Question

1. polonius gives a task to reynaldo at the beginning of the act. with what theme and motif does this situation best align?

a. corruption; spying
b. uncertainty; spying
c. fate vs. free will; roles & performances
d. fate vs. free will; misogyny

1. ophelia reports that hamlet behaved in what way when he visited her room?

a. he dropped off a love note and left abruptly.
b. he burst out of her closet and begged her to disobey her father.
c. he was trembling and didnt say anything.
d. he read a book and talked only to himself.

1. what had ophelia done before hamlet visited her room?

a. pack her belongings in an attempt to go to stay with laertes in france
b. follow her fathers instructions to limit contact with hamlet
c. meet with hamlet outside without her fathers knowledge
d. speak to claudius about her concerns about hamlets behavior

1. why have rosencrantz and guildenstern been chosen to spy on hamlet?

a. its believed hamlet will trust them because they were his childhood friends.
b. they are hamlets favorite actors and hell be likely to be talkative around them.
c. they were previously punished for bad mouthing cl - ius, so hamlet believes theyll help him get e, but they actually took on this duty to e their prison sentences.
y are being rewarded with an easier duty after completing a successful mission in norway.
n what situation does claudius procrastinate?
reassigning polonius to a new position
b. having a conversation with gertrude about her happiness
c. finding out why hamlet is acting strangely
d. addressing political issues

1. the part of hamlets letter to ophelia that reads thine evermore, most dear lady, whilst this machine is to him, suggests that hamlet is occupied by thoughts about what subject?

a. science
b. death
c. politics
d. marriage

1. what does polonius imply when he tells ophelia that hamlet is out of thy star?

a. hamlet has a higher social status than ophelia, so they have no real future together.
b. hamlet is exhibiting symptoms of insanity, so polonius forbids ophella from marrying him.
c. hamlet is obsessed with ophelia, so she needs to end the relationship.
d. hamlet is most dedicated to his collegiate studies, so hell be leaving denmark and ending his relationship with ophelia soon.

1. when polonius says at such a time ill loose my daughter to hamlet, what does it suggest about how he views ophelia?

a. he believes that instead of getting married right away, ophelias duty is to spend the next few years fulfilling the responsibilities her deceased mother left behind.
b. he sees ophelias relationship with hamlet as an opportunity for him to become part of the royalty.
c. he believes that ophelia lacks the intellect to make decisions for herself.
d. he believes its acceptable to use ophelia as bait in a spying operation.

1. what two reasons does hamlet seem to have for calling polonius a fishmonger?

a. appearing insane and emphasizing poloniuss treatment of ophelia
b. showing off his college education and emphasizing poloniuss lower social status
c. demonstrating his ability to find out about plots against him and making polonius fear for his life
d. demonstrating his wit and making polonius question his effectiveness as an adviser to claudius

Explanation:

1. In Hamlet, Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, which relates to the theme of spying. Also, the situation has elements of uncertainty as there are doubts about Laertes' behavior.
2. Ophelia describes Hamlet as trembling and silent when he visited her.
3. Ophelia followed her father's instructions to limit contact with Hamlet before his visit.
4. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were Hamlet's childhood friends, so it was believed he would trust them, making them chosen to spy.
5. Claudius procrastinates in finding out why Hamlet is acting strangely.
6. The phrase "this machine" in Hamlet's letter to Ophelia is a reference to the body (a common metaphor in literature related to death - the end of the body's functioning).
7. "Out of thy star" implies a difference in social status (stars were sometimes associated with social standing in Elizabethan times), so Hamlet and Ophelia have no real future.
8. Polonius using Ophelia as bait (loose her to Hamlet to spy) shows he sees her as a tool.
9. Hamlet calling Polonius a fishmonger can be seen as part of his act of appearing insane (to deceive others) and also a comment on Polonius' under - hand (like a fishmonger dealing in less - than - savory things, perhaps referring to his treatment of Ophelia).

Answer:

1. B. Uncertainty; Spying
2. C. He was trembling and didn't say anything.
3. B. Follow her father's instructions to limit contact with Hamlet
4. A. It's believed Hamlet will trust them because they were his childhood friends.
5. C. Finding out why Hamlet is acting strangely
6. B. Death
7. A. Hamlet has a higher social status than Ophelia, so they have no real future together.
8. D. He believes it's acceptable to use Ophelia as bait in a spying operation.
9. A. Appearing insane and emphasizing Polonius's treatment of Ophelia