Question

read the excerpt from hamlet.
hamlet: let me see. — takes the skull. — alas! poor yorick. i knew him, horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy, he hath borne me on his back a thousand times, and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rises at it. here hung those lips that i have kissed i know not how oft. where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? not one now, to mock your own grinning?
which analysis is most justified by the excerpt?
as the play draws to a close, hamlet still has not conquered his fear of death.
hamlets visit to the graveyard leads to him become obsessed with his death.
at the end of the play, hamlet literally faces death and regains a sense of hope.
hamlet has abandoned his plans by this point and has reconciled himself to death

Explanation:

The excerpt shows Hamlet reflecting on Yorick’s skull in the graveyard, expressing horror at the decay of a once-lively person he knew. This focuses on his confrontation with death’s reality, not hope (eliminates third option), obsession with his own death (second option is incorrect—he focuses on Yorick’s), or conquered fear (first option is wrong; his reaction shows ongoing discomfort). The fourth option is unsupported as there’s no mention of abandoning plans or reconciliation. Wait, correction: the first option states he hasn’t conquered fear of death—his abhorrence and rising gorge confirm this fear persists. The second option’s "obsessed with his death" is incorrect (he focuses on Yorick’s). Third option’s "hope" is absent. Fourth option’s "abandoned plans/reconciled" is unsupported. So the first option is correct.

Answer:

As the play draws to a close, Hamlet still has not conquered his fear of death.