'Hamlet'

1. 'Hamlet' Act 1 The play opens with a number of revelations about the distressing set of events that have taken place within the court of the Danish Royal family in recent months. It is revealed that the King of Denmark has died and that his brother Claudius has assumed the throne. Perhaps most shocking to the audience is that the new King has also married the late monarch’s queen, Gertrude. This decision has greatly upset the young Prince of Denmark, Hamlet, who feels that his mother has betrayed the memory of his father. The ghost of the late King has been spotted within the grounds of Elsinore castle. Upon meeting with the young Prince, the ghost informs him that he was murdered by Claudius and challenges Hamlet to avenge his death and restore order to the Danish throne.

2. Stay! Speak, speak! I charge thee, speak! As the play opens we meet the Guards at the Danish castle of Elsinore. It becomes clear that the nation is in a state of turmoil following the death of the king. The guards speak with Horatio, a friend of the young Danish Prince and inform him that a spirit in the form of the late King has been spotted in the castle at night. Although sceptical of this information at first, Horatio soon concedes that he is indeed witnessing the spirit of the late king and vows to inform young Prince Hamlet of all that he has seen.

3. Let us impart what we have seen tonight unto young Hamlet. This scene is the audience’s first encounter with the character of Horatio, who quickly assumes the role of intermediary between the audience and the action on the stage. Horatio is a scholar and an educated presence in the play. He, like the audience, seeks proof of the presence of the Ghost before he will believe in its existence. Once Horatio has seen it he vows to tell Hamlet. This is important as it reveals that the audience and the Prince can trust and believe in the strange events in the Danish Court.

4. Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen, Th' imperial jointress to this warlike state The action then shifts to the Court of Elsinore. Here the audience are introduced to both the main antagonist and the main protagonist of the play. The newly crowned King Claudius addresses the court about the death of the late king, his brother. He alludes to the sadness of the situation, but vows that the court must move on quickly and not waste too much time in grief. It becomes apparent that the newly crowned King has also taken the late King’s Queen (Gertrude) in marriage.

5. How is it that the clouds still hang on you? The somewhat complex family set up of the Danish Royal Family introduces on the key themes of the play and the theme of corruption. There is clearly, as will later be discussed, ‘something rotten in the state of Denmark’. The death of the King and the subsequent accession to the throne by his brother Claudius appears to distress the young Prince Hamlet. The young prince is also left upset as a result of his mother’s hasty remarriage.

6. Why she, even she— O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason Would have mourned longer!—married with my uncle Once left alone on stage, Hamlet makes his despair at the actions of his mother clear. He has clearly been left greatly troubled by the events in the court. He feels that the Danish court has moved forward from the death of his father with unpleasant haste. He believes that the mourning of his death has simply not been sufficient. He believes that their actions suggests a lack of respect for the great man that he idolised in life. His anger is especially pointed towards his mother and his incestuous actions.

7. As I do live, my honored lord, ’tis true. And we did think it writ down in our duty To let you know of it. Horatio returns to tell his friend about his encounter with the spirit of the late king. Hamlet has lots of questions for Horatio, but it is clear that he trusts the word of his friend. Horatio’s faith in logic and knowledge helps to provide some strength to his belief that the ghost has appeared. Hamlet appears excited by the information, believing that it may provide answers to the many questions that have troubled his mind since his father passed away.

8. My father’s spirit in arms. All is not well. I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come! Till then sit still, my soul. Foul deeds will rise, Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men’s eyes. Alone on the stage, Hamlet reveals to the audience that although he appreciates that the arrival of the ghost may not be a good thing and may indicate trouble for both him and Denmark, he concedes that he must meet with the ghost in order to discover the truth.

9. Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned, Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, Be thy intents wicked or charitable That evening, Hamlet takes part in the watch with Horatio and Marcellus. He hopes to meet with the ghost of his father in order to gain answers about the current state of events in Denmark. When Hamlet first sees the ghost, he debates its intentions, believing that its presence may well be as a bad omen. Despite this, Hamlet resolves that only by confronting the ghost will he ever be able to account for the troubling recent events in the Danish Court.

10. My fate cries out And makes each petty artery in this body As hardy as the Nemean lion’s nerve. Still am I called.—Unhand me, gentlemen. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. The ghost instructs Hamlet to follow it and as he prepares to do so, both Marcellus and Horatio attempt to tell him of the possible dangers that the Ghost may represent. Horatio is especially worried that the ghost will have the ability to twist and manipulate the thoughts of the vulnerable young prince. Despite these fears, Hamlet continues to insist that the meeting with the ghost, although potentially dangerous, is also his fate and destiny. It may well be the only way that he can get to the bottom of recent events in Denmark.

11. I am thy father’s spirit, Doomed for a certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires, Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature Are burnt and purged away. Once alone with the ghost, the spirit begins to speak with Hamlet and confirms his suspicions. The spirit is indeed that of his late father, who has been cursed to purgatory in repentance of his sins. The initial impression of the ghost is that it is a restless and tortured being. It has been left to suffer in purgatory and addresses the troubled young prince with some authority. The ghost determines that it must reveal the true circumstance of his death to his son.

12. But know, thou noble youth, The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown. The ghost of the late King then goes on to reveal the true nature of his death. The ghost reveals that the manner of his death that is believed by the Danish people is in fact a lie. Instead, he explains, Claudius poured poison into his ear while he slept. As he had no opportunity to repent for his sins, he has been left to wander the fires of purgatory. He demands that Hamlet avenge his death and seek revenge on Claudius. He demands that his son act in order to cleanse Denmark of the stains of incest. He also insists that he leave Gertrude to God’s judgement.

13. Yea, from the table of my memory I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, …And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain, Alone on the stage once more, Hamlet begins to consider his father’s instructions. It appears that of all the things that are revealed to him, his father’s instruction to leave judgement of his mother to God appears to be causing him the most trouble. He pledges that now that he knows the truth, his mind will be entirely dominated by thoughts of how to follow out the instructions of his father. Hamlet promises to reject all memories of books and small trivial matters in order to fully focus on his task…