Hamlet Act I Notes

Act I, scene i Marcellus and Bernardo invite Horatio to witness the ghost Horatio does not believe the ghost exists, but changes his mind when it appears Horatio agrees the ghost looks like the recently deceased King Hamlet Horatio attempts to speak to it, but it disappears because dawn is approaching They all agree to tell Hamlet Jr. of what they witnessed

Act I, scene ii King Claudius says that the time for mourning should be over and all of Denmark should be celebrating his marriage to his former sister-in-law Tells Hamlet he should not still be grieving his father because all sons must bury their fathers The queen believes he is acting sad, but really isn’t Hamlet says he loved his father and will not pretend to be happy when he is truly saddened by his death

Act I, scene ii Hamlet announces he will stay in Denmark and not return to school Hamlet is angry with his mother for marrying his uncle so quickly after his father’s death He questions whether she really loved him and considers her to be fickle Horatio informs Hamlet of the ghost of his father Hamlet pleads with them to not speak of what they saw to anyone else

Act I, scene iii Laertes advises Ophelia about Hamlet He is flirting, but it is temporary He may want to marry, but as a royal what he wants does not always matter. He will marry who will be best for Denmark politically Do not give him your body because he says he loves you She agrees to keep the advice in mind, but warns her brother not to be a hypocrite

Act I, scene iii Polonius gives his son advice before he leaves Don’t say what you are thinking, nor act before thinking Be friendly and keep the friends you trust Don’t pick fights, but hold your own when you get in one Clothes make the man so spend money on good clothes, but not flashy Don’t borrow or lend money Be true to yourself

Act I, scene iii Polonius then talks about Hamlet with Ophelia He tells her to be careful, for he will not be the laughing-stock because she fell for love’s pretty words He tells her that a man will say anything when he is in the moment, but he may not actually mean it Then he tells her to spend less time with him from now on She agrees to her father’s command, even though she believes Hamlet truly loves her

Act I, scene iv Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus meet up to see the ghost Hamlet says King Claudius is up partying Hamlet talks about how other countries see Denmark as a party country. They are all drunks. The ghost appears and Hamlet sees it does look like his father The ghost wants Hamlet to go off with him, Horatio and Marcellus do not want to him to go and try to hold him back. Hamlet fights them off and leaves with the ghost Horatio and Marcellus decide to follow, even though Hamlet told them not to.

Act I, scene v The ghost confirms he is Hamlets father He tells Hamlet needs to be ready for revenge, but not to pity him The ghost says he was murdered by his brother, Claudius, who is now the king and husband to Hamlet’s mother. Claudius snuck up on him in the garden Put poison in his ear, that killed him quickly Hamlet must avenge his father’s death so he may rest peacefully

Critical Theory Reminders Historical: looking at the character through historical context of the author’s time. Marxist: looking at the character through a social class and economic perspective. Are they not allowed/allowed to do something because of their position in society/money. Archetype: characters/themes that appear in most literature; ie the hero, villain, temptress, innocent, wise old one, etc. Psychoanalytical: looking at the character as a pschologist

Critical Theory Directions: In pairs go through and add these to your character map, then on a separate piece of paper explain how each of these is accurate for the character. Hamlet: Marxist, Archetypal, Psychoanalytic, Historical Hamlet Sr. (ghost): historical Gertrude: Psychoanalytical, historical King Claudius: Archetype, Historical, Marxist Ophelia: Marxist, Archetypal, Psychoanalytic, Historical Polonius (Ophelia’s dad): Historical, Marxist, Psychoanalytic Laertes: Historical, Marxist Fortinbras Jr.: Historical, Marxist Old Norway: Historical, Marxist Fortinbras Sr.: Historical Horatio: Historical, Marxist