Read the passage from Hamlet, Act II, Scene i. Polonius: How now, Ophelia! what’s the matter? Ophelia: Alas! my lord, I have been so affrighted. Polonius: With what, in the name of God? Ophelia: My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac’d; No hat upon his head; his stockings foul’d ... Which word in the passage is the key to understanding Ophelia’s tone?
The word “affrighted” means frightened or startled, which directly conveys Ophelia’s emotional tone. The other words describe what happened or Hamlet’s appearance, but do not express her feeling as clearly.
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