Hamlet questions
1.“Frailty, thy name is woman!” says Hamlet on page 29. What can we learn about Hamlet’s attitudes toward women, and how does this affect his character development throughout the play?
2.On page 67, after Hamlet speaks with the ghost, he says that from now on he “shall think meet To put an antic disposition on”, meaning he will begin to act unreasonably, have an unstable personality, and generally plan on portraying an insane image to seem like less of a threat (I.v.191-192). How might this antic disposition affect his relationships throughout the rest of the play, specifically with Ophelia, Claudius, Laertes, and Gertrude? How might it have a real effect on his mental health?
3.On pages 39-41, Act I, Scene iii, Laertes gives advice to his sister Ophelia about her relationship with Hamlet. How does the advice reflect the cultural/societal expectations of women during the time and how does it compare to now?
4.On page 49, we see Ophelia agree to her fathers demands for her to stop dating Hamlet. Is this obedience to her father honorable or should she have more independence to make a choice like that on her own?
5.In Act I, Scene v, King Hamlet tells Hamlet of his uncle’s betrayal. If Gertrude had a part in King Hamlet’s assassination, how will that discovery affect Hamlet? If Gertrude wasn’t involved, how will she react to learning Claudius killed King Hamlet?
6.On page 61, in lines 93-95. I noticed the quote where the ghost tells Hamlet to not hate or harm his mother, but to leave her with God and her own guilt. Why do you think the ghost doesn’t want to punish Queen Gertrude, despite the fact that she is committing what could be classified as incest and is possibly an adulter?
7.On page 18, and all through Act I, I noticed that Claudius is trying to get close to Hamlet. This may be so that Hamlet will not avenge the death of his father, but I wonder: why doesn’t Claudius just kill Hamlet? Claudius obviously has no problem killing people. Why walk around nervous the rest of his life, always looking over his shoulder, worried that Hamlet will kill him one day?
8.On page 21, in lines 1-38, I noticed the scene where King Cladius gives a speech celebrating his new marriage with the dead king’s wife and Hamlet’s mother. Do you think that King Cladius motives to marry the dead king’s widow was simply to take away the attention from the recent death? What is his motivation in marrying Gertrude?
