Hamlet Answers

Hamlet Questions p. 1588-1589

Act 1:

3. Horatio is considered to be a servant to Hamlet, but during the first act Hamlet tells Horatio that he will not be called a servant by him anymore and that Horatio is considered to be a friend now. By the end of the play, Horatio seems to be Hamlet's right hand man, Hamlet even tells Horatio while he is dying that he wants Fortinbras to be the king of Denmark. Hamlet basically sees him and Horatio as equal by the end of the play.

Act 2:

3. His performance suggests that he knows everything and he is certain that Hamlet is mad in love with his daughter Ophelia. Also, it shows that he is somewhat of a controlling father and wants to protect his daughter from Hamlet.

4. Polonius is not completely foolish; he is just trying to protect his daughter. Polonius might be capable of genuine insight, because he was once a young man too; therefore he understands what goes on in young men's minds. An example of wise judgment by Polonius is when he tells Ophelia to ignore Hamlet. This is simply a father's instinct to try and protect his daughter. An example of deluded judgment by Polonius is that he thinks that Hamlet's love for Ophelia is the only reason why he is so upset and angry. This is deluded, because Hamlet clearly shows that he is angry with his mother Gertrude and his uncle the King.

Act 3:

2. Hamlet accuses Gertrude of killing his father, the King, and then marrying her husband's brother. My attitude towards Gertrude at this point is not the same way I feel towards Hamlet. I do not feel bad for Gertrude; because she married her dead husband's brother and did not even think about how it made Hamlet feel.

4. Hamlet tells the actors not to exaggerate or be too dramatic, and to not just read the script either. Instead he wants them to act natural and let their instincts show them how to act. Hamlet's remarks to the actors show us that the Elizabethan theater tends to over dramatize their roles. Hamlet's remarks also serves to advancing the story by, he wants the play to be as real life as possible, by doing this it will remind the King of what he did to Hamlet's father, and Hamlet will be able to see if he is guilty or not.

Act 4:

2. Ophelia's father's death, the fact that Hamlet tells her that he does not love her, and also the fact that Hamlet is taken away from her, caused her to go mad. Many lines make the audience interpret these reasons. Ophelia's songs that she sings in act four scene five, all tell messages about her father's death and how Hamlet has left her. Also, King Claudius's speech in act four, scene five on pages 1554-1555, and lines 71-92, explains all that Ophelia is hurting from and how it has made her made.

3. Shakespeare portrays Hamlet's artificial or fake madness, by the fact that he is not really mad he is just upset and angry. Hamlet's madness is somewhat made up by his family and friends. They think it is odd that he is grieving over his father's death and how he is angry at the Queen and King that they simply just label him as mad. Another reason why Hamlet's madness is not real is because, he tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that he is deceiving his uncle-father and his aunt-mother into thinking he is mad. Where as Ophelia, have many things happen in her life that cause her to loose her mind. In showing how Ophelia is truly mad within the play, she sings song that does not make much sense to the other characters.

Act 5:

2. Even though Fortinbras is not seen much within the play, he does however deserve to be in the play. His character needs to be included in the play, because Hamlet is about to die, he declares Fortinbras as the next king.

General Questions:

1. The play's major dramatic question is "To be, or not to be?" This question is formulated in act three scene one, on page 1520. Here Hamlet is contemplating suicide, he wondering if he should end his pain and misery. This question makes us wonder if he will end up committing suicide or not. The play does not really have a turning point, instead it seems that one bad thing after another happens, and things just keep getting worse.
   
2. In act one scene five, lines 33-40, we perceive that Claudius is a villain. The ghost of Hamlet's father tells him that his murderer know wears the crown. This happens to be Hamlet's uncle, his father's brother, Claudius.
   

7. If the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are cut from the play, then the story looses Hamlet's statement that his "uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived in his madness." This statement is very important, because Shakespeare is trying to tell us that Hamlet is not really mad and insane.

 

Word Count 848