Cambridge OCR A Level · English Literature - H472

Hamlet: Practice Questions

5 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 3 written questions with worked solutions. All on Hamlet.

8 questions15 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

In Act 2, Scene 2, Hamlet describes Denmark as a 'prison'. When Rosencrantz disagrees, Hamlet replies that 'there is nothing either good or bad, but ______ makes it so'. Which word completes this philosophical statement?

Question 2

1 mark

In Act 4, Scene 5, what specific items does Ophelia distribute to the court, and what do they represent in the context of her madness?

Question 3

1 mark

In Hamlet’s soliloquy beginning 'To be, or not to be' (Act 3, Scene 1), what is the specific reason he gives for why 'conscience does make cowards of us all'?

Question 4

1 mark

In Act 2, Scene 2 of Hamlet, which pair of characters does Claudius summon to Elsinore to 'glean' information regarding the cause of Hamlet's transformation?

Question 5

1 mark

What is the significance of the 'Alexander' and 'Caesar' references in Hamlet's dialogue with Horatio in the graveyard (Act 5, Scene 1)?

Question 6

2 marks

In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, what role does Horatio play in the opening scene of the play regarding the appearance of the Ghost?

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Question 7

3 marks

How does the character of Fortinbras serve as a dramatic foil to Hamlet in terms of action and resolve?

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Question 8

5 marks

Analyze how Shakespeare uses the graveyard scene in Act 5 of Hamlet to transition the play from a revenge tragedy to a broader existential meditation.

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