DRJ #1 ACT 1

My initial reaction to the characters were...shock I guess you could say. It was very dramatic already in the first act, I felt as though I were watching some tele novela. The way Hamlet interacts with his compadres is comical though, reminding me of how my friends are. I was also disgusted at first with the weird situation with Gertrude and Claudius and the previous King. I think any teenager would react like how Hamlet did. And the whole thing about Laertes and Polonius telling Ophelia to watch herself because Hamlet just wants her goodies was hilarious as well.

For this act I want to focus on the late King Hamlet because the whole conflict arises from his death. King Hamlet (from what I perceive) was a good king, he is neither protagonist nor antagonist. He led his people to victory from the war with Fortinbras, claiming land for Denmark. He had a loving wife and son, and his people respected him. He seemed like a good man. However, Fortinbras son is coming to claim the land back, Claudius kills him for his crown and his thrown, and Hamlet is upset about the death and the sudden wedding celebration right after the funeral. (As he should be.)  Everything is thrown into confusion, angst, and problem after problem arises after King Hamlet's death. I also question King Hamlet's actions before he died, because in Act 1 Scene 5 he talks about dying before repenting for all his horrible sins. I am not sure about his fatal flaw or whether or not he is a tragic hero, perhaps he trusted Claudius more than he should have. I suppose he could be a classical tragic hero, he died by his brother's hands after winning a war. This character does cause conflict though because he is the one who tells Hamlet to seek revenge on Claudius for his death. Rather, I see King Hamlet as the character who sets everything in motion. However, the antagonist is Claudius (he's obviously the villain).

I think one of the important themes shown in Act 1 is the impact that family and friendship can have on a person, which can be seen in young Hamlet's character and even in Ophelia. In scene 2, you can obviously see the angsty bitterness in Hamlet about his mother's remarriage, (not even a month after his father's death) and in scene 3 Ophelia is swayed easily by her father and her brother's assumptions about Hamlet. In the scenes 4 and 5 of Act 1, you can see how Hamlet depends on his friends Horatio and Marcellus for support, and how being with them is much more comforting to Hamlet compared to when he was with his family Claudius and Gertrude.