Hamlet
how are we informed of the elder hamlet's death? why must we learn this information early?
act 1 scene 1
act 1 scene 1
We get this in Act one scene one when the guards and Horatio see the ghost of the dead king of Denmark,
Horatio:
What art thou that usurp’st this time of night
Together with that fair and warlike form
In which the majesty of buried Denmark
Did sometimes march? By heaven, I charge thee, speak.
This knowledge is crucial to the story because it sets the stage for Hamlet's anxieties and revenge.