Whattechniques has Shakespeare employed in the first scene of

The first 200 words of this essay...

What techniques has Shakespeare employed in the first scene of

"Hamlet" to present the mood and plot of the play?

In the environment of a modern theatre, advances in light and sound technology have made it simple to create the effect of the time of day, weather and even the moods of characters. Shakespeare, not having such liberties, had to indulge in a rich use of descriptive and emotive language to help create the audiences perception of the mood.

In the first scene of "Hamlet" Shakespeare uses the conversation between the characters to convey the setting and any necessary background to the plot. Through conversations between Barnardo, Fransisco, Marcellus and Horatio vital background information is established and brought to the attention of the audience. When the ghost first appears Barnardo comments:

"In the same figure, like the king that's dead"

This immediately allows the audience to become aware that a king has just died. This is followed by further discussion- including Horatio directly addressing the ghost as having:

"...that fair and warlike form

In which the majesty of buried Denmark

Did sometimes march"

This would clearly be of great significance in