Shakespeare takes on the challenge of immediately captivating the interest and anticipation of his audience in Act 1 Scene 1. He achieves this through various techniques that effectively convey a sense of an underlying issue.
From the very first line, there is an uncertain feeling as Barnardo asks, “who’s there?” This short sentence shows his nervousness, apprehension, fears, and suggests that something is wrong. The guards’ uncertainty is possibly revealed through a series of short questions. The tension is heightened as the scene takes place around midnight, believed to be the ‘witching hour’ when spirits roam the earth. It was thought that restless spirits had a reason to haunt, such as unfinished business or revenge. As many of the audience at that time would have believed in such apparitions, fear of what was to come would have taken hold. Line 9 in Act 1 also shows the guards’ tension. Barnardo asks Francisco if he has had a peaceful watch, indicating his nervousness and expectation that something may have gone wrong. He then asks Francisco to hurry the companions of his watch, demonstrating his reluctance to be alone and a sense of anticipation. The theme continues with short, sharp sentences that quicken the pace of the play, reinforcing the feelings of fear and suspense. Horatio adds to the atmosphere by expressing disbelief towards the apparition, creating a hint of drama as the audience realizes that the ghost is likely to appear.After the appearance of the ghost, the other two guards depend on Horatio to communicate with it due to his scholarly background and ability…
