Questions #11–15 are based on the following soliloquy from Hamlet, Act III, Scene i: “To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep; No more; and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause: there’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life; For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office and the spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin?”
Question 11: Which of the following BEST describes the conflict in this soliloquy by Hamlet? A: An internal conflict about whether it is better to live or to die. B: An internal conflict about whether to kill his stepfather or not. C: An external conflict with his friends and family who are opposed to his taking up arms to fight the enemy. D: An external conflict with his priest about whether it is moral to take another person's life or not.
Question 12: What character traits are revealed through the author's use of imagery in this soliloquy given by Hamlet? A: Hamlet reveals that he is lazy, sleepy, and unhappy. B: Hamlet reveals that he is angry, violent, and vengeful. C: Hamlet reveals that he is thoughtful, confused, and indecisive. D: Hamlet reveals that he is indifferent to what other people say or think about him.
Question 13: The line, "To be, or not to be," from Hamlet's soliloquy is one of the most famous lines in literature. Which of the following statements about this line is not correct? A: Shakespeare refers to suicide, a taboo topic. B: Shakespeare ponders life and death, a memorable topic. C: Shakespeare avoids using any imagery in this specific line but follows it with many images. D: The line reveals that the speaker is confident in his opinions about mortality.
Question 14: The tone of the “To be or not to be” soliloquy can best be characterized as: A: thoughtful B: angry C: accusatory D: calculated
Question 15: What purpose does the repetition of “the” serve towards the end of the “To be or not to be” soliloquy? A: It provides harshness, to help readers realize how alarming Hamlet’s death would be. B: It mirrors the vast number of problems Hamlet is facing, like a list. C: It shows that Hamlet is rambling and not making much sense. D: It marks Hamlet’s decisiveness at the end of the soliloquy, making up his mind to kill Claudius.
