Hamlet, Part 5: Characteristics of Elizabethan Drama — Quiz
Question 18 • British Literature and Composition
Read the excerpt from Act III of Hamlet . Hamlet: Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you, trippingly on the tongue; but if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town-crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus; but use all gently: for in the very torrent, tempest, and—as I may say—whirlwind of passion, you must acquire and beget a temperance, that may give it smoothness. O! it offends me to the soul to hear a robustious periwig-pated fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings, who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumb-shows and noise: I would have such a fellow whipped for o’er-doing Termagant; it out-herods Herod: pray you, avoid it. What Elizabethan idea does Hamlet address in the excerpt?
Answer
A
the construction of permanent theater houses
B
the exploration of spiritual concepts
C
the representation of human experiences
D
the presentation of political commentary
Explanation
Hamlet is coaching the players on how to perform: speak clearly, avoid exaggerated gestures, and show strong emotion with restraint. His advice reflects the Elizabethan idea that theater should represent human experiences in a convincing, lifelike way. He is not discussing political commentary, spiritual concepts, or the construction of theater buildings.
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