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:

In the excerpt, Hamlet is looking at Yorick's skull, a former jester he knew well. His words show his contemplation of mortality. He remembers Yorick's lively past and contrasts it with the current state of the skull. This indicates that as the play progresses, Hamlet still has not overcome his fear of death. The other options are not well - supported by this excerpt. There is no indication of him becoming obsessed with his own death, regaining hope at the end, or abandoning his plans and reconciling with death.

Answer:

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