Hamlet, Part 1: An Introduction to Elizabethan Theater
Question 28 • TX-English IV
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 landsWhich he stood seiz’d of, to the conqueror;
Answer
A
to describe to the audience the location of the castle and kingdom
B
to help the audience better understand Horatio’s character
C
to inform the audience of the events leading up to this point
D
to explain to the audience how the former king died and became a ghost
Explanation
Horatio recounts how King Hamlet fought Fortinbras, killed him, and gained Fortinbras’s lands through a legal agreement. This background explains the political conflict behind the events of the play, so the excerpt informs the audience about what happened before this point. It does not explain how King Hamlet died or became a ghost.
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.