Flashcards
Shakespeare Hamlet External Exam
Cards in this deck (19)
- 1Give a brief description of the theme of Madness.Whether or not Hamlet is truly mad, or just pretending is a judgement left up to the viewers.
Hamlet acting mad is his method to cover up his investigation of Claudius's guilt. - 2Give a brief description of the theme of Deception.Lying & deception was considered a sin.
Shakespeare uses the characters Claudius and Polonius to represent that lies and deception can cause a persons downfall. - 3Give a brief description of the theme of Corruption.The text is saturated with images of corruption, in several forms – decay, death, poison. Decay, rot and mold are always in Hamlet’s mind, and his language is full of those images.
- 4Give a brief description of the theme of Revenge.Shakespeare examines the practice of revenge by having two entirely different approaches to it – While Hamlet is conflicted by his Christian aversion to killing someone and his duty to avenge his father’s death, it is not a consideration for Laertes, whose duty is clear to him, and he acts on it immediately.
- 5Give a brief description of the theme of appearance vs reality.The text of Hamlet is saturated with references to the gap that exists between how things seem to be and how they really are. Very little in this play is really as it seems. As the play progresses, each character's mask of the identity that they have assumed eventually becomes their reality.
- 6Who are the 11 main Characters within the play?Hamlet
Claudius
Gertrude
Polonius
Horatio
Ophelia
Laertes
Fortinbras
The Ghost
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern - 7What does this quote mean; "To be, or not to be? That is the question." - Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1)This line refers to Hamlets dilemma over whether to accept the challenge mounted by the Ghost; to avenge his father’s death; or to stand by and let things play out.
- 8What does this quote mean; “Get thee to a nunnery!” - Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1)Hamlet tells Ophelia to become a nun - swearing off men, marriage and bearing children - and is trying to persuade Ophelia not to breed.
- 9What leads this character to their downfall; HamletHamlet is impatient, which leads to him making bad decisions. He believes that his father will suffer until he takes revenge which drives him to extreme actions.
- 10What leads this character to their downfall; OpheliaHamlet’s abusive and confusing behavior, from someone she previously trusted, is partly responsible. She is overcome with grief after losing her father. She feels like she has lost both her father and Hamlet, and that she is all alone.
- 11What leads this character to their downfall; ClaudiusHe is an evil person, who did not care about his brother. He is ambitious and hungry for power and would do anything to achieve it without taking much care to think about the consequences.
- 12What leads this character to their downfall; GertrudeShe wanted to maintain the power of the throne and she was also manipulated by Claudius, who set up the marriage to get what he wanted.
- 13What did the Ghost say to Hamlet in Act 1, and what does it mean?"The serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown."
Essentially the Ghost is telling him that Claudius, who now wears the crown, killed his father and is asking Hamlet to avenge his death. - 14How did Hamlet confirm his suspicion of Claudius' guilt?Hamlet arranges for the travelling actors to perform a play about a king getting murdered in a similar way to his father. When the king is poisoned in the play, Claudius storms out and Hamlet and Horatio’s suspicions are confirmed.
- 15Why did Claudius kill the old King?While praying, he confesses; ‘For my crown, mine own ambition and my queen’.
- 16Why was Laertes hungry for revenge against Hamlet/What lead him to plotting Hamlets death with Claudius?Hamlet killed his father Polonius, and has driven his sister to madness. ‘And so have I a noble father lost, / A sister driven into desperate terms’
- 17What did Hamlet say to Laertes at the beginning of their duel, and what does it mean?‘Give me your pardon, sir: I’ve done you wrong’.
Hamlet is essentially apologizing for murdering Laertes father, and for the fight that is about to take place. - 18Why does Hamlet poison Claudius instead of killing him instantly?He wants him to suffer a slow death. He also wants him to die in the way his mother did, as she drank poison wine meant for Hamlet. Along with wanting him to die in the way Claudius intended on killing him (with poison).
- 19What does Hamlet say about his perception of Claudius as evil, and what does it mean?"one may smile, and smile, and be a villain”, referring to Claudius’s smile as a metaphorical mask that hides his evil soul.
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- Year 12 English Flashcards on Shakespeare Hamlet External Exam, created by Ad._ Showjumping on 27/08/2023.
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