Hamlet, Part 1: An Introduction to Elizabethan Theater — Quiz
Question 3 • British Literature and Composition
Read the excerpt from Hamlet, Act I, Scene i. Horatio: That can I; At least, the whisper goes so. Our last king, Whose image even but now appear’d to us, Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway, Thereto prick’d on by a most emulate pride, Dar’d to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet— For so this side of our known world esteem’d him— Did slay this Fortinbras; who, by a seal’d compact, Well ratified by law and heraldry, Did forfeit with his life all those his lands Which he stood seiz’d of, to the conqueror; What is the main purpose of Horatio’s speech?
Answer
A
to help the audience better understand Horatio’s character
B
to explain to the audience how the former king died and became a ghost
C
to inform the audience of the events leading up to this point
D
to describe to the audience the location of the castle and kingdom
Explanation
Horatio explains that Fortinbras challenged the former king to combat, Hamlet defeated Fortinbras, and a legal agreement transferred Fortinbras’s lands to the conqueror. These details establish the political history behind the events of the play, so the speech mainly informs the audience of what happened before this point. It does not explain how the former king died or why he became a ghost.
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