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Hamlet Act 1 Essay Example

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Hamlet Act 1 Essay Example
Scene 1
1. When Francisco and Barnardo meet at the beginning of the act, Barnardo tells Francisco to tell horatio and Marcellus to hurry. Francisco and Barnardo were in front of the castle at midnight. There is confusion among the two men because they think that the question is eerie and mysterious. They are clearly freaked out. Horatio is with Bernardo and Marcellus because the guards told Bernardo and Marcellus to see the ghost. Horatio is one of guards that are guarding the castle.
2. Horatio is first unsure of the appearance of the ghost, but later Barnardo suggests that the ghost looks like dead king Hamlet and Horatio agrees. Horatio might be addressing the ghost with "thou" because he believes or at least acts like the ghost is old king Hamlet.
3. Horatio first assumes that the ghost appearing means that there will be misfortune for their country. There are such intense war preparations in Denmark because a war is about to take place against the new king and Fortinbras's son. Horatio suggests that once Julius Caeser died, ghosts appeared and ran through the streets of Rome, foreshadowing bad news. He now believes that the same thing is happening with old king Hamlet and his country.
4. Horatio and Marcellus scream at the ghost when he shows up for the second time. Horatio yells at the ghost to speak. The ghost left so abruptly because Horatio was yelling at him to speak.
5. The crowing of cock woke up the ghost, just like how roosters are known to wake up people in the morning.
6. The reader doesn't know if the ghost is good or bad because the ghost won't speak. The men only know that the ghost looks like old king hamlet.

Scene 2
1. Claudius tells the court that he is king now in the first part of his speech. He also told the court that Fortinbras thinks of him as a weak person and that there will be disorder because of hamlets death. He says that young Fortinbras and the king of Norway have plans to take the land back that hamlet took.

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