WAEC - Literature In English (2009 - No. 44)

From the novel; Hamlet
From the novel; Hamlet
From the novel; Hamlet
Read the extract and answer the question

And for your part,..., I do wish
That your good beauties be the happy cause
Of ...wildness: so shall I hope your virtues
Will bring him to his wonted way again,
To both your honours,
(Act Three, Scene I, lines 37-42)

The wildness referred to can also be called
love
madness
happiness
death

Explanation

This extract is from Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 1). The speaker is Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, addressing Ophelia.

  • Gertrude hopes that Ophelia’s beauty will be the reason for Hamlet’s "wildness" (his erratic behavior and madness).
  • She also expresses hope that Ophelia’s virtue will help Hamlet return to his "wonted way" (normal self).
  • The "wildness" here refers to Hamlet’s madness, which is a major theme in the play—whether it is real or feigned.

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