Hamlet Act 1 Scene 1 and 2

In these first two scenes we got to meet many of the main characters, Horatio, Hamlet, Claudius, and Gertrude, and saw the appearance of Hamlet’s father’s ghost for the first time. We also got a glimpse of what hamlet is thinking during this confusing time and how his uncle Claudius is treating the situation. Throughout the events of these two scenes I was shocked at how quickly the action was happening. It felt like every page a new event took place. I think that this I both a reflection of how Hamlet feels about what is happening in his home as well as the fact that this was written as a play. While this is not the first play that we have read this year, I am still taken aback at how different it is than reading a novel.

During the action of the play I was wondering about how others in the kingdom were feeling. In the first few scenes it is clear that thee guards are still grieving their former king even though they are not really allowed to. It also seems like others would be suspicious of how the king died because of how quickly Claudius takes over and that the king’s ghost is appearing. However, it seems like most of the court, especially Polonius and his son Laertes, have already moved past this and have accepted Claudius as their new king. In class I would like to discuss what we think of this and if we think people (other than Hamlet) will get more suspicious of Claudius as the play goes on.