B1: Hamlet
Below is a B1 level reading task about the story of the honorable Hamlet. Good luck and enjoy!
Hamlet is a young prince whose father, the king of Denmark, has just died, and his uncle is now the new king. Hamlet later sees his father’s ghost, who says that the uncle killed him, so Hamlet decides to pretend to be crazy while he looks for proof and tries to get revenge. In the end, there is a fight with poisoned swords and wine, and almost everyone in the royal family dies, including Hamlet.​
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B1 story: Hamlet
Hamlet is a prince in Denmark. His father, King Hamlet, has died recently, and everyone is still sad. Very soon after the king’s death, Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, marries Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, who becomes the new king.​
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One night, Hamlet’s friends see a ghost on the castle walls. The ghost looks like the dead king, so they ask Hamlet to come and see it. The ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius murdered him by putting poison in his ear and then took the crown and the queen. The ghost asks Hamlet to punish Claudius but not to hurt his mother.​
Hamlet is very angry and confused. He wants to obey his father’s ghost, but he is not sure what to do. He decides to act as if he is crazy so that people will not know his real plan. Only his friend Horatio knows the truth.​
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To check if Claudius is guilty, Hamlet asks some actors to perform a play that shows a king being killed with poison, in the same way the ghost described. While he watches Claudius during the play, Hamlet sees that the king becomes very nervous and stops the play. Now Hamlet is sure that Claudius is a murderer.​
Later, Hamlet goes to speak with his mother in her room. Polonius, the king’s adviser, hides behind a curtain to listen. Hamlet hears a noise and thinks it is Claudius, so he quickly stabs through the curtain and accidentally kills Polonius. Claudius becomes afraid of Hamlet and sends him to England with two “friends,” Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, carrying a secret letter that orders Hamlet’s death. On the trip, Hamlet discovers the letter and changes it so that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed instead, and then he returns to Denmark.​
Ophelia, Polonius’s daughter and Hamlet’s girlfriend, is heartbroken after her father’s death and Hamlet’s strange behavior. She loses her mind and drowns in a river. Her brother Laertes comes back to Denmark, very angry, and blames Hamlet for everything.​
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Claudius and Laertes make a plan to kill Hamlet. They organize a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. Laertes uses a sword with poison on the tip, and Claudius also prepares a cup of poisoned wine for Hamlet. During the fight, Queen Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup by mistake and dies. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword, but then they change swords, and Hamlet wounds Laertes too. As he is dying, Laertes tells Hamlet about the king’s plan. Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and makes him drink the poisoned wine. Hamlet dies from the poison and asks his friend Horatio to tell the world his story. At the end, a Norwegian prince named Fortinbras arrives and becomes the new ruler of Denmark.​
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Multiple choice quiz
Directions for students:
Read the story “Hamlet” above. Then choose the best answer (A, B, C, or D) for each question. Circle or mark your answer.
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Why is Hamlet sad at the beginning of the story?
A. He has to leave Denmark.
B. His father has died recently.
C. His mother is sick.
D. His uncle is in prison. -
Who becomes king after Hamlet’s father dies?
A. Hamlet
B. Laertes
C. Claudius
D. Horatio -
What important information does the ghost give Hamlet?
A. That Hamlet will become king.
B. That the queen wants to kill Hamlet.
C. That Claudius murdered the old king.
D. That Denmark will soon have a war. -
Why does Hamlet pretend to be crazy?
A. He wants to make his mother happy.
B. He wants to hide his plan for revenge.
C. He wants to leave the country.
D. He wants to marry Ophelia. -
What is the purpose of the special play Hamlet asks the actors to perform?
A. To entertain the queen.
B. To celebrate Claudius’s birthday.
C. To teach Ophelia about love.
D. To see if Claudius shows his guilt. -
Who does Hamlet accidentally kill behind the curtain?
A. Laertes
B. Fortinbras
C. Polonius
D. Rosencrantz -
What happens to Ophelia after her father dies?
A. She goes to England with Hamlet.
B. She becomes queen of Denmark.
C. She goes mad and drowns.
D. She marries Laertes. -
What plan do Claudius and Laertes make to kill Hamlet?
A. They plan to poison his food at dinner.
B. They plan a fencing fight with a poisoned sword.
C. They send him to prison in another country.
D. They hire pirates to attack his ship. -
How does Queen Gertrude die?
A. She is stabbed in the fight.
B. She falls from the castle.
C. She drinks poisoned wine by mistake.
D. She is killed by the ghost. -
What does Hamlet do before he dies?
A. He forgives Claudius and Laertes.
B. He kills Claudius and asks Horatio to tell his story.
C. He runs away to Norway.
D. He destroys the castle.
Answer key
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B
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C
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C
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B
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D
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C
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C
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B
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C
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B
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,"
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What does this quote mean to you?
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Why is this scene important?
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Hamlet’s line “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy” means that the universe contains far more mysteries and realities than human reason or science can currently understand. In the play, it marks the moment when Hamlet accepts the ghost as real and suggests that Horatio’s rational worldview cannot fully explain what is happening, highlighting themes of uncertainty, the supernatural, and the limits of human knowledge.
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The quote in simple parts
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“There are more things in heaven and earth”
Hamlet is saying that all of existence, both the spiritual world (“heaven”) and the physical world (“earth”), is larger and more complex than people realize.​ -
“Horatio”
Horatio is Hamlet’s loyal, rational, and scholarly friend, often associated with common sense, logic, and a cautious attitude toward the supernatural.​ -
“Than are dreamt of in your philosophy”
“Philosophy” here means Horatio’s educated, rational way of understanding the world, not just abstract theory but his whole worldview. Hamlet claims that even in Horatio’s most imaginative thoughts (“dreamt of”), he has not conceived of everything that truly exists.​ -
Overall meaning in everyday language
Hamlet is basically telling Horatio: “Your learning and logical view of the world don’t cover everything; reality is stranger and bigger than you think.”
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Context in Hamlet
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When and where it appears
The line appears in Act 1, Scene 5, right after Hamlet has spoken alone with the ghost that claims to be his dead father. Horatio has just commented on how strange this is, and Hamlet responds with this quote.​ -
What has just happened
The ghost has revealed that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, not killed by a snake as people believed, and has ordered Hamlet to seek revenge. This shocking revelation forces Hamlet to confront a supernatural messenger and a hidden truth about Denmark.​ -
Why Hamlet says this to Horatio
Horatio began the play as a skeptic about the ghost, but then he saw it and accepted that something strange is occurring. Hamlet uses this line to push Horatio further, telling him that his rational “philosophy” must now make room for realities it never imagined.
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Deeper meaning and themes
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Limits of reason and science
The quote suggests that human reason, learning, and “philosophy” are limited tools; they cannot explain everything that exists. Shakespeare uses this to show that even a careful observer like Horatio cannot fully grasp the universe or control events through logic alone.​ -
The supernatural and uncertainty
The ghost embodies the supernatural—something beyond normal explanation—and this line acknowledges that such things may still be real. The play repeatedly questions what can be trusted: appearances, ghosts, dreams, and even Hamlet’s own senses.​ -
Faith, doubt, and “seeing is believing”
Several critics note that the line can mean that one must be willing to believe what is clearly seen, even if it violates previous beliefs. Horatio’s shift from skepticism (“I will not believe it without proof”) to belief after seeing the ghost shows how evidence can force a change in “philosophy.”
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Importance in the play
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Introduces a major theme: human limits
The quote stresses that humans cannot fully understand the forces—spiritual, moral, or random—that shape their lives. This connects to Hamlet’s ongoing struggle to interpret signs, decide what is true, and act when he never has complete information.​ -
Highlights the contrast between Hamlet and Horatio
Horatio stands for reason, balance, and Stoic composure, while Hamlet is emotional, imaginative, and drawn to mystery. The line shows Hamlet gently challenging Horatio’s rationalism, reminding him that his learning does not give him total control over truth.​ -
Supports the role of the ghost
The ghost’s reality can be questioned, but Hamlet treats it as “honest” and as a messenger revealing hidden crime. This quote helps legitimize the ghost inside the world of the play: if there are more things in heaven and earth, then a ghost carrying real knowledge is possible.​ -
Connects to later events and mystery
Throughout the play, accidents, coincidences, and unseen forces drive the action, suggesting a world that resists neat explanation. The quote foreshadows this sense that no human philosophy—Horatio’s, Hamlet’s, or anyone’s—can fully map out what will happen.
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Multiple-choice quiz
Directions: Read the quote below and the questions that follow. Choose the best answer for each question and clearly mark your choice. After you finish, check your answers using the answer key at the end.
Quote: “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
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In this quote, what does “heaven and earth” most nearly refer to?
A. Only the Christian afterlife
B. The sky above the castle
C. All of existence, both spiritual and physical
D. Only the kingdom of Denmark -
Who is Horatio in relation to Hamlet?
A. Hamlet’s uncle and king
B. Hamlet’s loyal, rational friend
C. Hamlet’s enemy and rival
D. Hamlet’s fencing teacher -
In the quote, what does the word “philosophy” most closely mean?
A. Horatio’s favorite school subject
B. A specific religious doctrine
C. Horatio’s entire rational worldview and learning
D. Ancient Greek myths -
What main idea is Hamlet expressing in this line?
A. Everything can be fully explained by logic.
B. The universe contains more mysteries than human reason can explain.
C. Ghosts are definitely fake and should be ignored.
D. Science is useless and should be rejected. -
When in the play does Hamlet say this line?
A. Before he ever hears about the ghost
B. During the play-within-a-play in Act 3
C. After talking privately with the ghost in Act 1, Scene 5
D. Right before his duel with Laertes in Act 5 -
Why is this quote important for understanding Horatio’s character?
A. It shows that Horatio is completely superstitious.
B. It shows that Horatio believes nothing unless Hamlet tells him.
C. It shows that Horatio is a purely emotional thinker.
D. It shows that Horatio is rational and educated, but his understanding still has limits. -
How does this quote connect to the theme of the supernatural in Hamlet?
A. It denies that the supernatural exists.
B. It suggests that supernatural events like the ghost may be real even if they seem impossible.
C. It explains how ghosts can be captured and studied.
D. It claims that only peasants believe in ghosts. -
Which statement best explains the significance of this quote for the whole play?
A. It is a random line with no deeper meaning.
B. It summarizes Hamlet’s love for philosophy books.
C. It highlights that humans never have complete knowledge, so they must act amid uncertainty.
D. It proves that Hamlet understands everything that will happen.
Answer Key
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C
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B
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C
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B
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C
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D
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B
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C
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Other Reading Tasks from Academic Tutors USA
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,"
William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5