English | Graded Assignment | Unit Test, Part 2 | Hamlet
Name: Date:
Graded Assignment
Unit Test: Hamlet
Below are five questions on Hamlet. Answer Question 1, Question 2, and Question 3 with responses of at least
one paragraph. Then answer either Question 4 or Question 5 in a literary essay of at least five paragraphs.
Remember to incorporate textual evidence in all of your responses. You may refer to your copy of Hamlet and
your notes as you write.
Answer Questions 1, 2, and 3.
(Score for Question 1: ___ of 15 points)
1. Explain both the literal and symbolic meaning and importance of pouring poison in a person’s ear in Hamlet.
Answer:
The literal meaning of pouring poison in a person’s ear is the insinuating information which was passed to
the people of Denmark by Claudius and the father ghost again mentioning that he was stung by a serpent which
led to his death. The symbolical meaning of pouring poison in a person’s ears is feeding people with misleading
information to lead people into things which will be against their better judgment. We see the political case
strategy where the people of Denmark as a whole represents the ear and how people are led to believe that the
king is not good for their welfare which helps after his death as no one seemed to be bothered by the Queen’s
quick remarriage.
(Score for Question 2: ___ of 15 points)
2. What purpose do the soliloquies that Hamlet delivers over the course of the play serve? What do readers and
audience members learn about Hamlet from what he says in these speeches?
Answer:
The purpose of the soliloquies delivered by Hamlet over the course of the play an important role as it is
the only source of entry for readers to know the internal struggles which are the cause of his indecisive nature.
They give a picture of the battles he is fighting inside along with the struggles outside and gives us a better
understanding of his character. The audience and readers get closer to the protagonist and develop a feeling of
sympathy towards him as they are the only ones who are aware of his mourning for his father’s death.
(Score for Question 3: ___ of 15 points)
3. In drama, a character’s tragic flaw is the character trait that leads directly to his or her downfall in the work.
Many critics and scholars argue that Hamlet’s tragic flaw is his tendency toward inaction—his inability to act.
Do you agree? Why or why not? Cite specific examples from the text to support your response.
Answer:
I agree to the critical claim that it was Hamlet’s characteristic of indecision that led to his downfall or that
his inability to carry out the action is the tragic flaw which gives others an upper hand on him. As from the onset of
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The people of Denmark by Claudius

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