Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4 summary
Act 1, Scene 4 of 20 · 4 min to read the scene
In Act 1, Scene 4, Hamlet criticizes the King's drinking before a ghost resembling his dead father appears and beckons him away. Despite Horatio and Marcellus warning him of danger, Hamlet breaks free and follows it, leaving his companions to pursue him in fear.
What happens
- At midnight in the bitter cold, Hamlet explains the King's noisy drinking celebrations and condemns their damage to national reputation.
- Hamlet argues that one defect can destroy public respect for a person's other virtues.
- The Ghost appears, and Hamlet addresses it as his father, asking why it returns from burial in armor.
- The Ghost beckons Hamlet aside, while Horatio and Marcellus warn him not to follow.
- Hamlet breaks their hold, threatens anyone who blocks him, and leaves with the Ghost.
- Horatio and Marcellus decide to follow, and Marcellus declares that Denmark contains something corrupt.
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In this scene
What to notice
Marcellus connects the disturbing encounter with a wider problem in Denmark. His words extend the scene's anxiety beyond Hamlet's immediate danger.
Quick check
Why does Horatio warn Hamlet against following the Ghost?
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