Hamlet Multiple Choice Questions and Answers

41. Why does Hamlet jump into Ophelias grave?

1. He wants to make sure that she is really dead.
2. He shows that his sorrow is as great as Laertes.
3. He wants everyone to think he is still mad.
4. He wants to be buried alive so he can be with her forever.

42. Why does Laertes force his way in? What does he want?

1. He wants to marry Ophelia.
2. He wants to kidnap the Queen and hold her for ransom.
3. He wants to avenge his fathers death.
4. He wants to be given the title to his fathers lands.

43. Why does Marcellus think Horatio should speak to the ghost?

1. Marcellus thinks Horatio should speak to the ghost because Horatio is the most religious of them.
2. Marcellus thinks Horatio should speak to the ghost because he is the only one who does not believe in ghosts, so he is the only one who is not afraid.
3. Marcellus thinks Horatio should speak to the ghost because he is a scholar and should know the proper way to address a ghost.
4. Marcellus thinks Horatio should speak to the ghost because his parents are dead; he may have more influence with the ghost.

44. Why does Polonius think Hamlet is mad?

1. He thinks Ophelias rejections have been too much for Hamlet, that Hamlet is lovesick.
2. He thinks Hamlet has been dabbling in witchcraft, and that it is affecting his mind.
3. He thinks Hamlet is angry because he has not become King. His anger and jealousy are driving him mad.
4. He thinks Hamlet realizes now that the King never really loved him. Now that the King is dead, there is nowhere to release his frustration. He is turning it inward, which makes him appear mad.

45. Why doesnt Hamlet kill the King when the King is kneeling?

1. Hamlet wants his mother to be there to witness the deed.
2. Hamlet loses heart, and realizes that his father would not have wanted another murder committed.
3. Hamlet wants the King to die without a chance for a last confession. If he is praying, he may not be in enough sin to get eternal punishment.
4. He thinks he hears noises in the hallway. He is afraid that someone will see him. He decides to wait until he can be sure they are alone.

46. Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to the castle?

1. They have come to help the Queen redecorate in a manner suitable to Claudius.
2. They have come to tutor Hamlet so that he can go on to the University in Paris or London.
3. They are master soldiers who have come to prepare the troops for battle.
4. They have come to find out why Hamlet is acting so strangely and to report their findings to the King.

47. Why must the King not put the strong arm on Hamlet?

1. He is afraid that his soul would be permanently blackened if he committed any more evil deeds.
2. He is protecting his wife. He thinks that Hamlet might try to hurt her if he is provoked.
3. He needs to save all of his strength for fighting the enemies from other countries.
4. Hamlets mother would not want him harmed. The people of Denmark like him and would be upset if anything happened to him..