Hamlet Act Summaries

Page 1

Hamlet Act 1 Scene 1

The scene opens with Barnardo and Fransisco confronting each other; there is clearly tension, and the first line of 'who's there' raises questions not only about the state of Denmark (is it in danger? why are they so tense?? it's a dramatic device) but about identity. Hamlet answers this question later with 'it is I, Hamlet the Dane'

'tis bitter cold, and I am sick at heart' on the one hand, this raises the condition of the weather, as often, the seats in the 'globe' would stop audiences from being able to see, and the whole play would be based on listening. on the other hand, the theme of disease is immediately present, and the fact that fransisco is sick at heart rather than in some part of his body means the disease is a moral corruption rather than a physical illness. the 'head of the state' is immediately brought into the forefront, as claudius' corruption seems to have spread to his subjects

'what, is horatio there? a piece of him' immediately, the dismemberment is obvious. it's clear that the play is a metaphor for the different 'pieces' of a person

the subject of the ghost is approached oddly; 'this thing' brings a certain mystery to the play, and it's not obvious at first what horatio is referring to. (dramatic device)

when the ghost appears, barnardo describes it as 'the same figure like the king that's dead' rather than just the king, bringing the theme of appearance vs reality into fruition. this is secured later when barnardo says looks it not like the king?

the theme of the ghost introduces the play as a traditional senecan tragedy, complete with a dead king. moreover, the death of a king immediately makes it known that this play is about monarchy, death, and grief

barnardo's comment of you tremble and look pale introduces shakespeare's consistent use of hendiadys, the comparison of two similar, but not identical things.

is it not like the king? as thou art to thyself an odd comment to make from horatio, surely, but again there's an emphasis on a split identity, some problem with mirroring and identity

'norway' 'polacks' here, shakespeare introduces the (albeit inconsistent) theme of foreign influence, with the story of fortinbras and old hamlet's battles beginning to surface.

in the gross and scope of my opinion / this bodes some strange eruption to our state clearly, there is a disruption and corruption in denmark. this is foreboding, perhaps even foreshadowing; horatio, as the only one who isn't killed, seems to have some sense of heightened knowledge

horatio's speech that follows, about old fortinbras, again seems to fit the senecan tragedy; themes of supernatural and revenge are highly prevalent

'high and palmy state of rome' 'julius fell' 'neptune's empire' shakespeare seems to touch on the reinassance period; 'rebirth', a medieval and cultural movement. they are taking back the roman and greek antiquity; draws attention to the humanist focus in hamlet

'sick almost to doomsday' 'feared events' 'preceding still the fates' 'prologue to the omen' 'thy country's fate' a focus on fate and fortune that seems to drive the play; hamlet later realises that he should follow fate, rather than rebel.

'unto young hamlet' his introduction is mysterious; we don't know who he is, and this thread is continued into the play

'young fortinbras of unimproved mettle hot and full' we are made aware that fortinbras is a brave and strong king, a direct contrast of hamlet