Question

Which phrase from the passage most helps create a tone of desperation?

Answer 1

Answer: The phrase from the passage that most helps create a tone of desperation is "Unhand me, gentlemen".

Explanation: The phrases provided are part of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Moreover, all of them are pronouned by Hamlet and belong to a passage from Act 1, Scene 4. However, it is the phrase "Unhand me, gentlemen" the one that helps create a tone of desperation. When he says "gentlemen", he refers to Marcellus and Horatio, who try to hold Hamlet in order for him not to follow his father's ghost because he might hurt Hamlet. Hamlet asks them to let him go but they are determined to hold him back. After insisting for some time, Hamlet tells them "Unhand me, gentlemen" and draws his sword; for that reason, this phrase indicates Hamlet's state of despair.

Answer 2

C.) Unhand me, gentlemen.