play with the main character hiding in the bushes. What tone does the play begin with?
2. What words establish that tone?
3. How might the phrase "Long Live the King" be delivered by an actor?
4. What are they all waiting for?
5. How is he dressed?
6. Why might he be in his armor? (think)
7. What is going on in Denmark these days?
8. Why?
9. What did the old King do to Norway?
10. What can we infer about Fortinbras character?

11.Since the ghost leaves at dawn, what do the soldiers guess about it?

12. What is their plan?

Act I, scene 2

Answer the following questions thoughtfully.

1. Why do all of these people enter?
2. How does the king use oxymorons in the first fifteen lines of his speech?
3. What is this king going to do about young Fortinbras?
4. What message does he send to the uncle of young Fortinbras?
5. What does Laertes want to do?
6. Who is Polonius?
7. What puns does Hamlet make?
8. Why is the word "seems" inappropriate for Hamlet?
9. What does the king mean "unmanly grief"?
10. Why doesn’t Hamlet go back to school?
11. In his soliloquoy, how does Hamlet refer to the world?
12. What seems to bother Hamlet most?
13. How does Horatio know Hamlet?
14. "He was a good man_____________________________" Complete the quote.
15. What message does Horatio bring?
16. How does Hamlet interpret his father’s return.

Thought

How is Fortinbras different from Hamlet?

Introduction

Polonius sends his son away, while Hamlet goes to listen to his father.

Act I, Scene 3

Answer the following questions thoroughly.

1. What does Laertes compare Hamlet’s love too?
2. How is Hamlet "the subject to his birth"?
3. What is Laertes afraid of?
4. How is this interesting in light of Hamlet’s comments on Gertrude?
5. Polonius gives a very famous speech . What do you think are the most important things he tells his son?
6. What do Polonius and Laertes mean by Ophelia’s "honor"?
7. What do both say about Hamlet?

Act I, Scene 4

Answer the following questions thoroughly.

1. What is the King doing in the middle of the night?
2. What does Hamlet think of this?
3. Why isn’t Hamlet afraid?
4. Complete the quote "Something is rotten _____________________" Explain.

Act I, Scene 5

Answer the following questions fully.

1. What surprising news does the ghost give?
2. What does the ghost seem to fixate on?
3. Why might both Hamlet and the Ghost fixate on this?
4. Why is the ghost in hell? (sort of)
5. What are the ghosts last words? Why might that be important?

Thought

Why might Hamlet be so gleeful at the ghost’s news?