Final study questions

1. Polonius is sometimes played as a senile old fool, sometimes as a shrewd and worldly old man.  Which interpretation do you agree with and why? I agree that he is a senile old fool, because not only is he old and crazy, he also tries so hard to seem smart. In one of the lines, he puts a bunch of words together. "either for tragedy, comedy, history, pastoral, pastoral-comical, historical-pastoral, tragical-historical, tragical-comical-historical-pastoral, scene individable, or poem unlimited." (Pg 56 Line 386)                                                                                  
2. Pick one character who could, at some point, have changed the whole chain of events.  Discuss. Gertrude could have changed the chain of events by not marrying Claudius, and letting Hamlet take the throne like he was supposed to.                                                                                                                                                                        
3. Analyze the three appearances of the ghost seen in the play.  Where did he appear; to whom did he appear?  How does the third appearance differ from the first two?  What is the significance of this? The ghost appeared on the castle walls, in the forest, and on a bridge. He appeared for Horatio and the guards, and he also appeared for Hamlet. The third appearance is where the ghost actually talked with Hamlet. The difference is that the ghost actually let out and explained what happened to him.                                                                                
4. Discuss the reasons for Hamlet’s apparent delay in seeking revenge for his father.  What is your opinion regarding his procrastination? Hamlet doesn't want to seem crazy, so he decides to act crazy first. In my opinion, he wants to make sure that the ghost actually was his father, instead of a demon.                                           
5. Compare and contrast Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras as avengers. All three of them have had their fathers murdered. The difference from Laertes and the other two is that he isn't royalty, and his uncle isn't an important figure.
6. What is Hamlet’s attitude towards life and people?  How does it affect his actions? His attitude towards life and people is to be super depressed, and act mad.                                                                                                         
7. Apply the following quote to Hamlet: “A man who wishes to make a profession of goodness in everything must necessarily come to grief among so many who are not good.  Therefore, it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how to not to be good, and to use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case.”  -- THE PRINCE, Machiavelli                                                                                                     
8. Examine the reoccurring pun on sun and son.  How does this symbol work in the overall meaning of the play. Hamlet is the "son" of a dead father, and the pun of "sun" comes in when this country is shown as a decaying garden, and Hamlet will be the "sun" that lightens up the garden.                                                                                    
9. Was Ophelia pregnant with Hamlet’s child? No, I don't think she was.                                                                                                             
10. Did Hamlet slip into madness? In my opinion, he did. When he saw his father in Act 3 Scene 4, I think it was just a figment of his imagination.                                                                                                                                              
11. It is Hamlet who causes the downfall of Denmark. Probably. Even though his Uncle killed his father, his Uncle was still able to keep Denmark in one piece.                                                                                                                 
12. What is the meaning of the pirates? ---                                                                                                                            
13. Is Hamlet Jesus Christ?  How is Horatio either John the Baptist or an apostle. ---                                                
14. Why or how is Denmark the Garden of Eden? ---                                                                                                         
15. Gertrude knows about the murder? No, I do not think so, but she is confused at why Hamlet comes to her saying she did.                                                                                                                                                                   
16. The meaning of prostitution in Hamlet? ---                                                                                                                   
17. Can Hamlet be compared to our current society?  If so, how? ---                                                                               
18. Perhaps others—as we read or when we finish.