Hamlet Plot recall Quiz
Hamlet by William Shakespeare · 13 multiple-choice questions with answers · about 10 min
Test your knowledge of Hamlet with 13 plot recall questions with answers and explanations — quick check of what happens and when. Ideal for revision once you have read the whole play.
Quick check of what happens and when. Drawn from the whole play — contains spoilers.
Skills tested: Recall, Context · Difficulty: Easy, Standard
Hamlet Plot recall questions
The answers and an explanation for each question appear as you play, and on the answer-key page of the printout.
- Who first see the Ghost on the battlements and bring Horatio to witness it?
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern · Polonius and his son Laertes · Voltemand and Cornelius · The sentries Marcellus and Barnardo
- How does the Ghost say he really died?
A serpent stung him in his orchard · He was stabbed at a royal banquet · Claudius poured poison into his ear · He fell fighting the King of Norway
- What does Ophelia report to her father after Hamlet comes to her closet?
He handed back every letter she had sent him · He begged her to flee with him to Wittenberg · He stared at her in disordered dress, then left · He accused her of spying for the King
- Why have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come to Elsinore?
They bring news of Fortinbras's march · The King and Queen sent for them to probe Hamlet · They are actors hired to entertain the court · Hamlet invited them home from Wittenberg
- How does Claudius react when the player pours poison in the sleeping king's ear?
He applauds and rewards the players · He rises and calls for lights · He orders Hamlet arrested on the spot · He laughs and asks for the play again
- Whom does Hamlet kill through the arras in his mother's room?
Polonius · Claudius · Rosencrantz · Laertes
- Where does Claudius send Hamlet after the death of Polonius?
To England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern · To Wittenberg with Horatio and Marcellus · To Norway as ambassador to old Fortinbras · To France to join Laertes at his studies
- How does Laertes return to Elsinore after his father's death?
Quietly by ship, to bury his father · At the head of Fortinbras's army · Summoned by a letter from Ophelia · Leading a mob that cries for him as king
- Whose skull does the gravedigger identify for Hamlet?
Polonius, the lord chamberlain · The old King Hamlet himself · A soldier killed by old Fortinbras · Yorick, the old king's jester
- What did Hamlet do with the King's sealed commission on the voyage?
Burned it and threw it overboard · Gave it to the pirates as ransom · Rewrote it to order his escorts' deaths · Sent it to Horatio as evidence
- What does the Ghost command Hamlet to do?
Marry Ophelia and secure the line · Leave Denmark and save himself · Revenge his foul and unnatural murder · Make peace with his uncle Claudius
- Where is Hamlet set?
Wittenberg in Germany · Elsinore castle in Denmark · The court of England · A castle in Norway
- Who tells the court how Ophelia drowned?
Horatio · Laertes · Gertrude · The gravedigger
More Hamlet practice: all Hamlet quizzes · characters quiz · themes quiz · plot recall quiz · read Hamlet free
Act and scene numbers follow the standard modern edition (e.g. Folger). Hamlet's Act IV, Scene iv soliloquy appears in the Second Quarto, which modern classroom editions include.
Original questions written for Pagine. Quotations are from the public-domain text.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Hamlet Plot recall quiz free?
Yes. All 13 questions are free with answers and explanations. Play online with instant feedback, or print it as a test with an answer key — no sign-up needed.
What does the Hamlet Plot recall quiz cover?
13 plot recall questions drawn from every part of Hamlet. Quick check of what happens and when. It tests recall, context at easy, standard level.
Does it contain spoilers?
Yes — it draws on the whole play, including the ending.
Can I use it with a class?
Yes. Print it with the answer key for a reading check, homework or revision lesson, or share the link so students can take it online.
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