第2單元　威廉?莎士比亞

Hamlet

1Why sleep is so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” “the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”?

Key: Death means the end of life. If he dies, he may go to an unknown world and can never come back. In this sense, Hamlet cannot take revenge on his uncle for his father, failing to realize his will. Though “sleep” can end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks, it is a state of mind that Hamlet doesn’t know at all. He is frightened by the possible suffering in the long “dream”. He can’t predict what will happen in the sleep, may be good may be evil.

2Why would people rather bear all the sufferings of the world instead of choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet?

Key: According to Hamlet, because that people don’t know what lying there waiting for them in the unknown world, maybe something more terrible than that in the mortal world.

3What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action? Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.

Key: It is the fear for the unknown world after death and the lack of confidence for the future make people loose determination to take action. Hamlet doesn’t know what would happen if he kills his uncle or kills himself, so he is hesitated. However, Hamlet’s hesitation should be seen from a different point of view. The main reason lies in his concern for his nation. Hamlet is a true man. He wants to change the dark existing world, but it is beyond his ability, so he has no idea what he should do. He knows his death can’t solve the problems deeply rooted in the society. So he hesitated about what he should do as the prince of Demark. His revenge is not everything for him. And he clearly knows that the sudden death of king may cause some disorders in the country. Thus he is confused about his action.

Romeo and Juliet

1What does Romeo compare Juliet to in the beginning passage of the selection?

Key: Romeo compares Juliet to the sun.

2What is Romeo and Juliet’s attitude toward being a Montague or a Capulet?

Key: They think that since their family names hinder them from loving each other, they prefer that the names Montague and Capulet have nothing to do with themselves and even give them up.

3What does Romeo mean when he says “Look thou but sweet,/And I am proof against their enmity”?

Key: It means that Romeo loves Juliet so much that he thinks that the love can protect him from harm and dissolve the hatred between their families.

Sonnet 18

1How does the poet answer the question he puts forth in the first line?

Key: The poet thinks that he should not “compare thee to a summer’s day”, because “Thou art more lovely and more temperate”. And, in the following part, he gives his reasons.

2What makes the poet think that “thou” can be more beautiful (fair) than summer and immortal?

Key: Because the poet thinks that “thy eternal summer shall not fade” for they will be preserved and perpetuated in the lines he writes.