- 1
How do the setting, dialogue, and events of Scene 1 help set the mood for the rest of the play?
Set on a dark, freezing night on which three terrified men encounter a ghost, scene 1 establishes the mood of foreboding, tension, and uncertainty that runs throughout Hamlet. It is worth noting that the first line of the play is a question ("Who's there?"), one that deals with uncertainty and identity. As Horatio himself points out, the appearance of the ghost is a sign of an impending calamity, and is representative of one of the play's central themes - death.
- 2
Reread Hamlet's speech in lines 76-86. How does this speech help establish on the play's main themes?
In...
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