Act 1, Scene 1

Setting

“Tis now struck twelve” - fear of the ghost

“Bitter cold” - foreshadowing ghost

“Not a mouse stirring”

“Unfold”

Secrecy and reveal

“You come most carefully upon your hour”

Importance of time, any later = trouble

Hamlet later has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius but waits too long

“Sick at heart”

Start of references to body parts, illness and disease

“Heart” = emotions

“Long live the King”

Ironic foreshadowing because late King Hamlet did not live long, neither Claudius or Prince Hamlet

Ghost wearing armour

Bravery and courage

Still afraid of who/what may hurt him

“Crowning of the cock”

Biblical reference - Christ said to Peter “by the time the cock crows, you will have denied me three times“

End of something evil (ghost)

“Why such impress of shipwrights, whose sore task does not divide the Sunday from the week”

Claudius is making the people work all week round

Audience begin to realise that King is bad person