1. Hamlet SCENE PREVIEWS

2. Act I, scene i  Night outside Elsinore Castle  Two guards are freaked out  They saw a ghost last night!  They invite Horatio to verify the situation  He sees the ghost and also freaks  They decide to tell Hamlet, since the ghost looks like his dad

3. Act I, scene ii  Claudius gives a big speech that sets up a lot of the play’s conflicts  I’m bummed my big bro is dead, but look at my hot new wife  Go keep peace with Norway  Laertes, go back to school in France  Hamlet, stay with us at Elsinore, and turn that frown upside down  Hamlet vents after everybody leaves  Horatio and the guards convince Hamlet to come see the ghost that night

4. Act I, sc. iii  We meet Laertes, Ophelia, and Polonius (brother, sister, dad)  Laertes warns Ophelia off Hamlet—says she shouldn’t be a booty call  Polonius says the same. Tells Ophelia to completely cut ties with Hamlet

5. Act I, sc. iv  Hamlet is out to see the ghost of his dead father  Hamlet’s talking to Horatio  He hates the drunkenness of his countrymen— makes Danish look like drunken idiots to everyone else  Horatio spots the ghost  The ghost won’t speak to Hamlet around the others, so Hamlet takes off after the ghost into the night

6. Act I, sc. v  Hamlet confronts the ghost when they are alone  Ghost says he can’t get to heaven because he’s been murdered—shares the circumstances of his death  Ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death; Hamlet agrees  Horatio and Marcellus show up; Hamlet makes them swear they’ll keep the night’s events a secret