Hamlet - Atmosphere Of Mystery

A detailed Summary of Hamlet - Atmosphere Of Mystery

In the first scene of the first act, Shakespeare creates an atmosphere of mystery via the setting, the suspenseful way he starts off the scene, and the questions he raises surrounding the ghost.

The setting of the very first scene of the play exudes an air of suspense. It takes place in the dark, at midnight. Barnardo verifies this when he reports that it is "now struck twelve," and advises Francisco to "get...to bed," (I.i.l.7). The darkness of the hour is best suited to a mysterious atmosphere, for darkness can hide many things. Also, the men are standing out on the castle battlements, keeping watch. The circumstance of this raises the question, "What might they be watching for?" As this question grows in the minds of the audience, tension is created. Thus, the setting alone heightens mystery by arousing a suspenseful mood.

The style of writing that Shakespeare uses at the beginning of the scene

The atmosphere of mystery grows later on in the scene when the appearance of a ghost raises many questions. One such mystery surrounding the ghost is the reason for its attire, which is "the very armour [the king] had on, /When he the ambitious Norway combated," (I.i.ll.60-61). The audience wonders if there is any significance to this militant apparel. Another curious point is the ghost's mute behaviour. When Horatio commands the apparition to speak for the first time, "[the ghost] is gone, and will not answer," (I.i.ll.52). This makes the audience wonder at the purpose of the ghost. Indeed, even Horatio, who is a scholar, is baffled by the ghost's intentions. When referring to the ghost's purpose, he states, "In what particular thought to work, I know not," (I.i.l.67). This raises the question of the nature of the ghost; the audience wonders whether it is truly the late king's spirit, bearing noble intentions, or

Some common words found in the essay are:
Indeed Shakespeare, , Indeed Horatio, Iil1 Francisco, Barnardo Francisco, surrounding ghost, line play, audience wonder, makes audience wonder, nature ghost, mysterious atmosphere, raises question, beginning scene, appearance ghost, twenty-one lines, audience wonders,

Approximate Word count = 619
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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Hamlet - Atmosphere Of Mystery

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