Group #1: Getting to know King Claudius (1.2)
In this first "court scene" we meet the (very) new king of Denmark. Go back and re-read lines 1128. Outline the three main "issues" that Claudius deals with (public, court, personal). What do
we learn about the character of this man through his various dealings with people around him
(his ambassadors, his courtiers, his new wife, his nephew/son)?
Group #2: Hamlet's soliloquy in 1.2 "Oh that this too too sullied flesh ..."
Go back and carefully re-read Hamlet's first soliloquy (he has SEVEN in total in this play).
Identify all of the mythological allusions that Hamlet makes within this speech, and then explain
why he would choose these particular allusions at this point. How do these references reinforce
Hamlet's view of his deceased father, his "new" father/uncle and Gertrude and their relationships
with one another?
Group #3: The "other" family: siblings Laertes and Ophelia (1.3)
Go back and re-read the exchange between Laertes and Ophelia (lines 1-51). What advice does
the brother give the sister? How does she respond? What does their exchange teach us about
their respective characters and their roles within society?
Group #4: The "other" family: Polonius and his children (1.3)
First Polonius bids goodbye to his son, and leaves him with a string of lines of advice (57-81).
Look at those lines carefully - is his advice more about ethics or etiquette? Once Laertes leaves,
Polonius presses his daughter about her relationship with Prince Hamlet. Why is Polonius so
harsh with his daughter?
Group #5: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (Marcellus, 1.4.90)
When the Ghost re-appears in 1.4, and beckons Hamlet to follow him, Marcellus utters these
famous words. What indications do we have that Denmark is "rotting"? Was it rotting under the
rule of Old Hamlet? Or is the rot fairly new (i.e. with the ascension of King Claudius)? Go back
through all of the scenes of Act 1 and find language that evokes the idea of rotting, or something
"untoward" happening in this country.
Group #6: The Ghost's Story (1.5)
Re-read the many lines where the Ghost tells Hamlet his story, and encourages his son to seek
revenge. In particular, what kind of imagery does the Ghost use in telling his tale? Think about
where his soul resides at this present time, and how that might inform his language/images.