1.Hamlet begins with guards whose main importance in the play is to give credibility to the ghost. If Hamlet were to see his father's ghost in private, the argument for his madness would greatly improve. Yet, not one, but three men together witness the ghost before even thinking to notify Hamlet. As Horatio says, being the only of the guards to play a significant role in the rest of the play, "Before my God, I might not this believe / Without the sensible and true avouch / Of mine own eyes. (I.i.56-8)" Horatio, who appears frequently throughout the play, acts as an unquestionably sane alibi to Hamlet again when framing the King with his reaction to the play. That Hamlet speaks to the ghost alone detracts somewhat from its credibility, but all the men are witness to the ghost demanding they speak alone.

Horatio offers an insightful warning:

What if it tempts you toward the flood, my lord, Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff That beetles o'er his

After his first meeting with the ghost, Hamlet greets his friends cheerfully and acts as if the news is good rather than the devastation it really is.

Horatio's comment may be where Hamlet gets the idea to use a plea of insanity to work out his plan. The important fact is that the ghost does not change form, but rather remains as the King and speaks to Hamlet rationally. There is also good reason for the ghost not to want the guards to know what he tells Hamlet, as the play could not proceed as it does if the guards were to hear what Hamlet did. It is the ghost of Hamlet's father who tells him, "but howsomever thou pursues this act, / Taint not thy mind. (I.v.84-5)" Later, when Hamlet sees the ghost again in his mothers room, her amazement at his madness is quite convincing. Yet one must take into consideration the careful planning of the ghost's credibility earlier in the play.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Iv84-5 Hamlet, IIii Hamlet's, Ii56-8 Horatio, Iiv69-74 Horatio's, MADNESS Hamlet, Guildenstern IIii, Hamlet Horatio, King Queen, Guildenstern Rosencrantz, king's guilt, ghost hamlet, play meeting, meeting ghost, horatio lord, witness ghost, play meeting ghost, father's ghost, hamlet ghost,
Approximate Word count = 739
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)