Hamlet Act I Scene 1 King Hamlet has

Hamlet: Act I Scene 1 King Hamlet has died, and his brother Claudius has taken the throne. However, for the past two nights, the guards (Francisco and Bernardo) have seen a restless ghost resembling the old king wandering the castle grounds. They inform Hamlet’s friend Horatio of what they've seen.

Hamlet: Act I Scene 2 The next morning, the wedding of Claudius and Gertrude, the wife of the late king, takes place. When the room clears, Hamlet soliloquizes on his disgust at their union, which he views as a betrayal of his father at best and, at worst, incest. Horatio and the guards enter and tell Hamlet to meet the ghost that night.

Hamlet: Act 1 Scene 3 Laertes, the son of the king's advisor Polonius, is getting ready for school in Paris. He says goodbye to his sister Ophelia, who is romantically interested in Hamlet. Polonius enters and lectures Laertes extensively on how to behave at school. Both father and son then warn Ophelia about Hamlet; in response, Ophelia promises to no longer see him.

Hamlet: Act 1 Scenes 4 & 5 That night, Hamlet meets the ghost, who claims to be the ghost of the king—Hamlet's father. The ghost says that he was murdered by Claudius, that Claudius put poison in his ear while he slept. The ghost orders Hamlet to avenge the murder, but not to punish his mother. Hamlet agrees. Later, he informs Horatio and Marcellus, one of the guards, that he will pretend to be mad until he can get his revenge.

Hamlet & the Ghost

Hamlet: Major Plot Points Established by Act 1 • The new king, Hamlet's uncle, murdered Hamlet's father. • His father's ghost appears to him to describe the murder and charge Hamlet with seeking revenge. • Hamlet's mother committed adultery with Claudius before her husband's death and married Claudius with "unseemly" haste. • The ghost says Hamlet should let God punish his mother. • Hamlet will pretend to be crazy while he exacts vengeance.