1. Hamlet
Act 1 Summary

2. Act 1.1 Character list Barnardo---guard Francisco---guard
Marcellus---guard
Horatio---Hamlet’s friend
Ghost

3. Scene 1 Details Barnardo and Francisco have seen a ghost twice
Marcellus brings Horatio to confirm sighting; Horatio skeptical
Ghost appears; looks like dead King Hamlet; exits
Talk about Denmark’s political problems— Fortinbras of Norway
Enter ghost again; Horatio tries to speak to it; ghost exits again
Morning comes; Marcellus and Horatio will tell young Hamlet about it

4. Act 1.2 Character list King Claudius Queen Gertrude
Cornelius/Voltemand---messengers sent to Norway
Laertes
Polonius
Hamlet
Marcellus
Horatio

5. Scene 2 Details
Formal appearance made by Claud and Gert (kind of a business meeting/mourning period/wedding celebration)
King sends Corn. And Volt. to Norway to inform King of Norway about his nephew Fortinbras
King gives permission for Laertes to return to France
We meet Hamlet who is scolded for his “unmanly grief”
King tells Hamlet NOT to go back to Wittenberg (college)

6. Scene 2 continued
Hamlet left alone for first soliloquy: contemplates suicide and reveals feelings about mother’s marriage and father’s death
Enter Horatio and Marcellus to report about the ghost; say it looked like dead King
Hamlet will meet them that same night between 11 and midnight
Scene ends with Hamlet alone believing in “some foul play”

7. Act 1.3 Character list
Ophelia
Laertes
Polonius

8. Scene 3 Details Laertes says goodbye to Ophelia
Tells her to guard her heart against Hamlet
Polonius gives “sound advice” to his son
Exit Laertes; Polonius confronts Ophelia about Hamlet
She defends her relationship as honorable
Polonius scolds her and tells her to stop seeing Hamlet immediately
Ophelia “shall obey”

9. Act 1.4 Character list
Hamlet
Marcellus
Horatio
Ghost

10. Scene 4 Details Hamlet meets Horatio and Marcellus outside castle
Hamlet tells them about Claud’s partying ways
Enter Ghost; wants Hamlet to follow him and Hamlet is willing
Horatio fears for Hamlet’s safety
Hamlet will follow the ghost despite objections
“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”--- Marcellus; Horatio and Marcellus will follow

11. Act 1.5 Character list
Hamlet
Ghost
Marcellus
Horatio

12. Scene 5 Details
Ghost speaks to Hamlet ; confirms he is Hamlet’s father
Wants Hamlet to seek revenge against Claudius for his “foul and unnatural murder”
Claud poisoned his brother in the ear while he was sleeping in the orchard
Warns Hamlet not to harm mother only Claud
Hamlet will obey the command
Makes Horatio and Marcellus swear to keep tonight a secret; they do
Hamlet will put “an antic disposition on”