Act 1 scene 5:
This scene takes place after midnight and directly after the previous scene (Act 1 Scene 4).
Hamlet gets to speak to the ghost of his father, in the darkness of the early morning. ” I am thy fathers spirit, doomed for a certain term to walk the night and for the day to fast on fires, till the foul crimes done in my nature are burnt and purged away” (this quote is from the first page). In the quote, the first thing the said confirms that this is in fact the ghost of hamlets father, he then talks about how he is only allowed to walk on earth at night and that during the day he has to return to the fires of purgatory, where he is stuck until he pays for his sins. After this the ghost tells hamlet to be ready to take revenge for his murder, but to not do anything against his mother.
Hamlet is then told about the murder. the ghost starts off by saying that everybody in Denmark has been told that he was bitten by a snake while he was sleeping in the orchard, instead Claudius sneaked up on him and poured poison into his ear.The ghost then exits. Hamlet swears to obey the ghosts order/vow as well as remembering him. Horatio and Marcellus then enter the scene asking what has happened, he refuses because he fears that they will tell other people about it, unless they promise not to. He asks them again to swear upon their sword not to reveal what has happened or even to give the slightest hint that they know anything about this .
All three men then exit the scene heading towards the castle .
Act 2 Scene 1:
Polonius dispatches his servant, Reynaldo. He is given money and notes to give to laertes, but is also ordered to inquire about his behavior and to spy on him. Polonius gives, clear and detailed instructions to Reynaldo on the task he has been set to do, after that he is sent on his way to France. As he leaves, Ophelia enters, upset. She tells her father Polonius that Hamlets seems to have gone somewhat mad. Hamlet came into her room, with his shirt unbuttoned, no hat on and his stockings dirty, he then grabbed her, held her, backed away before sighing and leaving. Hamlet did not speak for that entire time that this happened. Polonius tells Ophelia to follow him as he is going to speak to the king of this love madness.He also asks her if she has done anything to hurt his feelings, she replies saying that she only did what she was told by him (sending back letters and stopped him from “visiting” her). Polonius identifies this as the cause of his madness. They then both exit.
React!