Act 3 – Flashcards
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Why does Hamlet choose not to kill Claudius when he has the chance?
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Hamlet saw Claudius praying and feared that killing him now may send Claudius' soul to heaven.
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Who does Hamlet kill on accident?
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Polonius, an innocent man.
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How does Hamlet kill Polonius?
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He stabs the curtain where he thinks Claudius is spying from, but instead winds up stabbing Pollonius.
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What does Gertrude fear after seeing Hamlet kill Polonius in her quarters?
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That he has picked a fight with Claudius that he cannot win.
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What happens to Hamlet as a result of killing Polonius?
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He is Exiled to England.
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What does Horatio help Hamlet do?
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Exact revenge against Claudius.
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What does Ophelia say when Hamlet asks where her father is?
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She lies, hoping that nobody gets hurt from Hamlet's rage.
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What conclusion does Polonius come to?
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After spying on Hamlet and Ophelia, he concludes that Hamlet is not mad with love.
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What gets Polonius killed?
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He decided to spy on Hamlet talking with his mother and is mistaken for Claudius.
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What does the Ghost ask of Hamlet?
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That he go easy on his mother because she had nothing to do with his murder.
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What do Rosencrantz and Gildenstern fear?
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They suspect that Hamlet is uncovering the real reason behind their return to Denmark.
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What is Hamlet debating in his most famous soliloquy?
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Hamlet is debating whether or not to kill himself, whether it is nobler to stay, endure the misery, and fulfill his promise to his father to kill Claudius, or to kill himself and end his suffering now.
"To be or not to be, that is the question" (Act 3, Scene 1, Line 64-98)
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What arguments does Hamlet present against Killing himself?
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Death is like sleep, but a sleep that no one can return from to tell what dreams there may be, after death may be worse than his struggles and so it is nobler to stay and avenge his father's death.
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What faults does Hamlet berate his mother for?
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1. Offending his father (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 13)
2. Questioning Hamlet's sanity (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 15)
3. Marrying her husband's brother (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 20)
4. Having no virtue and being a hypocrite (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 51)
5. Breaking her marriage vows by having an affair (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 53)
6. Having no sense and no shame in marrying Claudius (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 80)
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Why does Shakespeare choose to have the Ghost appear at this particular time and place place in Scene 4?
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To tell Hamlet to stop attacking his mother and to remind him of his mission. (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 126-131)
