Horatio and the guards see the Ghost, but it will not speak to them. What do they decide after Horatio says, "This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him"?

In Act 1, Horatio connects Denmark's night watch and military preparation to what political threat?

When the Ghost appears again on the battlements, what makes it suddenly leave before it answers Horatio?

At the council, what does Claudius do about Fortinbras's attempt to recover the lost lands?

Hamlet wants to return to Wittenberg after the funeral and wedding. Why does he remain at Elsinore?

After Horatio describes the apparition, what does Hamlet decide to do that night?

When the Ghost beckons Hamlet away in Act 1, Scene 4, how does Hamlet respond?

What command does the Ghost lay on Hamlet after revealing how King Hamlet died?

Claudius grants Laertes permission to return to France but presses Hamlet to stay at Elsinore. What does this contrast suggest?

Why does Laertes warn Ophelia not to trust Hamlet's vows of love?

Polonius tells Ophelia to stop giving Hamlet her time and words. What motive best explains his order?

Why does Hamlet insist on speaking to the Ghost even when his friends try to hold him back?

After the Ghost leaves, why does Hamlet make Horatio and Marcellus swear secrecy and mention an "antic disposition"?

Hamlet's first aside is "A little more than kin, and less than kind." What does it reveal?

When Gertrude says grief is common, Hamlet answers, "Seems, madam! nay it is; I know not 'seems.'" What is Hamlet rejecting?

In the soliloquy, Hamlet cries, "Frailty, thy name is woman!" What immediate situation drives this bitter line?

The Ghost says, "The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown." What does the metaphor mean?

Hamlet ends Act 1 by saying, "The time is out of joint: O cursed spite, / That ever I was born to set it right!" What burden does he feel?

Act 1 opens on the dark battlements with the challenge "Who's there?" before the Ghost appears. What stage effect does this create?

Claudius's public speech balances mourning and celebration, but Hamlet's soliloquy follows with disgust. What does this structure emphasize?

The Ghost tells its story to Hamlet alone after Hamlet breaks away from Horatio and Marcellus to follow it. What does this staging do?

After Hamlet demands secrecy, the Ghost's voice under the stage repeats, "Swear." What is the dramatic effect?

Marcellus says, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," and the Ghost calls the murder "most foul, strange and unnatural." What idea do these lines build together?

Claudius speaks of "mirth in funeral" and Hamlet jokes that funeral food served the wedding tables. What motif do these details develop?

Act 1 repeatedly contrasts what appears true with what is hidden: "seems," the doubted Ghost, and the "smiling" villain. Which motif is developing?