Hamlet Study Questions:
1) Hamlet seems to have accepted that life is fleeting, and that death is inevitable, but
also seems to have realised that what he chooses to do before his death is completely
his choice. The “interim” before his death can be filled with whatever he pleases, and
Hamlet seems to have finally decided that he will commit his revenge. Hamlet later
explains that he remains “constant to my purposes”, and we do not see him re-
evaluating his choice as he would have done earlier in the play. This determination
could also be seen when hamlet states that “the bubbles are out”, and that could reveal
that he is finished with being concerned with too trivial a matter and will now focus
on the only thing that matters which is avenging his father.
2) The joke with the hat is that Osric was wearing a hat which was quite extravagant and
apparently looked like an eggshell, and he finally put it back on as he left. Horatio
then calls Osric a “lapwing” as he feels that he has been too quick off the mark, and
he jokes that he “runs away with the shell on his head”, as it both mocks the hat and
also emphasises how young and unaware Osric is.
3) Osric and Polonius both used over-flowery language to try and appear intelligent and
sophisticated, but actually come off as comedic characters as they sometimes misuse
the language and appear like fools; one old and one young.
4) In line 204, Horatio is worrying about Hamlet’s upcoming duel with Laertes, a skilled
swordsman, and that he will lose, and this could foreshadow his death.
5) Hamlet’s reply conveys his belief that he could win, but also some foreboding that he
has some slight doubts, which could foreshadow how both Laertes and Hamlet die by
Laertes sword in the end, and so Hamlet both loses and wins.
6) Hamlet’s excuse for his behaviour towards Laertes is that it is due to his madness, as
he is “punished with a sore distraction.” This is quite surprising, although Hamlet has
previously feigned madness, it has been much more amusing and feels quite witty, as
he is ‘outsmarting’ Claudius. However, here it feels much less light-hearted and could
either hint that he has accepted that he has really gone mad, or is trying to use it as an
excuse, which feels much more sly and cunning than previously, as he is deceiving
Laertes with a false apology.
7) In Line 291, Gertrude asks Claudius “I pray you pardon me”, after he has told her not
to drink from the cup, but she does so anyway. This could demonstrate a knowledge
that it is a poisoned chalice, and she is knowingly taking her own life, or could also be
performed as the Queen doesn’t actually know that the cup is poisoned and is asking
forgiveness for her disobedience.
8) In line 296, Laertes explains in an aside that “’tis almost against my conscience”,
which could reveal regret about plotting with Claudius once he has seen the
consequences of his actions, and seeing what Claudius was prepared to do may have
frightened him.
9) It is significant that we see that even when faced with his wife’s death, Claudius is
deceitful and dishonest. He tries to explain her behaviour as fainting due to the blood
from the duel that Hamlet and Laertes are having, as this would free him of the blame
of his wife’s death in everyone else’s eyes. However, this makes an audience despise
Claudius, as even in the direst situation he doesn’t confess to any wrong thing that he
has done.
10) By Laertes forgiving Hamlet, and asking for forgiveness himself, his humanity and
likeability as a character are restored. He wants to die free of a guilty conscience, and
unlike Claudius, we see him begin to make peace and attempt to acknowledge his
wrong behaviour in the past, and so an audience may feel that although his revenge
1) Hamlet seems to have accepted that life is fleeting, and that death is inevitable, but
also seems to have realised that what he chooses to do before his death is completely
his choice. The “interim” before his death can be filled with whatever he pleases, and
Hamlet seems to have finally decided that he will commit his revenge. Hamlet later
explains that he remains “constant to my purposes”, and we do not see him re-
evaluating his choice as he would have done earlier in the play. This determination
could also be seen when hamlet states that “the bubbles are out”, and that could reveal
that he is finished with being concerned with too trivial a matter and will now focus
on the only thing that matters which is avenging his father.
2) The joke with the hat is that Osric was wearing a hat which was quite extravagant and
apparently looked like an eggshell, and he finally put it back on as he left. Horatio
then calls Osric a “lapwing” as he feels that he has been too quick off the mark, and
he jokes that he “runs away with the shell on his head”, as it both mocks the hat and
also emphasises how young and unaware Osric is.
3) Osric and Polonius both used over-flowery language to try and appear intelligent and
sophisticated, but actually come off as comedic characters as they sometimes misuse
the language and appear like fools; one old and one young.
4) In line 204, Horatio is worrying about Hamlet’s upcoming duel with Laertes, a skilled
swordsman, and that he will lose, and this could foreshadow his death.
5) Hamlet’s reply conveys his belief that he could win, but also some foreboding that he
has some slight doubts, which could foreshadow how both Laertes and Hamlet die by
Laertes sword in the end, and so Hamlet both loses and wins.
6) Hamlet’s excuse for his behaviour towards Laertes is that it is due to his madness, as
he is “punished with a sore distraction.” This is quite surprising, although Hamlet has
previously feigned madness, it has been much more amusing and feels quite witty, as
he is ‘outsmarting’ Claudius. However, here it feels much less light-hearted and could
either hint that he has accepted that he has really gone mad, or is trying to use it as an
excuse, which feels much more sly and cunning than previously, as he is deceiving
Laertes with a false apology.
7) In Line 291, Gertrude asks Claudius “I pray you pardon me”, after he has told her not
to drink from the cup, but she does so anyway. This could demonstrate a knowledge
that it is a poisoned chalice, and she is knowingly taking her own life, or could also be
performed as the Queen doesn’t actually know that the cup is poisoned and is asking
forgiveness for her disobedience.
8) In line 296, Laertes explains in an aside that “’tis almost against my conscience”,
which could reveal regret about plotting with Claudius once he has seen the
consequences of his actions, and seeing what Claudius was prepared to do may have
frightened him.
9) It is significant that we see that even when faced with his wife’s death, Claudius is
deceitful and dishonest. He tries to explain her behaviour as fainting due to the blood
from the duel that Hamlet and Laertes are having, as this would free him of the blame
of his wife’s death in everyone else’s eyes. However, this makes an audience despise
Claudius, as even in the direst situation he doesn’t confess to any wrong thing that he
has done.
10) By Laertes forgiving Hamlet, and asking for forgiveness himself, his humanity and
likeability as a character are restored. He wants to die free of a guilty conscience, and
unlike Claudius, we see him begin to make peace and attempt to acknowledge his
wrong behaviour in the past, and so an audience may feel that although his revenge
