Hamlet MCQ Quiz - Multiple Choice Questions & Answers

1. After Rosencrantz and Guildenstern leave Hamlet, what does he basically say in his soliloquy?

1. He thinks himself a coward for not getting right to the revenge.
2. He knows he is about to commit a mortal sin, and he begs Gods forgiveness.
3. He believes that love conquers all, and he resolves to be even more loving toward those he dislikes.
4. He is angry at his father. He says that if King Hamlet had been stronger, he never would have let Claudius kill him.

2. At the end of Scene III, Ophelia agrees to obey Polonius wish. What will she do?

1. She will marry Fortinbras.
2. She will go into a convent for a year of prayer.
3. She will stay away from Hamlet and reject his affections.
4. She will befriend the Queen to spy on her.

3. Describe Hamlets tone when he speaks to Ophelia.

1. He is kind and loving.
2. He is patronizing and sarcastic.
3. He is rude and aggressive.
4. He is meek and fearful.

4. Hamlet is upset for two reasons. What are they?

1. His mother has been ignoring him, and his fiancée has cancelled the wedding plans.
2. His father has died, and his uncle has declared war on Fortinbras.
3. He wants to travel for about a year, but he is afraid to leave his mother because she has been acting strangely since the Kings death.
4. His father has died, and his uncle has married his mother less than two months after his fathers death.

5. Hamlet swears Horatio to two things. What are they?

1. Hamlet asks Horatio to promise to protect his mother, and to defend the country against Fortinbras.
2. Hamlet asks Horatio to promise to attend Mass for him everyday for a year if he dies, and to marry Ophelia.
3. Hamlet asks Horatio not to reveal the events of the evening, and to go along with him (Hamlet) if he pretends to be crazy.
4. Hamlet asks Horatio to defend him in battle, and to kill Claudius if he (Hamlet) does not do it first.

6. Hamlets famous To be or not to be soliloquy is in Scene One. Which of the following paraphrases his main points?

1. He questions whether love, either romantic or family love, is worth all of the pain it causes.
2. He is pondering whether a miserable life is better than the unknown of the death.
3. He questions whether peace of mind is a good substitute for material wealth.
4. He questions the traditions about succession to the throne in Denmark. He feels that either he or his mother should be the rightful successor to his dead father.

7. How does Polonius die?

1. He and Ophelia are standing on the top of the castle tower, talking. Ophelia becomes enraged and pushes him over the edge.
2. Polonius is hiding in the Queens room while she and Hamlet are talking. He makes a noise. Hamlet runs through the tapestry, thinking it may be Claudius, and kills Polonius.
3. The King decides to get rid of any potential enemies. He sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to murder Polonius. They make it look like a suicide.
4. He realizes Hamlet has been right all along. He kills himself in his grief and remorse.

8. Laertes thinks that Ophelia should have a better funeral service. What is the priests answer.

1. He says there is no one to pay for it, since Polonius is already dead.
2. He agrees and sets about preparing one.
3. He says she is lucky to be getting as nice of a funeral as she is, considering the nature of her death.
4. He says that women are inferior beings and only deserve very simple funerals.

9. Polonius gives a lot of advice to Laertes. Which of these statements is not part of that advice?

1. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, but not expressed in fancy; rich; not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man.
2. Keep you in the rear of your affection. Out of the shot and danger of desire.
3. To thine own self be true.
4. Neither a borrower nor a lender be, For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.

10. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern finally meet with Hamlet, and Hamlet discovers they were sent for by the King. How does Hamlet describe his personal problems to them?

1. He compares himself to an erupting volcano.
2. He tells them he used to think the world was wonderful, but now he finds differently, and he has no delight in man or woman.
3. Hamlet has written a poem that he reads to them, describing his sorrows.
4. He cries and takes them into his confidence, hoping they will align themselves with him against the King.