Of unimproved mettle hot and full,
Hath in the skirts of Norway here and there
Sharked up a list of landless resolutes
For food and diet to some enterprise”
This speech is an omen for battle. However the ghost once again reappears and again Horatio implores it to speak and again, it remains silent. The cock crows and the ghost exits. The three then decide that the best course of action is to inform the prince, Hamlet, of what they have seen. They believe that the ghost will speak to the prince, as it appears to be his late father. The first scene of Hamlet is full of wonders and shock. The supernatural has occurred, a ghost has appeared and a gloomy air is silently treading the first scene.
In act 1 scene 2 we meet the new King Claudius. Claudius, the new king of Denmark, thanks his subjects for their support through the death of his brother Hamlet and marriage to Hamlet's wife.
Claudius: “ Together with the rememberance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometimes sister, now our queen,
Th’imperial jointress to this warlike state,
Have we, as ‘twere with a deafeated joy,
With one auspicious and one dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage”
Claudius has already made himself a unit with everyone and seems to be very arrogant and conceited. He uses the word “we” and “our” as if he is one with everyone and has assumed his new role as King with conceit, he has an air of authority but he is a slippery character. He is very cheery throughout his speech and quite pompous.
He then sends his ambassadors, Cornelius and Voltemand, to prevent a threatened attack from Fortinbras in Norway, who seeks to avenge his father. Claudius then turns to Laertes who has come to request permission to return to France. Laertes' father, Polonius, gives his consent and so Claudius grants his request. Next, the focus turns to Prince Hamlet. Hamlet expresses extreme grief and is told by Claudius that his focus on his sorrow is both stubborn and unmanly.
Claudius: “ ‘Tis sweet and commendable in your nature Hamlet,
To give these mourning duties to your father;
But you must know, your father lost a father,
That father lost, lost his, and the survivor bound
In filial obligation for some term
To do obsequious sorrow; but to preserver
In obstinate condolement is a course
Of impious stubbornness, “tis unmanly grief”
Further, he denies Hamlet's desire to return to school in Wittenburg. The Queen also voices her desire that Hamlet remain with them. Hamlet consents to stay and is left alone. In his solitude, Hamlet laments the death of his father and the remarriage of his mother in less than a month from that day. Hamlet feels that the marriage between his mother and uncle is incestuous and that nothing good will come of their union. Hamlet is a very gloomy character as soon as he speaks we can see that he is depressed and may even be mad. He contemplated suicide, but he can not do it because it is a sin and he wants his soul to go to heaven. He has turmoil’s in his head and he bears all grief.
Barnardo, Horatio, and Marcellus enter here and converse with the prince. Horatio agrees that the marriage and funeral occurred in rapid succession and he seems very aggressive when he comments on the marriage he seems to despise the though that occurred:
Hamlet - “ Thrift thrift Horatio. The funeral baked meats
Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.
Would I had met my dearest foe in heaven
Or ever I had seen that day, Horatio.
My father, methinks I see my father –“
He resents the fact that his uncle married his mother so soon after the marriage. Horatio then tells Hamlet that he believes he has seen the ghost of the dead king as soon as Hamlet mentions that he believes he has seen his father. The other two men corroborate his story. They tell Hamlet that the form looked sorrowful, pale, and refused to speak. Hamlet tells the three men to keep their vision a secret and plans to join them for the watch that night.
In act 1 scene 3 Laertes says goodbye to his sister Ophelia and warns her not to trust Hamlet. He tells her that Hamlet is fickle and soon his affections will turn from her. She asks him not to tell her to live strictly if he intends to live self-indulgently. He reassures her as their father Polonius enters. Polonius sends his son off on his return to France. Polonius then questions his daughter about the nature of her relationship with Hamlet. Upon learning of his affection for her, Polonius repeats the warning of Laertes. He tells her to have more respect for herself and not to continue the relationship. Polonius further instructs Ophelia to refrain from further contact with the Prince. Both Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia about losing her virginity. Act 1 scene 3 is a sinister scene.
In both act 1 scenes 2 and 3 are based upon the castle, and the castle has various atmospheres. Firstly the sense of betrayal between Hamlet and his uncle and mother also the matter of family. Firstly between the king, queen and the prince. Then between Laertes, Polonius and Ophelia the character of Ophelia seems to be very naïve. The castle is very foreboding and ominous.
Hamlet joins Horatio and Marcellus for the watch while Claudius drinks the night away inside and Hamlet criticises Danish men and drinking. The ghost then appears and beckons Hamlet to follow. The other men try to convince the Prince not to go after the apparition for fear that it will lead him into danger. Hamlet will not listen and departs with the ghost. Horatio and Marcellus decide that they must follow:
Marcellus – “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”
Horatio - “Heaven will direct it”
Marcellus – “Nay let’s follow him”
The atmosphere here is very dark and gloomy. The characters show a strong bond of friendship for Hamlet. They seem worried for him and a theme of friendship is opened up.
Hamlet stops and tells the ghost he will go no further. The ghost turns to Hamlet and instructs him to listen, as there isn't much time to talk. The ghost tells Hamlet that he is the spirit of his dead father. He is doomed to walk the earth at night and burn in hell by day. He demands that if his son loves him, he avenge his murder. The Prince pleads with his father to tell him who committed the crime so that he may seek revenge. The late King says that the crime had been committed by his brother Claudius, having won over the affections of the Queen, to obtain the crown. Claudius had slipped into the palace garden and poured poison into the ears of the sleeping king. Then, he passed the death off as being caused by a snakebite. The late King tells his son to seek revenge against Claudius but to leave his mother to face her punishment in the afterlife. The ghost exits and Hamlet swears revenge. Horatio and Marcellus arrive and Hamlet swears them to secrecy along with the disembodied voice of the ghost. Horatio and Marcellus swear the oath and the three men exit.
Once again here the bond of friendship is effective because Horatio and Marcellus swear not to tell a soul. The theme of revenge and murder is opened. These all contribute to the dark, gloomy, eerie atmosphere. For the love of Hamlets father he must murder. Through the whole of Act 1 “the state of Denmark is rotten”.
Hamlet feels betrayed by his own mother and this seems to “confuse” him even more. He is betraying his mother by doing what the ghost of his father has asked him to do. But then again his uncle betrayed his own brother. The sense of betrayal intertwines and links to each character. The plot is effective because each speech is needed to learn about the personality of the character. It contributes to the atmosphere of the play.
Although when Hamlet discovers the atrocity committed by his uncle, he wishes for revenge. In that time, it would have been quite natural to take matters into his own hands. In order to keep his plans secret; he cannot let on that he knows of the crime. This in itself makes the play effective and each character makes a decision but faces its own consequences.
