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Test your knowledge of Act 2, Scene 2. Submit your answers to see your results and get feedback.
What does Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's willingness to perform the task that Claudius and Gertrude give them suggest?
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They are focused primarily on Hamlet's well-being
They are skeptical of Claudius's ascension to the throne
They were never friends with Hamlet
They prioritize serving power to their friendship with Hamlet
What are the two pieces of good news Polonius shares with Gertrude and Claudius when he enters during their meeting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ?
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The ambassador from England has arrived and he has a way to cure Hamlet's lunacy
The ambassadors to Norway have returned and he knows the cause of Hamlet's lunacy
Fortinbras has agreed to peace terms and he knows how to cure Hamlet's lunacy
Fortinbras has agreed to peace terms and the ambassador from England has arrived
What does Fortinbras's behavior reveal about his character?
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He is indecisive and easily swayed
He is a pacifist and prefers diplomacy
He is decisive and quick to action
He is disloyal and untrustworthy
What does Polonius tell Gertrude and Claudius is the cause of Hamlet's madness?
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Hamlet's despair at Ophelia's rejection of his love
Hamlet's grief due to his father's recent death
Hamlet's anger at the marriage between Claudius and Gertrude
Hamlet's belief that he should have inherited the throne
What does Polonius suggest as a way to test his theory about Hamlet's madness?
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Confront Hamlet directly about his feelings
Get Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to talk with Hamlet about Ophelia
Have Ophelia write Hamlet a love letter and see how he responds
Spy on an arranged meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia
How does Hamlet initially respond in Act 2, Scene 2 when Polonius asks if he knows who he is?
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Hamlet claims not to know him
Hamlet sarcastically praises Polonius's wisdom
Hamlet says he is a fishmonger
Hamlet accuses Polonius of dishonesty
Which of the following is one likely purpose of Hamlet's wordplay in his conversation with Polonius?
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To demonstrate his intellectual superiority over Polonius
To secretly express his love for Ophelia without Polonius realizing
To test whether Polonius is being honest with him
All of the above
In an aside while he is talking with Hamlet, what does Polonius say about Hamlet's madness?
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That there is more to it
That it is love-sickness
That it is nothing but a trick
That there is method in it
What do Hamlet's responses to Polonius's questions in Act 2, Scene 2 suggest about Hamlet's feelings about his life?
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Hamlet is unhappy with his present circumstances but optimistic about his future
Hamlet is disgusted by what he sees but is committed to creating change
Hamlet is focused solely on carrying out the Ghost's quest for revenge
Hamlet does not value his life and possibly yearns for death
What does Hamlet call Denmark in his first conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
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An unweeded garden
A nutshell
A prison
A corpse
What does Hamlet's first interaction with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern suggest about his surroundings?
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That everyone has their own different interpretations of events
That those around him are driven by dishonesty and hidden agendas
That there is a widespread conspiracy against him
All of the above
What is true about Hamlet's exaggerated description of his loss of mirth in his first conversation with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
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It is completely fabricated to confuse these two "friends"
It contains a seed of truth about his feelings
It indicates that Hamlet does not love Ophelia
It is meant solely to mock the concerns of Claudius
What does Rosencrantz suggest might help brighten Hamlet's mood?
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A troupe of actors
A trip to the city
A feast in his honor
A change in his point of view
How does Hamlet equate the popularity of child actors and of Claudius?
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He says that both are perfectly understandable
He believes that both are simply a fad
He describes both as being unnatural
None of the above
What does Hamlet suggest to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in Act 2, Scene 2 about his madness?
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That it is not something he can control
That it is an act and he is mad only on occasion
That it is the result of his father's death
That Rosencrantz and Guildenstern will never understand it
What does Hamlet do as Polonius introduces the troupe of actors?
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He mocks Polonius and engages him in obscure wordplay
He listens intently and respectfully
He leaves the room as a way to insult Polonius
He challenges Polonius's claim about the actors' abilities
What does Hamlet ask the First Player to do?
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Perform a dance
Perform a speech
Sing a song
Tell of their journey to Elsinore
What is the subject of the speech that Hamlet asks the First Player to recite?
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A romantic tale of two star-crossed lovers
A comedic story about a misunderstanding between brothers
A tragic scene from the Trojan war
A story that matches Claudius's murder of Old Hamlet
What play does Hamlet ask the First Player to prepare to perform the following evening?
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Pyrrhus and Priam
The Murder of Gonzago
Agamemnon
The Eumenides
In Hamlet's lengthy monologue after the First Player has departed, what does he lament about himself?
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His loss of interest in the world around him
His inability to enjoy the arts as he once did
His failure to feel and act on his father's murder
His own lack of skill as an actor
Why does Hamlet want to use the actor's play to try to confirm whether Claudius murdered Old Hamlet in the way the Ghost described?
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He worries that the Ghost was the devil trying to tempt him
He worries that the Ghost was a figment of his imagination
He worries that without proof he won't be able to justify taking revenge
He wants to torment Claudius the way that Claudius tormented his father
