Sunday, June 29, 2014

What does Hamlet learn from the Ghost's speech?Act 1

In Hamlet Act I, Hamlet learns the following from the Ghost:


  • There is an afterlife.  He's not sure if the Ghost is a demon or a soul trapped in Purgatory, but he's definitely from some supernatural world.

  • Hamlet's father was murdered by his brother.


Sleeping within my orchard,
My custom always of the afternoon,
Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole,
With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,
And in the porches of my ears did pour
The leperous distilment;



  • Hamlet's mother was adulterous and incestuous.  She had an affair with Claudius before the marriage.

  • Hamlet must revenge his father by killing his uncle:


Avenge me.


Let not the royal bed of Denmark be
A couch for luxury and damned incest.



1 comment:

  1. Hamlet may look to the Ghost for guidance on how - or if - to avenge his father's murder. Hamlet may be wondering about his father's fate - is there an afterlife? Is his father in Heaven? Is there a Heaven? If Hamlet avenges his father by killing his uncle, where will he end up? Perhaps Hamlet is hoping the Ghost can provide some answers to these questions.

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