In Act 1, Scene 1. The soldiers are keeping guard. Discuss the dramatic and the thematic significance of the opening scene
- In Act 1, Scene 1. The soldiers are keeping guard. Discuss the dramatic and the thematic significance of the opening scene.
To begin with, this mind capturing play starts in the royal Danish palace outside, it is clear and evident that it opens in a resentfully cold night watch. There are several things that happens in the act 1, scene 1 of the play. The very first thing that happens is changing of the guards where Francisco is replaced by Bernardo. However, the place that all these things are happening is illustrated in films as being basically high on the castle’s walls, with the dark sea view (Goldman, Michael). What we see is that Bernardo the soldier who is to replace Francisco, comes into stage, looks everywhere around and seems confused in a way and it is clear that he is not able to see things clearly, or maybe he’s searching for the Ghost already, he goes ahead and asks, “Who is there?”.
From this point, we can conclude that his “Who is there?” at first is a thematic simply because although the entire play, there are several diverse questions regarding who is behind the mask or the behind the curtain that is being displayed to the entire world. “Nay, answer me” Francisco answers his friend where he meant that I’m on guard here. Minutes before Francisco leaves Marcellus and Haratio who are also vital characters in the play join them.
According to Neelands, Jonothan, and Tony Goode, another dramatic thing is that the both soldiers just like Bernardo, Marculles also during the previous nights observed unusual sights of Old Hamlet ghost who was the former Denmark King, which appeared in full armor. Both soldiers have also brought Horatio an educated man to also confirm the appearance of the Ghost. However, this is also both a dramatic and thematic thing in the sense that the appearance of this Ghost is a riddle that needs intervention and explanation; it is something that the author of the play wanted the world to deeply think about, and reveal its significance in relation to the real world. And perhaps, just like Horatio’s suggestion that maybe that the Ghost was warning of an attack.
Work cited
Goldman, Michael. Shakespeare and the Energies of Drama. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Neelands, Jonothan, and Tony Goode. Structuring drama work. Cambridge University Press, 2015.
Please recheck grammar and recheck the questions to be answered as both the questions on Act 1 needs to be answered
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Act 1
- At the end of Act 1, Scene 5, Hamlet says: “The time is out of joint. O cursed spite / that ever I was born to set it right!” (1.5.189-190). What do you learn of Hamlet’s task and his character as the Prince of Denmark? Comment on Shakespeare’s use of figurative language.
A keen look on Hamlet, Shakespeare, relatively than simply replicating this convention, looks at it as a convention. This is in the sense that, he basically grants us the exemplary revenge hero, most melancholic, most pensive, the extra introspective hero ever witnessed……………….
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