Hamlet Act one Scene one

Three adjectives that can be used to describe the tone of Act One, Scene One are: suspenseful, mysterious and manipulative. All three of these adjectives describing the tone can be applied and supported when Marcellus says: "What has this thing appear'd again to-night?" (I, i, 24) This line creates suspense because the audience is left to wonder when the thing will be revealed and what the thing they speak of is. In the same way this also creates mystery because as a reader many questions will be formed surrounding what the thing is and why the thing is there. Finally this line represents the manipulative nature of the first scene because of the way the characters are affected by the thing. This is made obvious when Marcellus says: "Therefore I have entreated him along/With us to watch the minutes of this night;/That if again this apparition come,/ He may approve our eyes and speak to it" (I, i, 29). Here it is shown that the thing they speak of is manipulating their plans for what they would regularly do. It also gives the audience an idea that the tone throughout the rest of the play will be just as manipulative. This thing will be responsible for many of the other actions taken throughout the play which is implied through the tone in act one, scene one.

2. In Hamlet the ghost is used as a way of grabbing the audience's attention and silencing them. Although the play does not start out with the ghost being visible it does start out with Barnardo saying: "Who's there?" (I, i, 1) creating the suspense and wonder of what is going on which will begin to silence the audience. Once the ghost is actually revealed the audience will not be able to look away. Starting out with something dramatic such as the ghost coming on stage and spreading out its arms is the method used to silence the audience.

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