Hamlet - Characters: Ophelia
English
Grade 8
8 questions
~16 mins
1 views0 downloads
About This Worksheet
An exam-style worksheet analyzing Ophelia’s character through a key excerpt from Hamlet.
Topics covered:
Worksheet Preview
Full preview • 8 questions
Hamlet - Characters: Ophelia
Subject: EnglishGrade: Grade 8
Name:
Date:
TeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizzTeachWhizz
Untitled Worksheet
Grade Grade 8
A
Ophelia’s Character and Key Passage
OPHELIA:
How should I your true love know
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff
And his sandal shoon?
He is dead and gone, lady
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass-green turf,
At his heels a stone.
He is gone, he is gone,
And we cast away moan.
God’s bodykins, man, much better:
Use every man after his desert, and who shall 's wear the devil's trappings?
But, I am very sorry, good Hamlet, That he should leave his vows unsealed
Such weather as this is very unseasonable
But I do not know my Lord, what you would
With us?
Nay, do not think I flatter,
For what advancement may I hope from thee,
That no revenue hast nor no gift of heaven
That makes thy soul give him thanks?
I am very ill at these numbers; I have not art to reckon my groans: but that I love you best,
O, most I yeas, and will do so forever. Trust no agent; look you, my lord,
To weigh what loss your honour may sustain,
If with too credent ear you list his songs,
Or lose your heart, or your chaste treasure open
To his unmastered importunity.
Fear it, Ophelia; fear it, my dear sister,
And keep you in the rear of your affection,
Out of the shot and danger of desire,
The chariest maid is prodigal enough
If she unmask her beauty to the sun.
Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven;
Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
And recks not his own rede.
O, fear him not, lady,
Within my gates he shall not have a brotherly arm
That hath no faith in heaven.
Hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature;
To show virtue her own feature; scorn her own image,
And the very age and body of the time,
His form and pressure.
Now, I do think
You are a feather for each wind that blows.
(End of excerpt)
1.
Identify one literary device used in Ophelia’s speech and explain its effect.
[2 marks]2.
What does Ophelia’s tone reveal about her emotional state in this passage?
[2 marks]3.
Which line in the excerpt shows Ophelia’s concern about Hamlet’s behavior?
[1 mark]4.
Analyze how Shakespeare uses language to depict Ophelia’s internal conflict.
[5 marks]5.
Describe the significance of Ophelia’s references to 'vows unsealed' and 'the primrose path.'
[2 marks]6.
What stage direction is given at the beginning of this excerpt, and what does it suggest about Ophelia’s behavior?
[2 marks]7.
How does Ophelia's speech exemplify her as a tragic character?
[5 marks]8.
Create a brief dialogue in the style of Ophelia, expressing her feelings about Hamlet’s behavior. Include at least three lines.
Unlock Full Worksheet & Answers
Get instant access to the complete worksheet, answer keys, and 1,899 others
Unlimited answer keys for all worksheets
Download clean, formatted PDFs
Customize and remix any worksheet
Cancel anytime • No commitment • Start today
Quick Actions
What is Remix?
Create a new worksheet based on this one. Change the grade level, topic, number of questions, or difficulty - then generate a fresh version.
- • Change grade level (Grade 6 → Grade 7)
- • Swap topics (Harry Potter → Macbeth)
- • Add more questions (10 → 15)
- • Adjust difficulty
Details
- Created
- 12/31/2025
- Updated
- 12/31/2025
- Type
- worksheet