ACT ONE, SCENE IV, lines 14-38/9 "Ay, marry is't,...to his own scandal."

1. Hamlet is passing judgement on a course of action or conduct in this speech. In your own words, what is the course of action or conduct, what is his judgement of it and what are his reasons for that judgement? Also, specify whether he applies his reasoning to a universal conclusion, extending to a whole class or whether it remains specific to the action or practice being considered and whether the reasoning is inductive, from specific instances to general principles, or deductive, from general principles to specific instances.

2. Is the speech merely exposition of Hamlet's character or is it crucial to the action of the play, i.e. could Shakespeare have omitted it without damage to the coherence and clarity of the action?

3. What ironies, if any, are invoked by this speech at this moment in the action?


ACT TWO, SCENE TWO, lines 549-607. "O, what a rogue....conscience of the king."

1. Hamlet is passing judgement on a course of action or conduct in this speech. In your own words, what is the course of action or conduct, what is his judgement of it and what are his reasons for that judgement? Also, specify whether he applies his reasoning to a universal conclusion, extending to a whole class or whether it remains specific to the action or practice being considered and whether the reasoning is inductive, from specific instances to general principles, or deductive, from general principles to specific instances.

2. Is the speech merely exposition of Hamlet's character or is it crucial to the action of the play, i.e. could Shakespeare have omitted it without damage to the coherence and clarity of the action?

3. What ironies, if any, are invoked by this speech at this moment in the action?







ACT THREE, SCENE III, lines 73-96 "Now might I....sickly days."

1. Hamlet is passing judgement on a course of action or conduct in this speech. In your own words, what is the course of action or conduct, what is his judgement of it and what are his reasons for that judgement? Also, specify whether he applies his reasoning to a universal conclusion, extending to a whole class or whether it remains specific to the action or practice being considered and whether the reasoning is inductive, from specific instances to general principles, or deductive, from general principles to specific instances.

2. Is the speech merely exposition of Hamlet's character or is it crucial to the action of the play, i.e. could Shakespeare have omitted it without damage to the coherence and clarity of the action?

3. What ironies, if any, are invoked by this speech at this moment in the action?



ACT FOUR, SCENE IV, lines 32-66

1. Hamlet is passing judgement on a course of action or conduct in this speech. In your own words, what is the course of action or conduct, what is his judgement of it and what are his reasons for that judgement? Also, specify whether he applies his reasoning to a universal conclusion, extending to a whole class or whether it remains specific to the action or practice being considered and whether the reasoning is inductive, from specific instances to general principles, or deductive, from general principles to specific instances.

2. Is the speech merely exposition of Hamlet's character or is it crucial to the action of the play, i.e. could Shakespeare have omitted it without damage to the coherence and clarity of the action?

3. What ironies, if any, are invoked by this speech at this moment in the action?






ACT FIVE, SCENE II, lines 208-213 "Not a whit...let be."

1. Hamlet is passing judgement on a course of action or conduct in this speech. In your own words, what is the course of action or conduct, what is his judgement of it and what are his reasons for that judgement? Also, specify whether he applies his reasoning to a universal conclusion, extending to a whole class or whether it remains specific to the action or practice being considered and whether the reasoning is inductive, from specific instances to general principles, or deductive, from general principles to specific instances.

2. Is the speech merely exposition of Hamlet's character or is it crucial to the action of the play, i.e. could Shakespeare have omitted it without damage to the coherence and clarity of the action?

3. What ironies, if any, are invoked by this speech at this moment in the action?

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