Hamlet+1.2

Hamlet 1.2

4. When Horatio tells Hamlet about the Ghost, Hamlet is very surprised. When the guards and Horatio have left, he says, "My father's spirit- in arms! All is not well. / I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come! / Till then, sit still, my soul. (Foul) deeds will rise, / Though all the earth overwhelm them, to men's eyes" (1.277-281). He is eager to see this "ghost" and curious about it. He wants to try and talk to his father. Because his father is armed and returning, Hamlet is questioning whether foul play was involved. I especially like the last part of this quotation. He is saying that no matter what, if there is foul play or something bad has happened, it will always be discovered. I think this is definitely foreshadowing in the play but also a good lesson, saying that "foul play" will always arise, eventually. I am excited to see how the story plays out and how Hamlet and the ghost interact.

5. King Claudius- I do not like King Claudius. I think he is extremely fake. Especially in this scene when we are introduced to him. His first dialogue in the play is him talking about his brother's death. Instead of mourning and truly appreciating his brother, he recognizes the fact that he has died but then goes on to say that it is time to stop mourning and to appreciate himself and life. He seems as if he doesn't actually care that his brother has died. This is again shown when we are told that he married his sister in law with in a month of his brother's death. This was done in order to save money by using the extras from the funeral for the wedding feast. It is kind of ironic that what was left over from a funeral was what catered their wedding, a day that is supposed to be very happy, not originating from a day of mourning. When King Claudius interacts with Hamlet, we again see his flakiness. He tells Hamlet that it is kind for him to be mourning over his father, but it has gotten to the point of "unmanliness". As Hamlet is feeling sadness and aloneness, his uncle only criticizes him. He is only being nice to him and trying to convince him to stay, instead of going to Wittenberg, in order to look as if he is a good king. I already have a very strong dislike for King Claudius after his first appearance in the play.

2. I think the significance of this scene is to introduce another side of the story. After hearing about the ghost we are switched over to see what Hamlet has to do with the story. We are introduced to his uncle and mother. I liked this scene because it gave a lot of new information but also connected well with the first scene. I like the way shakespeare has easily intermingled the two plots, connecting both. I think this is a good addition to the play and with out it, the play would lose the connection between the two plot lines.