Hamlet Quiz

At the time, women were required to be utterly subservient to men, given limited education and career choices, and subjected to stringent rules of etiquette and dress. Queen Elizabeth herself is quoted as saying: "Better beggar woman and single than Queen and married." Elizabeth remained single throughout her life because marrying would have meant giving up her autonomy as monarch. The fact that even the queen had to take such measures to protect her access to self-governance illustrates the harsh plight of upper-class women of the time.

According to the passage, of all the areas of an Elizabethan woman’s life, the one that was most responsible for the woman’s lack of independence was .

marriage

Sometimes guests brought their own knives and spoons, and sometimes they were furnished by the host. If not eating something soft or soupy that required a spoon, people ate with their fingers, using their knives only to take food from the main serving platter and to cut it when necessary. The knife was placed on the right side of the trencher, and the bread was on the left. Cups were not placed on the table. If a guest wanted a drink, he or she would ask a servant, who would bring them a cup that was kept on a side table or sometimes in a cool bath of water. When the guest finished drinking, they would return the cup to the servant, who would rinse it out, making it ready for the next guest.

Based on the explicit and implicit information from the passage, the reader can infer that

tableware was rarer in Elizabethan times than it is today.

Gold-paneled ballrooms with crystal chandeliers. Dashing knights and handsome lords bowing at the knees of elegant ladies. And the loveliest part of all? The ladies themselves, bedecked in ornate gowns, drinking from jeweled goblets before gracing the gentlemen with dances.

Now read the passage from a paper on time travel.

Any time traveler must consider visiting Elizabethan England. There are beautiful castles, gorgeous outfits to wear, and decadent food to eat. The wonders abound!

The most accurate comparison of the two texts is that both

persuade the reader of the delights of Elizabethan England.

It seems strange for your Serene Highness to write that you understand from your brother and your ambassadors that we have entirely determined not to marry an absent husband; and that we shall give you no certain reply until we shall have seen your person.

In the passage, Elizabeth appeals to the Prince of Sweden’s

credibility

Highborn Elizabethan women lived difficult, suffocating lives with many rules and few choices.

In the sentence, the writer describes

the central idea.

Queen Elizabeth thinks Erik of Sweden is needlessly vain.

Which sentence from Response to Erik of Sweden is the best textual evidence for Ethan to use to support his inference?

But that we are not to give you an answer until we have seen your person is so far from the thing itself that we never even considered such a thing.

Anita was instructed to summarize Elizabethan Women. In order to do so, she should make sure the language she uses in her summary is

objective.

The Elizabethan era, the years between 1558-1603 when Elizabeth I reigned as Queen of England, is known for its emphasis on courtly manners. The most esteemed book on the subject was Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier, also referred to as The Courtier. The Courtier was translated from its original Italian into English in 1561, and its rules were carefully followed by the highest-ranking courtiers of the day.

According to the passage, society first began to closely follow etiquette rules when

Elizabeth I started her reign as Queen of England.

Next, the salt cellar was placed on the table. The cellar, or container, for the salt was decorative, and the main adornment for most tables. It occupied a place of honor, and as such, the placement of the salt also determined where guests sat, with the host and his or her most honored guests on one side and guests of lesser importance on the other. Therefore, no one sat down until the salt cellar, also simply called "the salt," was placed.

All guests would be led into the dining hall, in order of their importance. The lord, or host, would sit at the head of the table, with the most honored guests on the right and the least honored on the left. Guests would always wash their hands prior to beginning the meal, and grace was said before the food was served.

when the attendees arrived when the grace was said when the salt cellar was placed when the guests washed their hands

If you happened to be a lord or lady in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, one way that you would occupy your time might be learning the plethora of etiquette rules so complex that one would have to memorize them as people today might memorize the lyrics to their favorite songs.

The main topic of the passage is

Elizabethan manners.

Although Queen Elizabeth is polite, she also seems a bit annoyed. For example, she says, "It seems strange for your Serene Highness to write that you understand from your brother and your ambassadors that we have entirely determined not to marry an absent husband; and that we shall give you no certain reply until we shall have seen your person."

By including the quote, Sophie is

using textual evidence to support her inference.

Which sentence from Response to Erik of Sweden best summarizes Queen Elizabeth’s purpose for writing the letter?

And that indeed does not happen because we doubt in any way of your love and honour, but, as often we have testified both in words and writing, that we have never yet conceived a feeling of that kind of affection towards anyone.

Which question should writers ask in order to consider their audience?

Who will read my writing?

For I assure you (what credit my assurance may have with you, I cannot tell, but what credit it shall deserve to have, the sequel shall declare) I will never in that matter conclude any thing that shall be prejudicial to the realm. For the weal, good and safety whereof, I will never shun to spend my life.

Which excerpt from Queen Elizabeth’s Address to the Troops at Tilbury shares the common purpose of persuading her audience that she is willing to do what is best for England?

I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved in the midst and heat of the battle, to live or die among you all.

Food is valuable in Elizabethan England, far more so than in the modern world. A flock of 180 sheep is worth more than the average detached house. The difficulties of transportation mean that the food supply depends heavily on what grows locally and how much surplus is available. It also depends on the season. Harvest is obviously a time of much grain and fruit.

Which ideas are implicitly stated in the excerpt? Check all that apply.

Not many Elizabethans ate exotic fruit. Food was more scarce during the winter months. More people had food during harvest season.

The purpose of adding relevant evidence to a paragraph is to

support a point.

The realm shall not remain destitute of any heir that may be a fit governour, and peradventure more beneficial to the realm, than such offspring as may come of me: For though I be never so careful of your well-doing, and mind ever so to be, yet may my issue grow out of kind, and become perhaps ungracious.

What is Queen Elizabeth’s purpose in this excerpt?

to persuade Parliament that the method of choosing successors to the throne based simply on birthright needs to be revised

In 1587 Thomas Kyd produces The Spanish Tragedy, and soon afterward Christopher Marlowe brings out the first part of Tamburlaine the Great. . . . They employ new verse forms, allowing different spoken rhythms, and compose bold speeches with greater resonance and meaning. The new conceptual framework of a revenge tragedy in particular allows them to portray powerful emotions voiced by strong characters. Suddenly it is possible to show so much more passion on the stage.

What was the most direct cause of the more passionate performances?

the new verse forms and conceptual framework

At the end of the day, the dusk was filled by the coyote’s haunting call.

Which revision puts the sentence in the active voice while maintaining the meaning?

At the end of the day, the coyote’s haunting call filled the dusk.

Which sentence is an example of an objective summary?

Modern medicine has changed dramatically since the 1500s.

In The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England, Mortimer helps readers relate to how deadly the plague was. He uses specific, clear examples to make his points, such as in the following example.

Which is the best evidence to add to the passage to support the writer’s point?

An estimated 250,000 people died during the epidemic.

Which excerpts from Queen Elizabeth’s Address to the Troops at Tilbury rely on a rhetorical appeal to ethos to persuade soldiers that she is a capable commander? Check all that apply.

I do not desire to live to distrust. I have the heart and stomach of a king. I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder. I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time.

Elizabethan people suffer from some afflictions that no longer exist in modern England. Plague is the obvious example but it is by no means the only one. Sweating sickness kills tens of thousands of people on its first appearance in 1485 and periodically thereafter. It is a terrifying disease because sufferers die within hours. It doesn’t return after a particularly bad outbreak in 1556 but people do not know whether it has gone for good; they still fear it, and it continues to be part of the medical landscape for many years.

How does the paragraph develop the central idea that Elizabethans suffered from diseases that are unfamiliar to modern readers?

It provides the example of sweating sickness.

The hotel lobby with fans hoping for an autograph as soon as word spreads that the movie star is staying in the penthouse.

will flood

If you are hungry, you might feel inclined to turn to poaching. But be careful: this is risky. Taking livestock is theft, and theft is a felony which carries the death sentence. Killing wild animals that live on another man’s land is also against the law; even taking a single fish from a river can result in a fine of a shilling or more. It is unlikely that you will be hanged for taking a wild animal such as a rabbit; but, even so, you will get a fine amounting to three times the value of the animal as well as three months in prison, and you will have to enter into a bond to guarantee your good behavior in the future; a second offense will be treated more harshly. If a gamekeeper attacks you and you defend yourself, you can be charged with assault. You may find yourself on the gallows if you injure him.

Which detail from the text best supports the inference that farm animals were very valuable in Elizabethan England?

Taking livestock is theft, and theft is a felony which carries the death sentence.

Which correctly evaluates Shakespeare’s use of theme in the passage?

When Claudius uses flattery to convince Laertes to kill Hamlet, Shakespeare emphasizes the theme "Pride leads to downfall."

What is the meaning of the underlined phrase?

It’s twelve o’clock.

What is the most likely reason Shakespeare repeats "great" and "greatly"?

Shakespeare capitalizes on the multiple meanings of "great" to help emphasize Hamlet’s point.

By viewing this excerpt through a historical lens, the reader can conclude that Shakespeare uses the promise of violence to

keep his audience engaged.

The way Hamlet changes over the course of the play is called .

character development

Which conclusion about Claudius does the excerpt support?

He is not a popular king.

Which passage from Hamlet, Act II, Scene i is an example of setting?

A Room in POLONIUS’ House.

What is the most likely reason Shakespeare included this passage?

He introduces the conflict between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby adding suspense and advancing the plot.

Based on the passage, which best describes how Laertes feels about his father’s death?

anxious to avenge his father’s death

To view the excerpt through a historical lens, which questions should the reader ask? Check all that apply.

How does the structure of the text help the audience to understand the situation with Fortinbras? What beliefs were common during this period that make the appearance of a ghost believable to the audience? What major political events occurred that the audience can compare to the politics in the scene?

Shakespeare makes allusions to the great rulers Alexander and Caesar to

emphasize that everyone eventually dies.

Which phrase from the excerpt best reflects Hamlet’s state of mind?

How weary, stale,

When a reader the choices in the various versions of Hamlet, he or she is assessing the quality of them.

evaluates

With its focus on the worldly theme of proper dating behavior, this excerpt provides an example of

Elizabethan drama.

Which accurately and objectively summarizes the theme that is developed by Hamlet’s thought process in this passage?

The truth will set you free.

When Hamlet refers to Ophelia as a nymph, this is an example of a(n) .

allusion

Based on the context of the excerpt, the best definition of larded is

"filled."

Shakespeare included this plot event to help show that Gertrude has changed from

happy to remorseful.

When viewed through a formalist lens, the point of Shakespeare’s structure is to

emphasize Hamlet’s indecision that recurs throughout the play.

To make the First Player a complex character, Shakespeare would need to make him

change over time.

Which phrase from the excerpt most adds a tone of self-loathing to the speech?

And enterprises of great pith and moment

What does this passage indicate about Gertrude?

Gertrude’s dialogue shows her sense of urgency and desperation, proving that she is truly worried about Hamlet.

When a reader studies the combined effect of similes, metaphors, and allusions in Hamlet, the reader is analyzing the choices.

language

Which analysis is most justified by the excerpt?

As the play draws to a close, Hamlet still has not conquered his fear of death.

The student identified a

theme.