| Where does the play take place? What is happening as the play opens? | -play takes place in Elisnore-as play opens Bernardo is switching duties with Francisco on the guards platform(anxious, tense atmosphere, night time on Hamlet’s castle, dark, cold) -ghost has been appearing |
| Who are Marcellus and Bernardo? | two guards at the castle |
| Why has Marcellus brought Horatio for night watch? | to see the ghost that has been spotted for the last two nights |
| Who does the ghost appear to be? How is he dressed? | -The ghost looks like King Hamlet (hamlet’s dad)-He is dressed in armor and prepared for battle (wore that armor when he beat Norway)*signs that bad things could happen (unease) |
| What is the source of tension between Norway and Denmark? Why is the castle being guarded? | -King Hamlet (of Denmark) killed King Fortinbras (of Norway) and inherited land-son of Fortinbras wants revenge and has gathered a gang of rebels to potentially attack |
| What do Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo decide to do as the scene ends? | tell Hamlet about the ghost and have him try to talk to it |
| Describe the familial ties now existing in Claudius’s court | -Claudius, the brother of King Hamlet, married Gertrude, his brother’s wife-Prince Hamlet’s uncle is now his step dad |
| CLAUDIUS’S SPEECHWhat does he say it is time to do? | He says it’s time to move forward because while they’re sad there are still things to do |
| CLAUDIUS’S SPEECHWhy is he writing to the King of Norway? Who will deliver the message? | He is writing to the Uncle of Young Fortinbras to get the boy to stop his pursuit of revenge**Cornelius and Voltemand will deliver the message |
| Who is Laertes and what does he ask of the Kings? Is permission granted? | Laertes, the son of Polonius (counselor to the King) wants to return to France and is given permission from the King |
| Describe Hamlet’s present mood | sad/depressed-under cloud-doesn’t just seem upset, he truly is (Appearance Vs. Reality) |
| What is Claudius’s reaction to Hamlet? The queen’s? What do they ask of him? | Claudius-unmanly, get over itQueen-don’t be so upset, stay in Denmark and don’t return to school |
| In his first soliloquy, what are Hamlet’s feelings about his mother’s marriage to Claudius? | -His father was an exceptional King and husband-says his parents had a fantastic marriage-is angry at his mother and thinks she is weak since she remarried just two months after his father’s death |
| When Bernardo, Marcellus, and Horatio find Hamlet what does he plan to do as a result of what they tell him? | He plans to go try and speak to it and asks the others not to tell of what they’ve seen |
| As the scene ends, why does Hamlet think the ghost of father may be appearing? | He suspects that there was foul play; was his dad murdered? |
| Who is Ophelia and what brotherly advice does Laertes give her? | -daughter of Polonius and the sister of Laertes-Laertes says Hamlet may just be flirting and she shouldn’t get invested (Hamlet does not necessarily get to choose his fate)-don’t lose your honor/reputation/virginity |
| What advice does Polonius give Laertes before he departs for France? | -think before you act-be friendly but only trust few who have proven themselves-listen to others opinions but be careful about voicing your own-dress well-don’t borrow or lend money-consistent-to thine own self be true |
| What does Polonius order Ophelia to do? What is Ophelia’s response? | -don’t believe everything he says; Hamlet may just be using you-Hamlet is all talk-orders Ophelia to stop talking to Hamlet and Ophelia says she will obey |
| Where and when does Scene IV take place? What is everyone waiting for? | -it’s on the platform-night time-the return of the ghost |
| What is happening during the King and Queen’s celebration that involves a cannon? What does Hamlet think of the custom and what affect does he think it will have on Denmark/ | -they’re drinking-Hamlet thinks their drinking makes the Danish people look bad-“Dram of evil doth all noble substance of a doubt to his own scandal” : one drop of something bad can ruin something that is largely good |
| When the ghost appears what does Hamlet do? How do the others react to what is happening? | -Hamlet tries to speak to it and it beckons him-the others tell Hamlet not to go with the ghost because it may cause him harm |
| What is the significance of the following remark by Marcellus: “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” ? | there is something bad going on; all is not well |
| What is the “life span” of the ghost? When will he stop appearing? | he is doomed to walk the night and spend days in the fires until all of his sins are gone |
| What is the nature of Hamlet’s father’s death? What has everyone been told? | -murder by Claudius: poured poison into the king’s ear while he was napping-everyone in the country was told that he was bitten by a snake while sleeping in the garden |
| Why must Hamlet spare his mother in seeking revenge on Claudius? What will her punishment be? | the ghost gives Hamlet 2 directions:1. Don’t let getting revenge mess with your mind2. Don’t harm Gertrude-she will have to answer to her actions in heaven |
| What promise does Hamlet ask Horatio to make? What does he warn them not to worry about? | 1. Don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen2. Don’t be alarmed if Hamlet starts acting oddly/insane”Antic Disposition” = Crazy |
| Elizabethan Age | Queen Elizabeth ruled England from 1558-1603*known as the Golden Age because of the great literature produced during this period |
| William Shakespeare | (1564-1623)-wrote 37 plays, 154 sonnets, 3 longer plays-wrote tragedies, comedies and about history-5 greatest tragedies: Macbeth, King Lear, Othello, Hamlet and Anthony and Cleopatra |
| Shakespeare’s plays: Made up of 5 acts | I. Exposition-introduction, setting, problems, charactersII. Rising Action-complication, plot thickensIII. Climax-two opposing forces meet and one winsIV. Falling Action-play comes to a close, hero diesV. Denouement-wrap up of play |
| Themes that are common in Shakespeare’s plays | 1. Appearance Vs. Reality2. Fate3. Revenge4. Chaos leading to order5. Unnatural/natural |
| The Theatre | 1st permanent public theatre, was built by James Burbage (1576) |
| The Globe Theatre | built by company in which Shakespeare along with Burbage had a stake in 1599-could fit 2,000 to 3,000 people-all acting done by men, elaborate costumes |
| Lord Chamberlain’s Men | London’s premier acting group |
| Tragedy | a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist (hero) and a superior force (destiny) that ends with a disastrous conclusion |
| Classical Tragic Hero | -must be of noble birth-general, king-must have a tragic flaw=pride, ambition-tragic flaw causes one to fall from heights to depths in stature in the way others look at him-recognizes what he has done and what happened to him too late-dies or is killed |
| Tragic Flaw | good personality trait that grows out of proportion, then becomes destructive |
| Aside | direct address to audience |
| Soliloquy | a character alone on stage gives voices to his/her inner most thoughts |
| Iambic Pentameter | Shakespeare wrote his plays in this unstressed followed by stressed syllable-10 syllables (5 feet) long |
| Blank Verse | unrhymed poetry, sounds normal, used in longer poems, usually 10 syllables in length |
| Rhyming Couplet | 2 lines of verse that are the same length and rhyme: last word of first line and last line rhyme |
| Sonnet | highly structured poem of 14 lines |
Hamlet Act 1 Scene 1
July 31, 2019