Question

Read the excerpt from Act III of Hamlet.

Hamlet: To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more, and, by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep,
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause
27
In his adaptation of this excerpt, Laurence Olivier uses
high cliffs as a background and he holds onto a knife.
What effect do these choices have?
O These choices emphasize the possibility that Hamlet
has gone mad.
O These choices emphasize the idea that the ghost
may be imagined.
O These choices emphasize the fact that Hamlet is
seeking revenge against Claudius.
O These choices emphasize the fact that Hamlet is
considering taking his own life.

Answer 1

O These choices emphasize the fact that Hamlet is

considering taking his own life.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hamlet is asking "to be or not to be?" Is it better to live or die? To live means to suffer, and to die means an eternal sleep. But in sleep there are dreams, and he has no control on what kind of dream. It could be a nightmare.

So Hamlet is thinking is it better to live or die. Should he suffer through life or end his life? That's why Laurence Oliver uses a cliff as a background and Hamlet holding a knife, because he's considering ending his life.

hope this helped :)