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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Books & Literature

How Well Do You Know Hamlet Act 1 Quotes?

Ready to tackle memorable Hamlet lines and Uncle Claudius quotes?

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for Hamlet Act 1 quotes quiz on a sky blue background

This quiz helps you practice Hamlet Act 1 quotes by spotting who speaks each line, finishing key phrases, and placing them in the right scene. Use it to check gaps before class or a test, then start here or explore more famous lines.

Who speaks the line "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."?
Francisco
Marcellus
King Claudius
Horatio
In Act 1, Scene 4, Marcellus utters Something is rotten in the state of Denmark as he and Horatio discuss the ghosts appearance, suggesting political corruption. This line has become emblematic of looming decay in Shakespeares play. Marcelluss remark sets a tone of suspicion that pervades the drama.
Who exclaims "Frailty, thy name is woman!"?
Claudius
Hamlet
Gertrude
Ophelia
Hamlet utters Frailty, thy name is woman! in his first soliloquy (Act 1, Scene 2) to express his disgust at his mothers quick remarriage. He generalizes his mothers perceived weakness to all women. This line reveals his bitter attitude toward femininity and family.
What does Hamlet mean when he says "A little more than kin, and less than kind"?
He feels his relationship with Claudius is unnatural
He regrets living in Denmark
He lamented Ophelias distance
He is displeased with his father's ghost
In Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet makes a pun about his uncle Claudius being now both his kin and his king, but less than kind in affections. He resents the incestuous tone and political overreach of Claudius. This line highlights Hamlets bitterness and world-weary mindset.
Who advises "Neither a borrower nor a lender be"?
King Claudius
Polonius
Horatio
Laertes
In Act 1, Scene 3, Polonius gives Laertes a series of maxims as farewell advice, including Neither a borrower nor a lender be. This counsel emphasizes financial independence and personal integrity. It underscores Poloniuss pedantic and moralizing character.
Which character first sees the ghost in Act 1?
Marcellus
Francisco
Barnardo
Horatio
In Act 1, Scene 1, Barnardo is the first to see the ghost and alerts Marcellus and Francisco. Horatio joins them later and confirms the apparition. Barnardos sighting sets the supernatural tone for the play.
Who says "This bodes some strange eruption to our state."?
Barnardo
Marcellus
Horatio
Francisco
In Act 1, Scene 1, after witnessing the ghost, Horatio comments This bodes some strange eruption to our state, foreshadowing political unrest. His line connects the supernatural event to Denmarks governance. It underscores the link between personal and state corruption.
What does Hamlet compare Denmark to in his first soliloquy?
A ship
A battlefield
A garden
A prison
In Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet laments Denmark's a prison, expressing his feeling of entrapment under his uncles rule. This metaphor illustrates his claustrophobic state of mind. Shakespeare uses it to deepen the theme of confinement and surveillance.
Who declares "The time is out of joint; O cursed spite"?
Claudius
Horatio
Polonius
Hamlet
In Act 1, Scene 5, upon hearing the ghosts story, Hamlet cries The time is out of joint; O cursed spite. He senses the world is askew after his fathers murder. This line captures his resolve to set things right.
Who opens the play with the line "For this relief much thanks: 'tis bitter cold"?
Horatio
Barnardo
Francisco
Marcellus
In Act 1, Scene 1, Francisco begins with For this relief much thanks: tis bitter cold as he is relieved on guard duty by Barnardo. His line sets the bleak nighttime atmosphere. The exchange emphasizes the watchmens anxiety over the ghost.
Who refers to King Hamlets death with "Though yet of Hamlet our dear brothers death the memory be green"?
Polonius
King Claudius
Queen Gertrude
Laertes
In Act 1, Scene 2, Claudius addresses the court and acknowledges that the memory of his brothers death is still green. This phrase reflects the courts ongoing grief. Shakespeare uses it to justify his swift marriage.
Who speaks the line "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt"?
Claudius
Horatio
Polonius
Hamlet
In Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet begins his first soliloquy with O, that this too too solid flesh would melt, expressing suicidal longing and deep despair. The line reveals his profound grief over his fathers death and his mothers remarriage. It sets the emotional tone for his characters internal conflict.
What instruction does the ghost give Hamlet concerning his mother?
Take her as an ally
Speak with her directly
Leave her to heaven and her judgment
Kill her as well
In Act 1, Scene 5, the ghost commands Hamlet to leave her to heaven when referring to his mother Gertrude. He warns Hamlet not to harm her, entrusting divine justice. This direction underscores Hamlets moral dilemma about confronting his mother.
According to Claudius in Act 1, why did he marry Queen Gertrude so quickly?
To secure an alliance with Norway
To stabilize the state and prevent disorder
Out of overwhelming love alone
To spite Fortinbras
In his first address (Act 1, Scene 2), Claudius claims he married Gertrude quickly to maintain political stability and prevent disorder in Denmark. He frames his actions as necessary for the realms welfare. This justification shows his concern for statecraft alongside personal motives.
Who says "Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off"?
Ophelia
King Claudius
Queen Gertrude
Polonius
In Act 1, Scene 2, Queen Gertrude urges Hamlet to abandon his mourning when she says Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted colour off. She expresses her desire for him to move past his grief. The line highlights the tension between public duty and personal sorrow.
In his first soliloquy, what image does Hamlet use to describe the world?
A barren desert
A gilded palace
An unweeded garden
A raging storm
In Act 1, Scene 2, Hamlet likens the world to an unweeded garden that is overrun and neglected. This metaphor conveys his sense that Denmark has fallen into decay. Shakespeare uses natural imagery to reflect political and moral corruption.
Which rhetorical device is at work in the line "Frailty, thy name is woman!"?
Apostrophe
Irony
Metonymy
Alliteration
By addressing Frailty directly as if it were a person, Hamlet employs an apostrophe in the line Frailty, thy name is woman! Apostrophe allows a speaker to talk to an abstract concept. This device intensifies his emotional outburst against perceived weakness.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Recall Iconic Lines -

    Demonstrate your mastery by accurately recalling memorable quotes from Hamlet Act 1 and citing them verbatim.

  2. Identify Speakers -

    Match each quote to its speaker, distinguishing Hamlet's soliloquies from Uncle Claudius's chilling words and other characters' lines.

  3. Analyze Thematic Significance -

    Interpret how key quotes reveal themes like betrayal, mortality, and political intrigue in Act 1 of Hamlet.

  4. Connect Character Motivations -

    Understand how specific lines reflect the motivations and conflicts of Hamlet, Claudius, and other characters.

  5. Evaluate Dramatic Impact -

    Assess how Act 1's important quotes set the tone for the play and foreshadow pivotal developments in the story.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Claudius's Opening Address -

    In Act 1 Scene 2 Claudius sets a tone of political spin by blending fresh grief ("Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death / The memory be green") with celebration of his own marriage. His use of antithesis and iambic pentameter underscores the tension between mourning and statecraft. Mnemonic: Think "green memory" to recall this juxtaposition of death and duty.

  2. Hamlet's First Soliloquy -

    In Scene 2 Hamlet's lament "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt" reveals his deep melancholy and desire for escape. Note the alliteration in "too too" and the theme of transience, often summarized with the acronym MELT (Mortality, Existential angst, Life's brevity, Temporal decay). This soliloquy establishes the emotional core of Act 1.

  3. Hamlet's Kin-Kind Pun -

    The line "A little more than kin, and less than kind" cleverly plays on "kin" and "kind" to express Hamlet's ambivalence toward his new uncle-stepfather. This pun sets up his ironic detachment and mistrust of Claudius. Remember: kināˆ¼kind pun = Hamlet's early clue to his hostility.

  4. Polonius's Fatherly Advice -

    In Scene 3 Polonius offers maxims like "Neither a borrower nor a lender be" and "This above all: to thine own self be true," which reflect Elizabethan moral values. These proverbs use parallel structure to make them memorable - think acronym BLT (Borrow-Lend-Truth). They also foreshadow the theme of authenticity versus pretense.

  5. Marcellus's Corruption Metaphor -

    The watchman's warning "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" in Scene 4 uses a visceral metaphor for political decay. This line encapsulates the play's atmosphere of suspicion and sets up the broader theme of moral corruption. Picture Denmark as an apple with a rotten core to lock in this classic quote.

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