Read the excerpt from Act I of Hamlet . Horatio: 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 To view the excerpt through a historical lens, which questions should the reader ask? Choose two correct answers.
Answer
A
What literary devices make the relationship between Horatio and Fortinbras clear to the audience?
B
What beliefs were common during this period that make the appearance of a ghost believable to the audience?
C
How does the structure of the text help the audience to understand the situation with Fortinbras?
D
How does the dialogue reinforce or challenge the gender stereotypes that were present at the time?
E
What major political events occurred that the audience can compare to the politics in the scene?
Explanation
A historical lens considers the beliefs and events of the time when the play was written and performed. Asking what beliefs made audiences accept the possibility of a ghost (B) and what political events they might connect to the scene (E) fits that lens. Questions about literary devices, text structure, or gender stereotypes focus on other ways of analyzing the passage.
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