Hamlet Act 1 Debrief

Angry ghosts, incest, murder, and a hesitant hero-to be? Hamlet already seems to be full of drama and a little bit of comedy.  The ghost of Hamlet's father and ex-King is active and haunting over this seemingly corrupted kingdom. Hamlet is wretched over his mother's distastefully hasty marriage and his uncle's suspicious assumption of the throne. In Act 1 Scene 2, the stage directions that Shakespeare provides hint that the state of Denmark is not as well as it appears. All gather in the castle's council chamber as Claudius prepares to deliver a speech regarding his brothers "death". However, Hamlet is described to be "in black, with downcast eyes". Unaffected by the fanfare of King Claudius, Hamlet is sulking and creepily keeps to himself. Is he angry, stricken with grief, ashamed, alone? Hamlet's responds to Claudius's speech is quite telling. He is almost disgusted by his mother's marriage so fast to his father's brother. Furthermore, he does not view Claudius as the "Hyperion" that his father was to him. Hamlet's familiar affairs are not the only ones that seem to be an "unweeded garden".In Scene 3, Laertes has a conversation with Ophelia, warning her against her relationship with lord Hamlet. He thinks "his will is not his own" and tells her not to give up her "chaste treasure" to Hamlet. Polonius, Ophelia's father also is not fond at all of Ophelia's "rendezvous" with her Hamlet. He believes her to be acting as a prostitute and forbids her from any further interactions with him to which she responds, "I shall obey, my lord". Thus, much can be said for the "state" of Hamlet's family and romantic lives. The kingdom of Denmark has been overtaken by a "serpent" that has seemingly invaded the garden that once prospered when King Hamlet was alive and well. In Scene 5, it is revealed from King Hamlet's ghost that Claudius, his own brother, poisoned and killed him while he was at rest in the garden. His ghost summons Hamlet to avenge his death leaving Hamlet feeling unhappy and pressured immensely by his sudden lofty fate. Thus, Claudius has broken Hamlet's connection with his father and taken his mother from him in marriage. Furthermore, Hamlet's relationship with Ophelia is broken as her brother and father disapprove of him and ban her from seeing him. Hamlet is alone. The only hope he has at reclaiming his father's life and love for Ophelia is by avenging his father which may bring the kingdom of Denmark back into sorts. All affairs seem to be headed south with all resolutions on poor hamlet's shoulders.Horatio and Marcellus are worried for Hamlet’s fate. Horatio believes that Hamlet’s listening to his father’s ghost could draw Hamlet into shear madness. Even though Hamlet promises his father’s spirit that he will fulfill a prophecy to avenge his death, he is not at all sure of himself. “O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!” Hamlet exclaims. He is not excited over this “call to adventure” which may foreshadow Hamlet’s failure as a hero. After all, the archetypal hero is ready for his journey. So is Hamlet a tragic hero?