Show how Shakespeare presents a disordered and corrupt state of society in Act One of Hamlet.

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Show how Shakespeare presents a disordered and corrupt state of society in Act One of ‘Hamlet’.

The opening scene of “Hamlet” dramatically evokes the mystery world, the thinly veiled situation of every man, caught between the mundane world of the senses and the wider spiritual world just a shade beyond. Shakespeare renders us to tread on a divide, separating the seen and the vast unseen. On the bleak battlements of a cold windswept night, the setting of the opening scene, we are keenly aware of the divide.

The exposition sets the tone and mood of the play. In “Hamlet” it evokes an aura of mystery and a confrontation with the unknown. From the beginning, this sense of suspense and underlying mystery pervades the entire play. The action begins on the stark platform of the castle wall at midnight, in the dark as the sentries struggle to recognize one another. The first challenge is given by Barnardo, the relieving sentry, rather than Francisco, the solider who is still on duty. Not only is the question of “who’s there?” preparing the mood for the arrival of the ghost, but it also demonstrates that the people of Denmark do not seem confident in carrying out their allocated roles, suggesting an atmosphere of mistrust. In a few broken un-rhythmic blank verse line, Shakespeare brilliantly establishes the tone of uncertainty and apprehension, and he maintains this tone throughout the play. The tense exchange between Barnardo and Francisco: “Have you had a quiet guard?” with the fearfully quiet pause, arouses suspicion of what they are so fearful of, it is presented in such a manner that even they themselves are unwilling to admit the circumstance that they have been placed.

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 Horatio is first brought into the plot because of his judiciousness and his extensive education: the guards call on him, as a scholar, to address the ghost that they have encountered. Horatio’s half willingly arrival: “A piece of him” creates an ominous atmosphere. We soon find out why, and the sense of premonition deepens when we learn of the appearance of an apparition, a contact with the beyond. Horatio's response on being told of the apparition shows his intelligence, just like Hamlet, he is an intelligent and perceptive man struggling to live among the deceptions, contradictions and stupidities of the ...

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