Maisha's Brit Lit Journal

Hamlet Act 3: I and II Questions  Act 3 Scene 1: 1. What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Polonius? They report that Hamlet is very sly and he dances around the questions rather than answer them. He was very interested at the idea of the play and begged both the King and Queen to attend.  2. How does Claudius react when Polonius says, "…with devotion's visage, And pious action we do sugar o'er/ The devil himself"? Polonius’s words make Claudius aware that his words also speak for him; a show of devotion to cover up the evilest deeds. Claudius’s conscience is stirred up, and he feels guilt for murdering his brother. 3. What plan do Polonius, Claudius, and Ophelia now put into action? They want to see if it’s Hamlet’s love for Ophelia that his making him mad. So they set the situation in a way that Ophelia can run into Hamlet, and Claudius and Polonius can hear her conversations with Hamlet in hiding to determine the reason for his mad...

Hamlet Act II Questions What is does Polonius tell Reynaldo in the opening of Act II?  How does he plan to trap his son? He tells Reynaldo to spread lies about Laertes in Paris in the hopes that it will bring some form of truth about Laertes's actual actions and if he actually does get into some kind of trouble, that Polonius is aware of it. What does this say about Polonius? He is extremely controlling and distrustful of his son; possibly obsessed with him. What particularly in Act II scene 1 has disturbed Ophelia? Hamlet came into her chambers with a completely disheveled appearance; wearing no hat, his shirt unbuttoned, and his stockings dirty, undone, and down around his ankles. He was pale as his undershirt, and his knees were knocking together. He also acted very unusually with Ophelia, staring at her and not saying anything, which made her think he might've descended into madness, scaring her still. Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bee...

Hamlet Vocabulary: 1)      Countenance n.:  a person's face or facial expression.       2)      Perilous:  full of danger or risk.       3)      Sullied:  damage the purity or integrity of; defile.       4)      Apparition:  a ghost or ghostlike image of a person.       5)      Portentous:  done in a pompously or overly solemn manner so as to impress.       6)      Calumnious:  (of a statement) false and defamatory; slanderous.       7)      Prodigal:  spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.       8)      Disco...

Scene 4 1)      In scene 4, what is Hamlet talking about in lines 13-38? Hamlet is talking about the fact that Claudius's drinking and merriment has made a bad impression of their country in other countries. According to him, a small defect like that in a population can make the whole country look bad. 2)      Why doesn’t Horatio want Hamlet to follow the ghost? He thinks the ghost has a bad motive to call Hamlet in and use him by his impersonating his father. The ghost might tempt him into jumping into the sea, or off a cliff. 3) What is Hamlet’s command to the three guards? Hamlet's command to the three guards is to leave him to do his business with his father's ghost alone.  Scene 5 What does the ghost say to Hamlet—1) about why he walks the night  2) about Claudius and murder  3) about the Queen and the serpent  4) How he died He walks the night because he is doomed to purgatory; and during...

What is odd about Hamlet’s appearance in the opening of scene two? Hamlet appears to be in a gloomy mood, wearing fully black and being quiet.  Explain (give at least two reasons) why Claudius needs to justify his marriage in the opening of scene two. He married his late brother's wife; which in the time period of the story is considered incestuous He married Gertrude immediately after his brother died; for which he would be looked at as apathetic to his brother and his kin. Laertes asks the King for leave to do what, specifically? For returning to Paris. Explain Hamlet’s insult when he says, “A little more than kin and less than kind.” King Claudius's actions since the death of Hamlet Sr. have made young Hamlet extremely disapproving of him. When Claudius refers to Hamlet as his cousin, young Hamlet remarks that Claudius was little more than 'kin', referring to familial formality, and less than kind, to mean both that he is worse t...

1) How is interest created in the opening scene? By introducing a ghost to the scene and how much it scares the guards. 2) What information are we given to help us understand the situation? The ghost resembles the dead king, and the guards are discussing why it must be the king. 3) What happens at the end of the scene to create suspense and keep up the reader’s interest? The guards are about to talk to young hamlet about the ghost. 4) What is the mood of the scene? The scene takes place just before dawn and the characters are scared; so the mood is exciting. 5) Why are the sentries apprehensive (there are two reasons)? Because of the appearance of the ghost; and the ghost may even be that of the dead king. 6) What reasons are suggested by Horatio for the appearance of the late King’s ghost? Horatio suggests that the ghost haunts them because of the late king causing war on Fortinbras and creating commotion in Denmark. 7) Who are the characters present in the sce...