One on One with Hamlet Quiz | Shakespeare

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet replied "A little more than kin, and less than kind" when which character greeted him?

Answer: Claudius

Claudius did not realize how resentful Hamlet truly was about the marriage to his mother, Queen Gertrude. Hamlet acknowledged the forced connection Claudius tried to make about Hamlet being his son and established the reigning angry attitude towards Claudius throughout the play.

2. Hamlet greeted which person as being a "fishmonger?"

Answer: Polonius

Polonius and Claudius wondered if Hamlet was acting crazy or truly was crazy, so Polonius walked in on Hamlet and asked him, "Do you know me?" Hamlet replied, "Excellently well. You are a fishmonger." Ian Holm and Mel Gibson handled this scene quite well in the 1990 movie version.

3. Whom did Hamlet accuse of having a "wicked tongue?"

Answer: Gertrude

Queen mum Gertrude was ready to verbally spank Hamlet for angering Claudius, due to the whole play-within-a-play setup. She was not prepared for Hamlet's own anger and gets lashed about both verbally and physically.

4. With whom did Hamlet speak about Julius Caesar in Act 3?

Answer: Polonius

After the players arrived, Hamlet discussed previous plays, particularily "Julius Caesar" with Polonius, who played the lead role at one point in his much younger years. Hamlet made a pun, but as usual, Polonius failed to catch the pointed humor.

5. "You will speak of this to no one!" declared Hamlet to himself after seeing the ghost of his father.

Answer: false

Although Hamlet had a few soliloquys in the play, this is not one of them. Hamlet spoke alone with his father, the ghost, on the platform and when he met up with Marcellus, Bernardo, and Horatio he was so disturbed by the incident he ordered the three men not to speak about it at all with anyone.

6. "Give me your pardon, sir: I've done you wrong; But pardon't, as you are a gentleman" was directed to which character in Act 5, Scene 2?

Answer: Laertes

Just prior to the fencing match Hamlet attempted to reconcile with Laertes, hoping Laertes would accept that he did not mean to cause the death of Polonius or contribute in any way to Ophelia's.

7. Which woman in the play does Hamlet ask this question: "Are you honest?"

Answer: Ophelia

In Act 3, Scene 1, Ophelia was sent in by her father and the king to find out more about Hamlet's state of mind. Hamlet suspected she was a merely a pawn of the two men, sent to spy on him. When he asked if she is "honest" his question has a double meaning.

The first was if she was true, if she could be trusted. The second meaning refered to if she was a maiden still, which would explain why Ophelia responded in a rather perplexed, or possibly offended manner.

8. In Act 3, Scene 2, of whom did Hamlet ask, "Will you play upon this pipe?"

Answer: Guildenstern

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern fell out of favour with Hamlet when he realized they were merely tools of Claudius. He spoke rudely to Guidenstern. The implication being made that playing the pipe was as easy as lying and that Guildenstern lied so easily he should have easily been able to play the instrument.

9. To whom did Hamlet say, "I must to England; you know that?" in Act 3?

Answer: Gertrude

Act 3, Scene 4 was a passionate, dramatic scene where Hamlet had it out with his mother, Queen Gertrude. Not only did he forcibly make her understand that his father, her former husband the king, was murdered, the deed was done by her present husband. Upon realizing the truth, Gertrude turned to Hamlet and it appeared as if he momentarily forgave her, seeing she truly was innocent of the murder.

He told her he must leave for England and she expressed her sorrow that he had to leave.

10. "A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and cat of the fish that hath fed of that worm." To whom did Hamlet speak this seemingly nonsensical speech in Act 4?

Answer: Claudius

Having accidentally killed Polonius, Hamlet stashed his body somewhere and would not divulge its whereabouts. Claudius demanded to know where it was and Hamlet delivered a clever rambling about bodies, kings, and worms. He finally gave up the location of Polonius's body and Claudius sent Hamlet off to England.

Source: Author shs05

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor MotherGoose before going online.
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One on One with Hamlet Trivia Quiz

Stretch your "Hamlet" knowledge by recalling the lines Hamlet traded with another character in the play.

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