handout+soliloquies

=Hamlet Soliloquies Handout=

Fill in the blank (different words will work)

1. Hamlet is constantly ( . . . . . . . ) over taking action to avenge his father's death.

2. Hamlet likes to ( . . . . . . . . ) himself so that he will finally take some action instead of talking in soliloquys all the time.

3. Through the soliloquys we can see that Hamlet really likes to __(__ . . . . . . . . . . ), but rarely ( . . . . ) on it.

4. Hamlet constantly berates his ( . . . . . . . . . ) for killing his father and also complains about his ( . . . . . . . . . . )'s_ lack of mourning for the original kings death.

5. ( . . . .. . . . . )'s soliloquys ( . . . ) have (. . . . ) thing in ( . . . . . . . . . ). **This is a hard one!**

Open Questions
1. Why would it be considered ironic that Hamlet always goads himself into action, fails to act, mocks himself for not acting and then repeats the cycle? Why do you think he's never able of fully convincing himself?

2. In the context of the play, do you think Hamlet's moral views get in the way of his actions, or help to reinforce what he believes he has to do?

3. Hamlet constantly mocks himself for not taking action. Do you see this as being a weakness or a strength in character?

4. Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy is one of the most well known in literature. What do you think brought Hamlet to speak this soliloquy?

5. Do you think it was foolish of Hamlet to not take action during the "Now might I do it" soliloquy? Why or why not? How does his indesision seem almost comical after all of the times he had concentrated himself on the task at hand in previous soliloquys?

6. After all his internal strife, why do you think Hamlet is finally able to kill Claudius?