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Give reasons for the references to 'St Patrick,' 'Nemean lion,' 'Lethe,' 'Hyperion to a satyr,' 'canker.'

Against indulgence in what vice does Hamlet inveigh?

Quote passages from (1) Julius Cæsar, and (2) King Lear, in which Shakespeare has expanded and improved passages in Hamlet, Act I. Quote three (1) classical, (2) scriptural, and (3) proverbial allusions from Act I.

What is the position of the royal family in Denmark at the close of Act I?

Quote (1) five various readings, (2) five fine poetical passages, occurring in Act I.

ACT II.

What had occurred to Laertes since his setting out?

How had Ophelia obeyed the commands of Polonius concerning 'my Lord Hamlet?' and with what results!

What inference did Polonius draw from her information, and what did he resolve on doing?

What means had Queen Gertrude taken to discover the true causes of her son's melancholy?

What message did the ambassadors to Norway bring to Denmark? What news did Polonius bring to the king and queen about Hamlet?

To what arrangement did the king and his minister come to verify the supposition of Polonius?

How was it carried out, and with what results?

What welcome tidings did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring to Prince Hamlet?

How was the 'travel' of the players accounted for?

What was Shakespeare supposed to refer to in this statement? Did his interview with his old schoolfellows result in their discovering the secret they sought to find out?

How did Hamlet receive the players? How did he instruct Polonius to use them?

What self-accusings did the player's recitations lead him to make?
In carrying out what purpose did Hamlet resolve to employ them?
What play did Hamlet choose for performance at court?
How did he propose to make it more effective?

What is meant by 'keep,' 'fetch of warrant,' 'windlaces,' assays,' 'bias,' 'down-gyved,' 'gentry,' 'prescripts,' 'paragon,' 'coted,' 'escoted?'

Quote instances of the use of 'beautified' by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. What interpretation has been put upon the use of 'a vile phrase' here?

Explain tickle o' the sere,' 'too dear a half-penny,' 'inhibition,' 'innovation,' 'aery,' eyases,' 'comply,' 'chopine,' 'caviare,' 'lenten entertainment,' 'the law of writ and the liberty,' 'mobled.'

Who is the 'satirical rogue' from whom Hamlet quotes?

What use does Shakespeare make of 'Æneas' tale to Dido?' Quote (1) five classical allusions; (2) three scriptural references; (3) five proverbial phrases; (4) five humorous sayings; and (5) five beautiful phrases or sentences, from Act II. Had Hamlet any grounds for thinking

'The play's the thing

Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king'-II, ii, 581?

Did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern act honestly towards Hamlet? Do the moral precepts of Polonius to his son in Act I, and the directions given to Reynaldo in Act II, increase or decrease our esteem for the old statesman ?

ACT III.

Did Rosencrantz and Guildenstern give an honest account of their interview with Hamlet?

How did Polonius' plan of proving Hamlet's madness succeed?
What part did Ophelia take in it?

What serious thoughts were then pressing on Hamlet's mind?
Describe the interview between Hamlet and Ophelia.
What were the reflections of Ophelia at its close?

Did the king think Polonius had proved his point?

On what plan did the king resolve?

Sketch from Hamlet's speech to the player the chief faults of acting in Shakespeare's age, and show how he desired to improve the drama.

How did Hamlet expect, by the play, to bring conviction of guilt home to the king?

How did Hamlet receive the company at the court play?

How did the play proceed? How were the audience affected by it? What words of Hamlet touched the king to the quick?

How did Hamlet express his sense of the success of his plan?

How were the king and queen affected by the play?

What means did they use to inform him of their dissatisfaction? How did Hamlet rebuke his false friends?

How did Hamlet receive Polonius?

What resolve did Hamlet form regarding his mother?

How did he feel affected towards the king?

What commission did the king entrust to Rosencrantz and Guilden

stern? Did they accept of it willingly?

How did the king fail in his repentance and prayers?

Why did Hamlet 'miss' his revenge?

How did Hamlet's interview with his mother commence ?
What scheme did his mother connive at ?

In what evil did this scheming' result?
In what position did this place Hamlet?

How did the conference of mother and son proceed?
What occurred to interrupt it?

How did this affect Hamlet ?—and the queen ?

How did the conversation end?

What had Hamlet heard concerning the king's designs?

Explain espials,' coil,' 'fardels,' the hatch and the disclose,' 'out-herods Herod,' 'coped,' 'stithy,' 'idle,' 'a suit of sables,' 'miching mallecho,' 'audit,' 'hent,' 'rood,' 'livery.'

Quote (1) three scriptural references; (2) five classical allusions; (3) five 'familiar quotations;' (4) five fine passages, from Act III. Give a clear statement of the condition of things in the palace at Elsinore at the close of Act III.

Explain three 'allusions' in Act III.

ACT IV.

Describe the conversation between Claudius and Gertrude after the death of Polonius.

In what form did the king put his proposal to send Hamlet to England before the queen?

What were Rosencrantz and Guildenstern requested by the king to do about the body of Polonius? How did they proceed and succeed? How did the interview between Hamlet and the king go on? Had it the effect of inducing the king to alter his plans? How had the Norwegian and the Polish sovereigns arranged their dispute?

In what condition were the forces of the rivals at this juncture? What influence had the progress of young Fortinbras on Hamlet? To what resolution did he come on hearing the captain's statement? What had happened to Ophelia in consequence of her father's death? How is her condition described ?

In what way did the manner of it complicate her misery? Describe the scene of her meeting with the king and queen. How does the king sum up the sadness of her state; and what political difficulties had arisen from the death of Polonius?

What attitude did Laertes assume to the king and the state? Give an account of the conference between the king and Laertes. State in his own words the grounds for offence he had. How did Ophelia act when she re-entered the king's apartment; and what impression did this make on Laertes?

Quote some of the songs Ophelia sung, and explain how they show her sense of what had happened.

Explain the significance of her distribution of flowers.

Point out evidences of method in her madness.

How did the king endeavour to comfort Laertes ?

How had affairs gone with Hamlet since he had set out to England? To whom did he send a message?

Into what arrangement did Laertes and the king enter?

On what did the king flatter Laertes?

What news did the queen bring to the king and Laertes?
Describe Ophelia's death.

What were the reflections of Laertes concerning it?

Quote (1) three passages against murder; (2) four classical allusions; (3) five references to Scripture; (4) five fine passages, from Act IV.

Explain

mineral,' 'diameter,' 'imposthume,' 'fust,' 'huggermugger,' 'Switzers,' 'overpeering,' 'hatchment,' 'character,' scrimers,' 'plurisy,' 'sliver.'

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What was the floral significance of Ophelia's dying garland?
What explanation has been given of Lamond?

How did Laertes characterise him?

ACT V.

What question had arisen regarding the manner of Ophelia's death? How had it been settled?

What preparations had been made for her funeral?

Quote two of the conundrums of the gravediggers.
Quote three humorous passages from their colloquies.
With what poem had the gravedigger got acquainted?
Who was its author?

What mistaken phraseology does the gravedigger make use of?
How does he state the question of suicide versus accident?
On which side did he feel inclined to give his verdict?

What was going on in the graveyard when Hamlet and Horatio entered it?

What induced Hamlet to speak?

To what reflections did what he saw give rise?

Quote Hamlet's reflections on a lawyer's skull.

Give an abstract of Hamlet's war of wit with the gravedigger.

What references did the latter make to Hamlet?

What did Hamlet say of Yorick? What did the gravedigger say? Regarding which two renowned warriors did Hamlet moralise? After this what occurred in the graveyard?

In what manner was Ophelia buried? why so?

Who objected to these maimed rites?'

How did Hamlet learn who was being interred?

What inferences have been drawn from Hamlet's ejaculation—

'the fair Ophelia ?'

What reference did the queen make to her son?

What did Laertes say of Hamlet then?

What occurred between the two thereafter?

How does Hamlet express himself concerning Ophelia?

How does this grave-scene end?

Describe the encounter of Hamlet with the pirates.

How did Hamlet discover the treacherous intent of the king?

How did Hamlet secure the punishment of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

Why did Hamlet think his revenge must now be speedily taken? How was the conversation between Hamlet and Horatio interrupted?

What was Osric? and what his message?

How did Hamlet receive it?

What contest of ceremony occurred between them?

What were the real conditions of the wager?

Did Hamlet accept the challenge given?

With what feelings did he do so?

What agreement had been come to between the king and Laertes ? Did Laertes keep to his agreement?

How did Laertes and Hamlet meet?

How did the king act during the duel? How did the queen act?
Describe the process of the combat.
What suddenly interrupted the affray ?
What assertion did the queen make?
What confession did Laertes make?
How did the courtiers act?

How did Hamlet act?
How did he die ?

What did Horatio propose to do? How was his purpose changed?
How did Hamlet die? Whom did he proclaim successor ?
How does the play close?

What objection has been taken to the closing scene?

Explain straight,' 'even Christian,' 'mazard,' 'loggats,' 'imperious,' 'shreds,' 'crantz,' 'peace-parted,' 'splenitive,' 'push,' 'bugs,' 'statists,' 'yeoman's service,' 'comma,'"card or calendar of gentry,' 'union,' 'pearl,' 'occurrents.'

Quote three scriptural, classical, or proverbial allusions from Act V. Quote four parallel passages to any in Act V.

Quote any passage in Shakespeare's poems or plays which harmonises with the close of the play of Hamlet.

GENERAL QUESTIONS.

Compose brief biographies of Hamlet, Claudius, and Polonius. Compile a memoir of Ophelia.

Draw up a comparison between the Story of Hamblet and the plot of Hamlet.

Give an estimate of the characters of Horatio, Laertes, Osric, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the queen.

What arguments may be used to show that the queen was 'art and part' in the murder of the elder Hamlet?

What arguments may be advanced in favour of her innocence? Show the distinction between the madness of Ophelia and of Hamlet.

Give a selection of passages which show (1) that Hamlet was really mad; (2) that his madness was feigned.

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