ACT ONE ANSWERS

 Act One Answers                                          
 The Plot (Delete as appropriate)

 Horatio, Marcellus and Barnardo encounter the silent
 apparition on the battlements, discuss its possible
 connection with the threat of invasion from the
 disgruntled Fortinbras and decide to tell Hamlet.
 Claudius explains his motives for marrying Gertrude,
 allows Laertes to go to France and, together with
 Gertrude, counsels Hamlet to stop mourning and to stay
 in Denmark. Hamlet bewails the state of the world and
 his mother's frailty ('lust' is also ok) and is told of
 the apparition. Laertes and Polonius counsel Ophelia to
 stop seeing Hamlet. Hamlet, Horatio and the guards
 encounter the apparition and Hamlet follows. It
 persuades Hamlet to revenge its 'unnatural' murder.
 After it leaves, Hamlet swears the others to secrecy and
 reveals his plan to put on an 'antic disposition'

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 What? Why? How?

      1. What reasons do Laertes and Polonius give
      for their command to Ophelia to stop seeing
      Hamlet? Are they reasonable?

      Laertes wants her to stop because Hamlet is a
      prince who 'may not carve for himself':
      Ophelia is too far beneath Hamlet, socially,
      for their relationship to have any hope of
      surviving. Hamlet is bound to end up in a
      political marriage to the Princess of Poland
      or somewhere. One possible mistake is to
      believe that Laertes really believes that
      Hamlet is dallying with her affections
      following his first speech. Laertes wants her
      to persuade herself that this is the case in
      order to make it easier for her to drop the
      prince: 'Think it no more' (my emphasis).

      Polonius is far more cynical. He believes his
      daughter is a 'baby' whom Hamlet intends to
      trap into bed. The prince's words are those of
      a man whose blood is burning with lust, a lust
      which 'lends the tongue' the sincere promises
      Hamlet has made.

      Laertes is probably the more reasonable. At
      least his worries are based on the fact that
      Hamlet is a prince rather than mere suspicion.
      But even he, in his offensive warning to
      Ophelia to 'fear' the power of her lust, has a
      low opinion of the affair (and of women). Both
      men are obsessed by family honour, an
      important theme in the play, and the
      preservation of Ophelia's 'chaste treasure'.
      The Hamlet we have met in Act 1, scene 2,
      doesn't look like the sort of man to dally
      with a young girl's affections, especially
      considering that he is so agonised by his
      mother's infidelity.

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      2. What country is Horatio from? What makes it
      difficult to decide?

      Horatio knows Hamlet from Wittenburg where
      they were 'school-fellows'. He also knows the
      soldiers. This second fact would suggest that
      he is from Denmark. However, by scene four, he
      has forgotten Danish customs and Hamlet speaks
      to him (in his 'to the manner born' speech) as
      though he were a foreigner.

      In truth, it seems that Shakespeare didn't
      much care about the nitty-gritty details of
      his characters' biographies. He is far more
      interested in the dramatic structures he
      creates and the possibilities of language.
      (Later on in the play, at the start of IV.v.,
      Horatio turns up as the Queen's counsellor: no
      explanation is given for this promotion and so
      we must assume that Horatio is simply to be
      taken a "wise advisor" type, rather than
      someone with a real biography).

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      3. What similarities are there in the thoughts
      contained in each of the soliloquies in this
      act?

      Both contain rage against Gertrude and
      (secondly) Claudius. Throughout the play,
      Hamlet is far more angry with his mother than
      the King. Both see the world as contemptible
      and dirty.

      The big difference, of course, is that the
      first soliloquy is filled with apathy and
      despair, whereas the second contains
      direction, excitement and purpose.

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      4. The first scene could be (and has been) cut
      without damaging the plot. For what reasons
      would you wish to include it in a performance?

      The Franco Zefferelli version starring Mel
      Gibson cuts this scene, along with a lot of
      other stuff. The reason it's OK to do this in
      a film, but less so in a theatrical production
      is that in a film you can create the
      atmosphere with a few shots of a misty castle
      and a funeral procession. There's no direct
      equivalent for that in the theatre: though
      directors can create powerful images in their
      staging, the main scene setting has to be done
      with words. This was especially true in the
      theatre Shakespeare was writing for, where
      there was so very little in the way of
      scenery. Scene One is in the play to do the
      job of setting the scene and atmosphere.
      Within a few lines we get fear, tension,
      distrust and mystery. These emotions are
      strengthened throughout the scene.
      Particularly with the arrival of the enigmatic
      apparition.

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      5. In what ways is the language spoken by the
      apparition different to the normal language of
      the play?

      I would suggest that there are a couple of
      differences:

      (a) It's more archaic. You may well feel that
      all the language in the play is old-fashioned,
      but no-one else would be able to say something
      like 'list, list, oh list' without smirking.
      Equally archaic is the analogy between the
      figures of Virtue, A Radiant Angel and Lust
      and his own relationship with his
      'seeming-virtuous' wife. This quality makes
      the ghost of the old King sound a bit more
      'majestical' than the other characters in the
      play. It also establishes him as the product
      of a bygone medieval world compared to the new
      scientific, artistic, unprincipled and
      political world typified by Claudius and (to a
      lesser extent) by Hamlet.

      (b) Coupled with this is the fact that it's
      very ornate. It takes the apparition twice as
      long to say anything than anyone else in the
      play. Even Polonius at the start of II.ii and
      Osric in V.i. are comparatively laconic. This
      is partially to reinforce the archaic nature
      of his discourse. It also means we can focus
      on Hamlet's reactions to what it is saying
      without fear of missing much. Lastly, in the
      case of the lengthy descriptions of the
      poisoning and of what would happen to Hamlet
      if he were told of Purgatory, it creates an
      evocative visual image.

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      6. What signs are we given of a potential for
      madness on Hamlet's part?

      In his first soliloquy he says he would commit
      suicide (self-slaughter) were it not for God's
      decree against it. The remainder of the
      soliloquy conveys contradictory, but equally
      strong emotions of ennui, melancholy and
      violent disgust. He follows the spirit because
      he doesn't care if it kills him should it turn
      out to be a devil. Following his meeting with
      the spirit, he is almost hysterical, torn
      between his desire to tell Horatio and his
      (perverse) need to keep it a secret: 'wild and
      whirling words' indeed. Lastly, his plan to
      pretend to be mad is completely unexplained.
      What is he up to? We must assume that he
      thinks that if anyone sees him acting
      suspiciously, hulking a sword to Claudius'
      chamber, for example, people will say: 'oh,
      don't worry: that's Hamlet: he's mad'. This is
      a 'mad' plan (the play is full of crap plans).
      My own feeling is that Hamlet pretends to be
      mad in order to express and hopefully contain
      his violent emotions without being deemed
      deliberately offensive. Remember that at the
      end of his first soliloquy, Hamlet says 'But
      break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue'.
      Madness allows him to not 'hold his tongue',
      and so avoid the heartbreak.

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      7. How does Claudius attempt to establish his
      popularity in the second scene?

      Claudius is an oily, clever politician. His
      opening speech reminds his counsellors that he
      sought their valuable advice before marrying
      Gertrude and thanks them for this.

      He then goes on to court Laertes, naming him
      four times in eight lines and insisting that
      whatever he wants will be his. This is
      because, supposedly, Claudius needs Laertes'
      father, Polonius, as much as the mouth needs
      the hand in order to be fed.

      Lastly, and least successfully, he attempts to
      placate Hamlet, naming him his son and 'the
      most immediate to the throne'. Hamlet is not,
      however, in a mood to be placated and the
      King's sensitivity to this little act of
      rebellion makes him insult the prince as
      irreligious, immature and foolish.

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      8. How can we tell Denmark is a Catholic
      country? Find TWO references which help to
      suggest this.

      The apparition claims to be in purgatory,
      rather than heaven or hell. This third option,
      for those who have sinned 'a bit', allows the
      soul to burn off the 'foul crimes' done when
      it was alive before ascending to heaven.

      A second, related Catholic link is in the
      apparition's despair at having died without
      the Last Rites, 'Unhouseled, disappointed,
      unaneled / No reckoning made'.

      A last point is that Denmark was,
      historically, a Catholic country when the play
      was set.

      I think that this Catholic setting is
      important to the play. Hamlet, following the
      Catholic doctrine of Original Sin, is
      convinced that we are all sinful ('treat every
      man after his desert and who shall 'scape
      whipping?' he asks in Act II, scene ii). This
      belief may be read as compromising his ability
      to revenge, I think. If no-one has the moral
      upper-hand, if we're all sinful, how can one
      person be the judge of another? At any rate,
      Hamlet's Catholic background contributes to
      the stresses on his sanity and fear of
      damnation.

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      9. How did Old Hamlet tackle foreign policy,
      and how does this contrast with Claudius?

      Old Hamlet tackled foreign policy with a big
      stick. In the opening scene, we learn of his
      single combat to the death with the ex-King of
      Norway, Old Fortinbras, in a wager in which
      the loser lost both his life and his lands.
      Secondly, we are told of how he 'smote the
      sledded Polacks on the ice' (killing the
      Polish is a favourite pastime for warriors in
      this play). The ghost's appearance in armour
      signifies that he is at war with Claudius, and
      more generally that he remains a warrior-king.

      This contrasts strongly with Claudius whose
      approach is entirely political. Upon learning
      of the threat of invasion from Young
      Fortinbras he secretly stocks up on weapons
      without telling anyone why. Then he marries
      the ex-Queen in order to create an impression
      of national unity and consistency with the
      previous reign (though this marriage was his
      plan in any case, see III.iii). Lastly, he
      sends a letter to the King of Norway to
      complain about his nephew's activities.

      This contrast helps to characterise the two
      men as personalities: warlike/honourable vs.
      scheming/clever. It also aligns them to
      different historical periods: Old Hamlet
      belongs to the medieval age of knights and
      chivalry; Claudius belongs to the modern age
      of politics, expediency and diplomacy.

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      10. What does Hamlet believe about his
      father's death before he meets the apparition?

      He's already pretty certain that dad's death
      was no accident and has strong suspicions as
      to the culprit. At the end of scene two, he is
      sure that the ghost has come to tell him of
      the true circumstances of his death: 'foul
      deeds will rise'.

      Then, when he's told that Claudius killed his
      dad, he says: 'Oh my prophetic soul! My
      uncle!' If you've got a 'prophetic' soul, it
      means that it is capable of foreseeing the
      future. He already believed that Claudius
      murdered his dad.

      The apparition tells Hamlet almost exactly
      what he wants to hear. This is what, at the
      end of Act Two, makes Hamlet suspicious that
      it might be a devil trying to trick him into
      committing a murder. It might make us, the
      audience, suspicious too.

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 Stagecraft

      1. How does Shakespeare create tension in the
      first scene? How does he surprise us? How does
      he mislead us?

      Tension is created through the nervousness of
      the guards and their ignorance about what is
      going on. It is increased through the
      enigmatic appearances of the silent ghost and
      the revelations that the country may soon be
      invaded.

      It is surprising that the Ghost should appear
      twice. Its first appearance is expected from
      the moment it is mentioned, but no-one would
      guess that it would appear again only a few
      minutes after leaving the stage.

      This scene misleads us as to what kind of play
      'Hamlet' is. On the basis of the first scene,
      most members of the audience would suppose a
      political play about wars and so forth and/or
      a supernatural play. Though both these
      elements have their part in 'Hamlet', it is
      hardly its main thrust.

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      2. How does Shakespeare invite us to compare
      and contrast Hamlet with Laertes and
      Fortinbras?

      They are introduced in the same way in Act
      One, scene two. Claudius deals with Young
      Fortinbras, then with Young Laertes and
      finally with Young Hamlet. All three are going
      abroad or trying to go abroad.

      As the play progresses, these parallels
      increase: all end up with dead fathers and
      pursue some act of revenge. Hamlet and
      Fortinbras are both nephews to their country's
      king and are deflected from their plans by
      being sent to another country. Hamlet and
      Laertes both pursue their revenge to its
      bitter end and die by the same means.

      'Hamlet' has a 'three little pigs' moral. If
      you pursue revenge then you will end up
      getting stabbed with a poisoned sword. If you
      give it up, you can expect to become King of
      Denmark.

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      3. How does Shakespeare create tension in the
      second scene?

      There are two points here. First, Hamlet's
      continued mourning in the face of the King's
      command to stop and his little rebellions over
      being called the King's son and being forced
      to stay in Denmark.

      A second source of suspence is the news of the
      ghost and Hamlet's contagiously eager
      anticipation of its message.

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 Imagery and Symbolism

      1. Find TWO references to disease or decay.

      "'Tis an unweeded garden. Things rank and
      gross in nature consume it merely". (I.ii)

      "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark".
      (I.iv)

      "Leprous distilment ... lazarlike" (I.v)

      Decay and disease are strong images of
      corruption and sin in the play. Each of the
      major characters use them as the play
      progresses. The idea is that Claudius is like
      a cancer (or 'canker' (V.i)) who is invisibly
      destroying Denmark from within. He corrupts
      others or they allow themselves to become
      corrupted.

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 Themes

      1. The ghost comes in 'questionable shape'.
      Find THREE references to the idea that it may
      not be what it seems.

      "In the same shape like the King that's dead".
      (I.i)

      "Looks a not like the King?" (I.i)

      "Our last king / Whose image even but now
      appeared to us". (I.i)

      "questionable shape". (I.iv)

      "And there assume some other horrible form".
      (I.iv)

      It's only Hamlet who thinks its the ghost of
      his dead father. Everyone else suspects that
      it may well be a demon in the form of the dead
      king.

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      2. Find THREE other references to characters
      not being what they seem.

      "Seems, Madam? Nay I know not seems". (I.ii)

      "... she would hang upon him / As if increase
      of appetite had grown / By what it fed on".
      (I.ii)

      "Give thy thoughts no tongue..." (I.iii)

      "Think yourself a baby / That you have tane
      these tenders for true pay / Which are not
      sterling". (I.iii)

      "... my most seeming virtuous queen". (I.v)

      "one may smile and smile and be a villain".
      (I.v)

      As is often the case in Shakespeare's plays,
      there is a strong theme of appearances being
      at odds with reality. Denmark is consumed by
      hidden corruption, spies and trickery. This
      atmosphere intensifies as the play proceeds.

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      3. The prince must decide whether and how to
      act according to his dead father's wishes.
      Find THREE references to remembering or
      forgetting.

      "we must with wisest sorrow think on him /
      Together with remembrance of ourselves".
      (I.ii)

      "Good Hamlet cast thy nighted colour off"
      (I.ii)

      "We pray you throw to earth / This
      unprevailing woe" (I.ii)

      "Must I remember?" (I.ii)

      "Remember thee? Ay thou poor ghost, whiles
      memory holds a seat / In this distracted
      globe". (I.v)

      Roughly, Claudius and Gertrude (with good
      reason) want everyone to forget. Hamlet wants
      everyone to remember. Both points of view have
      some validity.

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      4. The play suggests that our lives may be
      controlled by a divine power. Find THREE
      references to Fate or Providence.

      "all that lives must die" (I.ii)

      "Foul deeds will rise / Though all the earth
      o'erwhelm them to men's eyes". 
(I.ii)