Hamlet Test

World LiteratureHAMLET Test200 points (180 for test answers; 20 for correct documentation of quotations and Works Cited as well as spelling, etc.)



Be sure to support your answers with Act.scene.line(s) cited like this:“The time is out of joint” (1.5.210).1. Hamlet’s relationships with the other characters in the play are complicated.



Choose three relationships; analyze how Hamlet is impacted by each (three quotations – one for each relationship). 60 points


Hamlet had many complicated relationships in the story. The three main ones are the relationship he had with Ophelia, his father, and Horatio. His relationship with Ophelia was based on love. They loved each other even though they had so many conflicts they had to deal with in their relationships and other outside conflicts. Some of the conflicts that they dealt with were when Claudius and Polonius told Ophelia to spy on Hamlet. She wanted to be loyal to them even though she loved Hamlet. Another was when Claudius and Polonius had Ophelia go to talk with Hamlet alone while they stayed in the distance and spied on the two while they talk. During their talk he told her that he didn’t love her and he thought that women were whores. “You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not.” (3.1.127-129). That was the line where Hamlet explained to Ophelia that he did not love her. Later in the act he told her everything he felt about how he thought women were whores. Even thought Hamlet often denied loving her and told her he did not, deep down he loved her but he did not want to admit it and he often hurt Ophelia when he did not want to but it was what he had to do. The reason for the indecision that hamlet had with his love towards Ophelia was because of how she treated him. He was sick of her ignoring him and lying to him and he was sick of it.


The relationship that Hamlet had with his father was a good healthy relationship but unforinitly his father died. He was not sure how his father was killed until act 1 scene 5 when he meets up with the ghost of his father. When talking to the ghost of his father Hamlet is told that his father was killed by poison in his ear that caused blood clots. The ghost asks Hamlet if he will avenge his death and Hamlet tells him that he will do it for him. “But, howsomever thou persues this act, taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught. Leave her to heaven and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick and sting her.”(1.5.91-95 ) This is the King’s ghost telling his son Hamlet that he needs to get revenge for his death. In act 3 scene 2 a play is performed that reminds us of a lot of the same details of the life of Hamlet’s mother and father. When they acted out the death of the king by being poisoned Claudius became upset. When the play was over Hamlet was told that his mother needs to speak with him about something. When he went to talk to her he was at first very angry but then he saw the ghost of his father and he calmed down and told his mother that he needs to stay away from his uncle and his uncle’s bed tonight.


The relationship that Hamlet has with Horatio is a great friendship. It is shown throughout the book that Horatio is Hamlet's only true friend. He was the only one that truly cared for Hamlet and he showed it a lot. The feelings that they shared between one another were true feelings and emotions. Horatio was not only Hamlet's best friend he was also the only other person that saw the ghost of Hamlet's father. Hamlet also had him do many important jobs for him like spy on Claudius during the play to see if he showed any guilt during the play about the poisoning of king Hamlet, Hamlet's father. During the story he was seen has a very noble and very brave man. He was also seen as the most educated and smartest person of all the characters, he was very intimidating also. He was shown a lot of respect by every one around him. “ As I do live, my honored lord, tis true. And we did think it writ down in our duty to let you know of it.” (1.2.234-236) This was a quote that Horatio said to Hamlet that I thought showed his loyality and his dedication to the people that he wanted to defend and who's side he was on.


2. Revenge, redemption, loyalty, indecision, love, appearance vs. reality, and betrayal are significant themes in the play. Choose three of these and explain how each theme affects the characters and the outcome of the play (three quotations – one for each theme). 60 points




Revenge- I think that revenge was a very big theme in the story and played a big part of the story. Many different characters in the story were asked to get revenge for something that had happened in their family or deaths in their family. For example Hamlet's father asked him to get revenge for his death. His ghost came and spoke with Hamlet and told him that he was poisoned and he needed to seek revenge for it. “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” (1.5.32). That was spoken by the ghost which is the spirt of Hamlet's father after telling Hamlet that he was murdered by poison in his ear. He told him that he needs to get revenge on who did the crime.



Love- I think that love is a very big theme in the story because Hamlet and other characters showed many different types of love. There was love between Hamlet and Ophelia. There was a friendship love between Hamlet and Horatio. There was also love between Hamlet and his father. The love that Hamlet has for Ophelia is somewhat of a confusing love because they were both confused about how they felt for each other and always telling each other things they didn’t always mean. They rarely told each other how they really felt about one another. Hamlet did not always have a great relationship with his mother especially after his father was killed but he got things worked out with her and they managed to have a somewhat normal relationship. “Why look you ther, look how it steals away! My father, in his habit as he lived! Look where he goes even now out at the portol!” (3.4.154-156). This was when they were not really getting along and they talking about the death of king Hamlet and it was right as he was leaving. The relationship Hamlet has with Horatio is a great friendship. They truly care for each other and would do anything for the other person. Horatio is a very noble, trustworthy, and brave man and those are good qualities in a friend.



Loyalty- Loyalty is a big theme in the story because I think that the whole story is kind of based on it. It is very important that everyone stays loyal to their family, their friends, and the people they love all throughout this story. Hamlet is very loyal in the story. He shows his loyalty to many different people. He shows he is loyal to Horatio, his father and even Ophelia. He is definitely the most loyal to his father though. His father asks him to seek revenge and he does his best to try to by finding out who poisoned him. “So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear.” (1.5.13). Hamlet’s friends are also very loyal to him. They show that they are loyal to him by going places with him and always supporting him even when other people think that he is crazy. There is also disloyalty that goes on in the story. Hamlet’s mother was not very loyal to Hamlet when his father died. He wants her to stay away from his uncles bed and she does not remain loyal to him because she does not always stay away from his bed. Hamlet was upset with her when she married his uncle. He thought that it was to soon after his father died, which is understandable.




3. Has Hamlet changed? You may compare the soliloquies from1.2.133-164 2.2.575-636 3.1.63-99 4.4.33-69 or you may use other textual evidence that you have prepared to answer this question (three quotations – beginning, “middle,” and end). 60 points


I think that Hamlet changed a great deal throughout the story. He started off in the beginning by having a great relationship with both his mother and his father. “I shall in all my best obey you, madam.”(1.2.124). At the time that he said this to his mother he still had a great deal of respect for her and would always listen to what she had to say and was more likely to obey her and respect her than he was later in the play. At this time he had no worries in his life and everything was good. He had a good relationship with his mother until his father died. His father died of being poisoned. This hurt the relationship with his mother because she started to see and be with Hamlet’s uncle, who is his dads brother. Hamlet asked his mother to stay away from him and not be around him but she did not always listen. This made Hamlet resent both his mother and his uncle for a very long time. Toward the middle of the play he started having feelings towards Ophelia. At first he really did like and care for her. As time went on they became further and further apart because of things that she did like not being honest with him and not being loyal towards him. That was another example of how he changed because he always changed how he felt about Ophelia. “To be or not to be- that is the question: whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles.”(3.1.64-67). That is what Hamlet said to Ophelia about their relationship and what they should do about it. I think that Hamlet and Ophelia could have had a good relationship but both had other people that they needed to stay loyal to and that sometimes made them not want to like or be around the other. Neither ever really came out and told the other how they felt. It seemed as if they were always in denial of how they really felt towards each other and were scared to say or talk about it with one another. The final way that he changed I think was the way that he felt towards Ophelia once he found out that she had drowned and was dead. “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum. What wilt thou do for her?” (5.1.285-287). Once she was dead was when he finally admitted to everyone, including himself, that he really did love Ophelia, and all the feelings he had for her were true and sincere. Once Ophelia was dead I think he felt that he was alone. The only other person he felt he had was his mother who had recently married his uncle. He knew that he needed his mother so he had to try and get along with her and respect her. Even saying that he still wants revenge for his father and I believe he will get the revenge because that is what his father wants.


Work CitedShakespeare, William. Hamlet. Folger Shakespeare Library Edition. Barbara Mowat and Paul Werstine, Eds. NY: Washington Square Press, 1992.