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A summary of Act I: Scene i in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Hamlet and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
- Themes
A summary of Themes in William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Search...
- Act I: Scene II
A summary of Act I: Scene ii in William Shakespeare's...
- Themes
Act 1 sets up the circumstances around Old Hamlet’s death and Hamlet’s need for revenge – showing us how Hamlet feels about his mother’s new marriage and the promises he makes to the ghost of his father, to avenge his murder.
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Hamlet: Plot Summary (Acts 1 and 2) Act 1, Scene 1 Hamlet opens with the sentry, Francisco, keeping watch over the castle at Elsinore. He is relieved by Barnardo, who is joined shortly by Horatio and Marcellus. Barnardo and Marcellus reveal that they have witnessed an apparition:
- Act I, Scene 1
- Act I, Scene 2
- Analysis
The play opens at midnight in Denmark as two sentries, Francisco andBarnardo, stand guard over Elsinore Castle. Barnardo has come to relieveFrancisco of his watch, but they cannot quite see one another in the dark,causing Barnardo to call out, “Who’s there?” Francisco recognizes Barnardo’svoice and says he is glad to be going to bed after a chilly ...
The next morning, the new king of Denmark, Claudius, addresses his Council,accompanied by his new wife, Gertrude. Claudius—who is Prince Hamlet’suncle—announces that even though the grief over his brother’s recent death isstill fresh, he decided to marry his dead brother’s wife and make her hisqueen. He describes this as a time of mixed emotions (“...
The first two scenes of Hamletintroduce the sense of unease andmystery that will pervade the rest of the play. The story begins on a dark,cold night—so dark, in fact, that Barnardo and Francisco cannot see oneanother. Protocol dictates that the guard on duty (Francisco) ask the relievingguard (Barnardo) to declare his identity. Barnardo’s breach of...
Study Guide. Beta. Acts I-II Chapter Summaries & Analyses. Act I, Scene 1. The play begins with a group of sentinels keeping watch on the walls of Elsinore Castle, the royal seat of the King of Denmark. The sentinels are ill at ease. For the past several nights, they have seen a ghost stalking the battlements.
Summary: Act II, scene i. Polonius dispatches his servant Reynaldo to France with money and written notes for Laertes, also ordering him to inquire about and spy on Laertes’ personal life. He gives him explicit directions as to how to pursue his investigations, then sends him on his way. As Reynaldo leaves, Ophelia enters, visibly upset.
Scene 1. Act Two begins with Polonius speaking to one of his servants, Reynaldo, about his son, Laertes, who has by this time returned to Paris. We see Polonius in the act of sending Reynaldo after Laertes to inquire into his son’s conduct. He instructs Reynaldo very precisely in the method of obtaining this information.
