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POSTGRADUATE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

PGE 4350 SHAKESPEARE
UNIT I: REVENGE TRAGEDY
HAMLET
MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Q: In what country does Hamlet primarily take place?

A: France
B: Denmark
C: England
D: Germany
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2. Q: Who do the guards first tell about the ghost that has appeared before them?
A: Hamlet
B: Horatio
C: Claudius
D: Gertrude
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3. Q: Who is the Prince of Norway?
A: Fortinbras
B: Hamlet
C: Horatio
D: Claudius
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4. Q: Who is Hamlet in love with?
A: Gertrude
B: Juliet
C: Horatio
D: Ophelia
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5. Q: How is Claudius related to Hamlet?
A: cousin
B: uncle
C: brother
D: father
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6. Q: How did Claudius kill Hamlet's father, the king?
A: stabbed him with daggers
B: poured poison in his ear
C: in a sword duel
D: had him murdered by thugs
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7. Q: Who returns as a ghost and tells Hamlet to kill Claudius?

A: Hamlet's Father
B: Horatio
C: Gertrude
D: Polonius
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8. Q: Who is Polonius?
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A: The new prince under Claudius' rule

B: The Lord Chamberlain
C: Friend to Hamlet
D: A soldier
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9. Q: Who are the two clowns?
A: officers
B: witches
C: grave diggers
D: murderers
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10. Q: What does Claudius ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do?
A: Take Hamlet to England
B: Murder Hamlet with their own hands
C: Kill Hamlet's Father
D: Spy on Gertrude
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11. Q: What country does Fortinbras decide to invade instead of Denmark?
A: Sweden
B: Norway
C: England
D: Poland
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12. Q: What does Polonius initially think caused Hamlet's madness?
A: Poison
B: Horatio's betrayal
C: His love for Ophelia
D: His father's death
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13. Q: Why does Hamlet decide to stage the murder of his father?
A: Because he thinks it makes a good story
B: To see Claudius' reaction
C: To see Gertrude's reaction
D: To relive the tragedy
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14. Q: Who listens behind a curtain to Hamlet and Ophelia's meeting?
A: Horatio
B: Gertrude
C: Just Polonius
D: the King and Polonius
15. Q: "Who says ""To be or not to be..""?"
A: Claudius
B: Polonius
C: Hamlet
D: Horatio
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16. Q: What does Claudius do when the actor pours the poison into the king's ear during the play?
A: He killed Polonius
B: He got up and left in anger
C: He didn't move
D: He cursed Hamlet
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17. Q: Why does Hamlet not kill the king while the king is praying?
A: Because he fears the king would go to heaven
B: Because he has second thoughts about killing
C: Because he thinks Ophelia will disapprove
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D: Because he does not have his poison with him

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18. Q: Who overhears the meeting between Hamlet and Gertrude?
A: Just Horatio
B: Horatio and Ophelia
C: Just Polonius
D: the King and Polonius
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19. Q: Who does Hamlet kill when he finds him spying?
A: Laertes
B: Polonius
C: Gertrude
D: Claudius
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20. Q: Who vows to avenge Polonius' death?
A: Hamlet
B: Ophelia
C: Claudius
D: Laertes
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21. Q: How does Hamlet get rid of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
A: He poisons them
B: He has Horatio help him kill them
C: He has them executed in England
D: He has pirates kill them
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22. Q: Who suggests that Laertes provoke Hamlet into a duel?

A: Ophelia
B: Gertrude
C: Horatio
D: Claudius
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23. Q: How did Ophelia die?
A: Drowned
B: Illness
C: Poison
D: Old age
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24. Q: Why was Hamlet saddened to find Yorick's skull when talking to the grave diggers?
A: Because Yorick taught him to swordfight as a child
B: Because Yorick was his best friend
C: Because Yorick was the fool who amused him as a child
D: Because Yorick was his true father
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25. Q: Why does Hamlet not make it to England?
A: He goes to France instead
B: His ship is attacked by pirates
C: He never left in the first place
D: He turns around after talking to Horatio
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26. Q: How do Laertes and Claudius plan to fix the duel between Claudius and Hamlet?
A: They will poison Hamlet's drink and Laertes' sword
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B: They will give Hamlet a faulty sword

C: They will blind Hamlet prior to the fight
D: They will have a guard hold Hamlet down
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27. Q: Who drinks from the poison goblet that Claudius gives to Hamlet?
A: Laertes
B: Hamlet
C: Gertrude
D: Horatio
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28. Q: Who was Reynaldo?
A: A servant to Polonius
B: A soldier
C: One of the grave diggers
D: Hamlets childhood friend
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29. Q: Who does not die in the final scene?
A: Claudius
B: Laertes
C: Horatio
D: Hamlet
30. Q: Who ends up ruler of Denmark at the end of the play?
A: Claudius
B: Fortinbras
C: Horatio
D: Laertes

Answers

1. Q: In what country does Hamlet primarily take place?

B: Denmark
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2. Q: Who do the guards first tell about the ghost that has appeared before them?
B: Horatio
-------------------------------------
3. Q: Who is the Prince of Norway?
A: Fortinbras
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4. Q: Who is Hamlet in love with?
D: Ophelia
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5. Q: How is Claudius related to Hamlet?
B: uncle
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6. Q: How did Claudius kill Hamlet's father, the king?
B: poured poison in his ear
-------------------------------------
7. Q: Who returns as a ghost and tells Hamlet to kill Claudius?
A: Hamlet's Father
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8. Q: Who is Polonius?
B: The Lord Chamberlain
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9. Q: Who are the two clowns?

C: grave diggers
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10. Q: What does Claudius ask Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to do?
A: Take Hamlet to England
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11. Q: What country does Fortinbras decide to invade instead of Denmark?
D: Poland
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12. Q: What does Polonius initially think caused Hamlet's madness?
C: His love for Ophelia
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13. Q: Why does Hamlet decide to stage the murder of his father?
B: To see Claudius' reaction
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14. Q: Who listens behind a curtain to Hamlet and Ophelia's meeting?
D: the King and Polonius
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15. Q: "Who says ""To be or not to be..""?"
C: Hamlet
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16. Q: What does Claudius do when the actor pours the poison into the king's ear during the
play?
B: He got up and left in anger
-------------------------------------
17. Q: Why does Hamlet not kill the king while the king is praying?
A: Because he fears the king would go to heaven
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18. Q: Who overhears the meeting between Hamlet and Gertrude?
C: Just Polonius
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19. Q: Who does Hamlet kill when he finds him spying?
B: Polonius
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20. Q: Who vows to avenge Polonius' death?
D: Laertes
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21. Q: How does Hamlet get rid of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
C: He has them executed in England
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22. Q: Who suggests that Laertes provoke Hamlet into a duel?
D: Claudius
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23. Q: How did Ophelia die?
A: Drowned
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24. Q: Why was Hamlet saddened to find Yorick's skull when talking to the grave diggers?
C: Because Yorick was the fool who amused him as a child
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25. Q: Why does Hamlet not make it to England?
C: He never left in the first place
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26. Q: How do Laertes and Claudius plan to fix the duel between Claudius and Hamlet?
A: They will poison Hamlet's drink and Laertes' sword
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27. Q: Who drinks from the poison goblet that Claudius gives to Hamlet?
C: Gertrude
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28. Q: Who was Reynaldo?
A: A servant to Polonius
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29. Q: Who does not die in the final scene?
C: Horatio
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30. Q: Who ends up ruler of Denmark at the end of the play?
B: Fortinbras