Hamlet Character Analysis

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Questions and Answers

What is Hamlet's age at the start of the play?

Thirty-five years old

Twenty-five years old

About thirty years old (correct)

Twenty years old

What is Polonius's role in the play?

Hamlet's close friend

The Queen of Denmark

The King of Denmark

The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius's court (correct)

What is Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet?

Friend

Sibling

Lover (correct)

Enemy

What is Gertrude's character flaw?

She is shallow and weak Signup and view all the answers

Where did Hamlet study?

University of Wittenberg Signup and view all the answers

What is Claudius's character trait?

He is calculating and ambitious Signup and view all the answers

What is Horatio's role in the play?

Hamlet's close friend Signup and view all the answers

Where is Laertes located for much of the play?

France Signup and view all the answers

Which character's father was killed by Hamlet's father?

Fortinbras Signup and view all the answers

What is the reason behind Hamlet's speculation about the Ghost's true nature?

The possibility that the Ghost is a devil Signup and view all the answers

What is the ultimate fate of the main characters in the play?

The King, Queen, Hamlet's opponent, and Hamlet himself are all killed Signup and view all the answers

What is the central theme explored in Hamlet?

Madness and the human mind Signup and view all the answers

How does Polonius describe Hamlet's behavior?

Mad Signup and view all the answers

What is Ophelia's fate in the play?

She loses her mind and goes mad Signup and view all the answers

What does the gravedigger tell Polonius about Hamlet?

That Hamlet has been sent to England Signup and view all the answers

What does Polonius say to Ophelia about her love?

Mad for thy love? Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the snake in the garden of Eden imagery in Hamlet?

It represents the deceitful nature of Claudius Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason behind Claudius' lie about King Hamlet's death?

To avoid paying consequences for his actions Signup and view all the answers

What is Hamlet's perception of his mother after the Ghost's revelation?

She is wicked and complicit in the murder Signup and view all the answers

What does Hamlet's comment about the player's performance reveal about his own character?

He is disgusted with his own performance as the revenger of his father's murder Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of Hamlet's plan to stage a play about a similar murder?

To test the guilt of the King and gather evidence Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the phrase 'O most pernicious women!' in Hamlet's soliloquy?

It reveals Hamlet's hatred towards his mother Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary theme explored in Hamlet's soliloquy in Act 1, Scene 5?

The theme of hypocrisy and deception Signup and view all the answers

What is the tone of Hamlet's phrase 'What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, That he should weep for her?'

Disgust and irony Signup and view all the answers

What is the condition set by Shylock for lending money to Antonio?

A pound of his own flesh if the loan is not repaid on time Signup and view all the answers

Why do Portia and Nerissa watch as several suitors try to win her love?

To test their worthiness to marry her Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the Christian who marries Shylock's daughter Jessica?

Lorenzo Signup and view all the answers

What event triggers Antonio's inability to repay Shylock's loan?

Antonio's ships are lost at sea Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of Portia's examination of the original contract between Shylock and Antonio?

Shylock is allowed to take a pound of flesh but only if he spills no blood Signup and view all the answers

What is the punishment meted out to Shylock by the Venetian court?

Seizure of his wealth and forced conversion to Christianity Signup and view all the answers

What is the news that Antonio receives at the end of the play?

Three of his ships made it safely back to Venice Signup and view all the answers

What is the character that Portia adopts to disguise herself in the courtroom?

A male lawyer Signup and view all the answers

What is the main concern of Claudius regarding Hamlet's behavior?

Hamlet's apparent madness Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Hamlet's statement 'I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft'?

Hamlet is pretending to be mad Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason for Ophelia's descent into madness?

Her father's murder by Hamlet Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between Hamlet's and Laertes' approaches to revenge?

Hamlet is more philosophical, while Laertes is more impulsive Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the ghost's request to Hamlet?

The ghost wants Hamlet to avenge his death Signup and view all the answers

What is Hamlet's dilemma regarding Claudius?

Whether to kill Claudius or not Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of Fortinbras in the context of revenge?

He is a foil to Hamlet's inaction Signup and view all the answers

What is the main theme explored by Shakespeare in 'The Tragedy of Hamlet'?

The theme of revenge and its consequences Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Characters in Hamlet

Hamlet: The Prince of Denmark, protagonist, and title character; 30 years old; son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet; nephew of Claudius; melancholy, bitter, cynical, and full of hatred for his uncle's scheming and disgust for his mother's sexuality.
Claudius: The King of Denmark, Hamlet's uncle, and the play's antagonist; calculating, ambitious politician driven by sexual appetites and lust for power; shows signs of guilt and human feeling.
Gertrude: The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet's mother, and Claudius's wife; shallow, weak woman seeking affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth.
Polonius: The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius's court, a pompous, conniving old man; father of Laertes and Ophelia.
Horatio: Hamlet's close friend, studied with Hamlet at the University of Wittenberg; loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play; remains alive to tell Hamlet's story after his death.
Ophelia: Polonius's daughter, a beautiful young woman who has been in love with Hamlet; sweet, innocent, and dependent on men to tell her how to behave.
Laertes: Polonius's son and Ophelia's brother; a young man who spends much of the play in France; passionate and quick to action; a foil to the reflective Hamlet.
Fortinbras: The young Prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet's father; wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father's honor; another foil to Prince Hamlet.
The Ghost: The specter of Hamlet's recently deceased father; claims to have been murdered by Claudius and calls upon Hamlet to avenge him.

Hamlet Summary

The ghost of King Hamlet tells Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing Claudius, the new king.
Hamlet feigns madness, contemplates life and death, and seeks revenge.
Claudius, fearing for his life, devises plots to kill Hamlet.
The play ends with a duel, during which the King, Queen, Hamlet's opponent, and Hamlet himself are all killed.

Themes

Madness in Hamlet

The play explores the idea of madness, with characters feigning or truly experiencing madness.
Hamlet's madness may be a pretence, while Ophelia's madness is a result of her father's murder and loss of Hamlet's love.
Laertes's madness is caused by the murder of his father and the loss of his sister.

Revenge

Hamlet is often called a revenge tragedy, exploring the theme of revenge through Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras.
Revengefulness can have a consoling end, but Hamlet's revenge works out differently.
Hamlet questions the morals of the time and place, making his revenge more philosophical.

Quotes

"O most pernicious women! O villain, villain; smiling, damned villain!" (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5)
"What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, / That he should weep for her?" (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2)
"…The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King" (Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2)

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Description

Get to know Hamlet, the prince of Denmark and protagonist of the play. Explore his character traits, background, and relationships in this quiz.