Hamlet Act 1 Study Guide

Question: 1.Identify Bernardo, Francisco, Marcellus, Horatio, and King Hamlet.

Answer: Watchmen of Elsinore. Horatio is a friend of Hamlet’s. King Hamlet is the former king who is dead.

Question: 2.What had Bernardo seen at a prior watch?

Answer: They believe they have seen King Hamlet’s ghost two nights previous.

Question: 3.Why does Marcellus think Horatio should speak to the ghost?

Answer: Because he knew King Hamlet personally and he is more respected.

Question: 4.What does young Fortinbras want to do?

Answer: Wants to start war between Denmark and Norway so he can get the lands back that were lost in the war King Hamlet led against Norway.``

Question: 5. Who do the soldiers/guards want to tell about the ghost?

Answer: Hamlet

Question: 6. Identify King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, Laertes, and Polonius.

Answer: King Hamlet’s brother and new king of Denmark, /Hamlet’s mother, the queen, newly married to Claudius, /son of Polonius and contemporary of Hamlet,/ Polonius is father of Ophelia and Laertes and is King Claudius’ counselor.

Question: 7. Where does Claudius send Cornelius and Voltimand?

Answer: To Norway to make sure the King there knows what Fortinbras is up to.

Question: 8. What does the King tell Hamlet?

Answer: That he needs to be done with mourning for his father, that the continual mourning makes him look weak, and that he wants Hamlet not to go back to Wittenberg.

Question: 10. What news does Horatio bring Hamlet?

Answer: That his father’s ghost has been seen on the ramparts of the castle.

Question: 11. What does Hamlet decide to do after he hears Horatio’s news?

Answer: He is going to keep watch with the guards and try to see the ghost.