By introducing the ghost
, Shakespeare builds suspense as the audience anticipates witnessing the spectacle like the curious, skeptical Horatio. As Barnardo attempts to elaborate on their experience of witnessing the apparition, the ghost suddenly appears, which instantly elevates the tension and anxiety of the scene.
How does Shakespeare establish tension in the opening scene of Hamlet?
Shakespeare creates tension in the first line of the play
when Barnardo, one of the guards on watch, asks, “Who’s there?”
He doesn’t yet know that the man he is speaking to is Francisco, who is actually a friend of the Danish kingdom and a fellow sentry.
How does Shakespeare create a tense atmosphere in the first 2 scenes of Hamlet?
By the end of the scene, the audience should feel a rising tension about what will happen. Shakespeare creates
tension by having the guards
, who are, we can assumed, trained and experienced men of war, talk about their worries and fears in front of us.
How does Shakespeare make the opening of Hamlet engaging to his audience?
In Hamlet, Shakespeare grabs audience attention
by creating the strong impression that there is imminent danger of an invasion
. He can do this by using only two characters, Francisco and Bernardo. The first words spoken show that both these men are suspicious and frightened.
How does Shakespeare create suspense in the unfolding of his plots?
Shakespeare creates suspense by
making the audience aware that significant events are immediately taking place, while not revealing Portia’s entire plan
. The audience knows from Portia’s insistence that Balthazar urgently deliver her letter that its contents are important to the plot.
What tone and mood does Shakespeare create in his opening scene of Hamlet?
The mood at the opening of Hamlet is
one of suspicion set in place by the motif of watching
. The Sentinels wait for the Ghost of King Hamlet to reappear and their worst suspicions will be realized – that foul play is indeed afoot.
Why did the soldiers bring Horatio with them that night?
Horatio has joined them
because Bernardo and Marcellus have seen a ghost
, Horatio doesn’t believe them so they bring him to see the ghost. … He saw that the ghost had a fair and warlike form, similar to the form of the dead King Hamlet of Denmark.
Who was Shakespeare’s intended audience?
Shakespeare’s audience was
the very rich, the upper middle class, and the lower middle class
. All of these people would seek entertainment just as we do today, and they could afford to spend money going to the theater.
How does the audience feel about Hamlet?
The
audience never discovers how far Hamlet has really gone mad and how far he’s pretending
. We never find out what is making him so unhappy: his father’s death, his mother’s marriage, his failure to become king, his inability to take revenge, or his inability to work out what to believe.
What are major themes in Hamlet?
- The theme of revenge in Hamlet. There are two young men bent on avenging their father’s death in this play. …
- The theme of corruption. Corruption is a major concern in this play. …
- The theme of religion. …
- The Hamlet theme of politics. …
- The theme of appearance and reality. …
- The theme of women.
Why did Macbeth listen to his wife?
Macbeth is persuaded for a few reasons. First of all, he is tempted by his own ambitions to become king so
her persuasion
is easily effective. She’s convincing him to do something that will make him king which is what he wants. … Macbeth gives in to all of these forms of persuasion and goes along with his wife’s plan.
What symbols are used in Macbeth?
Blood represents Macbeth’s
and his wife’s guilt about Duncan’s murder. Water symbolizes purification of the conscience. These symbols effectively portray the ominous theme of murder in Macbeth.
How is Macbeth presented as conflicted?
Macbeth outwardly debates his options when Lady
Macbeth presents the idea of killing the king
. He is conflicted in trying to determine whether to follow his moral conscience or his ambition. … His conscience tells him that he is the host and that as the king’s subject, he should protect the king, not kill him.
Why is Hamlet in a bad mood?
Early in the play, Hamlet’s
mood is dark and depressed
, but when he’s given the task of avenging his father’s ghost, his desire to find out the truth gives him a sense of urgency and purpose. … The world of the play is both more terrible and more mysterious than its characters are capable of grasping.
What emotion dominates the soliloquy that follows when Hamlet is alone?
I hope this helps! The reader, in this Act II, Scene 2, soliloquy is made aware of how Hamlet is in despair and feels
extreme guilt
about his own inaction to avenge his father’s murder.
What mood is he in by the end of the soliloquy?
Near the end of this soliloquy, Hamlet alludes to his state of mind when he calls himself
“melancholy
.” As he has been since the play opened, and he arrived home to find his world altered, Hamlet is deeply depressed.
