19
QuizMultiple Choice

Elizabethan Drama: The Tragedy of Hamlet — Test

Question 19 • Language Arts 12

Read the excerpt from Hamlet, Act I, Scene ii. Hamlet: O! that this too too solid flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a dew; Or that the Everlasting had not fix’d His canon ’gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world. Fie on ’t! O fie! ’tis an unweeded garden, That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Possess it merely. That it should come to this! By evaluating the dramatic conventions in the excerpt, the reader can conclude that Hamlet will

Answer
A
become a tragic hero and the story will have an unhappy ending.
B
face tragedy but will pull through and resolve his conflicts.
C
be involved in conflict but the story will have a happy ending.
D
face both conflict and tragedy but will keep a sense of humor.

Explanation

Hamlet’s speech uses conventions of tragedy: he expresses deep despair, sees the world as corrupt, and wishes he could die, though religious law prevents him from killing himself. These details foreshadow serious suffering and an unhappy outcome, fitting the choice that he will become a tragic hero and the story will have a tragic ending. The excerpt does not suggest that he will resolve his conflicts or maintain a humorous outlook.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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