Act I Scene iv: According to Corinne Proctor

Following the discovery of a ghost seen wandering the ramparts of the castle. Horatio is then called to witness the specter and confirms this to Hamlet. This scene begins with Marcellus, Horatio, and Hamlet waiting for the time they said the ghost showed himself the previous two times. The ghost appears and Hamlet declares it to look like his father. The ghost beckons to Hamlet and Hamlet follows and interacts with the ghost. Although Hamlet declares the ghost to look like his father, this is never truly known to the audience to be absolutely true.

Hamlet (Tennant) is waiting for the time that Horatio has told of the appearance of the ghost. The setting of the scene is very dark and foreboding giving to the audience the feeling of impending disaster that is ahead and adding tension. While waiting fireworks are fired and Hamlet denounces the custom in a cynical and dry tone, giving the audience insight into his bitterness already held against Claudius for marrying his mother so quickly after the death of his father. Shortly after in a flourish of mist and light the ghost shows himself to the waiting men. This character is dressed in a helmet and armor, by this dress the character of the ghost is built-up as one of importance and his visit is not one of a friendly nature.

The theme from the beginning has been one of tragedy since the death of the King has just occurred and the ghost heralds of something sinister with his arrival. As Hamlet leaves Horatio and Marcellus to go converse with the ghost, Marcellus utters, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” This is the declaration of what is to come for the remainder of the play. Rottenness gives the audience the insight of the nature of the events to be revealed through the play. As the scene progresses, the tone between Hamlet and the ghost is dismal and gloomy with the murder of the King discovered by Hamlet. Tragedy is a companion theme to the rotten sickness pervading Denmark. With the murder now revealed to Hamlet, he will turn to plotting to avenge the death of his father by striving to kill Claudius.