Hamlet

Worried about Laertes in France, Polonius sends his servant, Reynaldo, to spy on his son. He wants to know all about what Laertes is up to, and with whom. After Reynaldo leaves, Ophelia enters, shaken by a recent interaction she had with Hamlet. She tells her father that Hamlet was acting totally insane, and he looked the part, too. Polonius thinks that this madness is evidence of Hamlet’s love for his daughter, and he decides to fill Claudius in on his stepson’s behavior.

The ghost tells Hamlet that he is, in fact, the ghost of his dead father. And there’s more: the ghost claims that Claudius killed him, taking his throne and his wife in the process. He wants Hamlet to kill Claudius in revenge. Shocked, Hamlet agrees and vows to avenge his father’s death. When Horatio and Marcellus reenter, having followed Hamlet to the scene of his chat with the ghost, they promise to keep quiet about what the ghost told Hamlet.

Laertes is headed to France, and he bids farewell to his sister, Ophelia. He has some brotherly advice for her: don’t trust Hamlet, or his confessions of love. Polonius, their father, enters and gives Laertes some advice of his own: a series of cliché platitudes meant to help his son navigate the world. After Laertes finally leaves, Polonius tells Ophelia to follow her brother’s advice and not to see Hamlet again.

Francisco is keeping watch at Elsinore castle. Bernardo arrives to relieve him of duty, and they remark on the quiet, cold night. Horatio and Marcellus enter and exchange greetings before Francisco leaves. Horatio wants to know if a ghost has reappeared tonight. Bernardo and Marcellus swear it’s real, although the ghost hasn’t shown up yet. Marcellus has brought Horatio along to see for himself. Sure enough, the ghost appears, but won’t say a word.