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Hamlet – Act I, Scene 1

Question 1

The conversation between Bernado, Marcellus, and Horatio reveals that there is a horrible thing,
which we later learn it as a ghost that had appeared two times. Marcellus says,” Horatio says
we’re imagining it, and won’t let himself believe anything about this horrible thing that we’ve
seen twice now…”. From the conversation, it is also revealed that Horatio does not believe in the
claims of the other two guys. He says, “Oh, nonsense. It’s not going to appear.”

Question 2

The reason why Horatio believes the two other guards is because the alleged ghost appears to
them right in the midst when Barnardo was narrating the ghost’s story to them. Horatio gets to
witness the ghost with his own eyes.

Horatio notices that the ghost looked like the dead kings of Denmark when he dressed for battle.
So Horatio says, “What are you, that you walk out so late at night, looking like the dead king of
Denmark when he dressed for battle?...”

Question 3
 2

Horatio thinks the ghost is making an appearance to warn them of an upcoming attack of battle.
Horatio says,” … I have a general feeling this means bad news for our country.” Horatio explains
that the son of Fortinbras had gathered an army that he intended to use to secure the lands that
his late father had surrendered to their king.

Question 4

In his allusion to Julius Ceaser of the mighty Roman empire, Horatio says that corpses rose out
of their graves just before his assassination and ran through the streets of Rome speaking
gibberish. This allusion is essential because, just like in Rome, their homeland was experiencing
the same phenomenon. The Ghost of the king was wondering in the night like the corpses that
ran in the streets of Rome. This is a valid alert that something terrible was to happen in their
lands, and Horatio had some intelligence obtained by comparing the current incidence with that
of Rome.

Question 5

Scene one concludes when the ghost enters for the second time. The ghost spreads its arms as
Horatio approaches it. Horatio orders the ghost to speak. He questions the ghost. For instance, he
asks the ghost if it has some secret knowledge of its country’s sad fate. The Ghosts hesitates to
speak up, and Marcellus enquires if he should strike it with a pear. Horatio agrees; however, the
ghost does not remain still; it starts to wander here and there, then it exits. The Three are left in a
conversation about how a roaster crow made the host disappear. After the conversation, the three
agree to go and tell Hamlet what they had seen that night. Finally, Marcellus says he knows
where to find Hamlet in such a morning and the three exit.