Question
Read the excerpt from Act II of Hamlet.
Ophelia: Alas! my lord, I have been so affrighted.
Polonius: With what, in the name of God?
Ophelia: My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors, he comes before me.
What is the most likely reason Shakespeare included this passage?
He explains Hamlet’s behavior through Ophelia’s dialogue, thereby tying up loose ends in the plot.
He introduces the conflict between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby adding suspense and advancing the plot.
He characterizes the relationship between Ophelia and Polonius, thereby adding to the exposition in the plot.
He describes the background between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby escalating the tension to its highest point in the plot.
Ophelia: Alas! my lord, I have been so affrighted.
Polonius: With what, in the name of God?
Ophelia: My lord, as I was sewing in my closet,
Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac'd;
No hat upon his head; his stockings foul'd,
Ungarter'd, and down-gyved to his ancle;
Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;
And with a look so piteous in purport
As if he had been loosed out of hell
To speak of horrors, he comes before me.
What is the most likely reason Shakespeare included this passage?
He explains Hamlet’s behavior through Ophelia’s dialogue, thereby tying up loose ends in the plot.
He introduces the conflict between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby adding suspense and advancing the plot.
He characterizes the relationship between Ophelia and Polonius, thereby adding to the exposition in the plot.
He describes the background between Ophelia and Hamlet, thereby escalating the tension to its highest point in the plot.
Answers
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
He characterizes the relationship between Ophelia and Polonius, thereby adding to the exposition in the plot.
The exchange shows Ophelia's obedience and Polonius's controlling, inquisitive nature and gives Polonius the "evidence" he needs to interpret Hamlet's behavior and report it—so it advances exposition about characters and motives.
The exchange shows Ophelia's obedience and Polonius's controlling, inquisitive nature and gives Polonius the "evidence" he needs to interpret Hamlet's behavior and report it—so it advances exposition about characters and motives.
There are no human answers yet. A form for humans to post answers is coming very soon!