Read the excerpt from Hamlet, Act I, Scene ii. [Exeunt all except HAMLET.] 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! What effect does the stage direction have on the scene?
Answer
A
When everyone leaves, it shows how the rest of the family shuns Hamlet.
B
By leaving Hamlet alone on stage, the audience learns how truly upset he is.
C
When the audience sees Hamlet by himself they assume he has no friends.
D
Having just Hamlet on the stage makes him the most appealing character.
Explanation
The stage direction leaves Hamlet alone after the other characters exit, so his speech becomes a private expression of his thoughts. He reveals that he is deeply miserable and even wishes he could die, though he believes God forbids suicide. This makes C, “By leaving Hamlet alone on stage, the audience learns how truly upset he is,” the best answer.
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