Question

hamlet, act i, scene i
francisco at his post. enter to him bernardo.
bernardo: whos there?
francisco: nay, answer me, stand, and unfold yourself.
bernardo: long live the king! (5)
francisco: bernardo?
bernardo: he.
francisco: you come most carefully upon your hour.
bernardo: tis now struck twelve; get thee to bed, francisco.
francisco: for this relief much thanks; tis bitter cold, (10)
and i am sick at heart.
bernardo: have you had quiet guard?
francisco: not a mouse stirring.
bernardo: well, good - night.
if you do meet horatio and marcellus, (15)
the rivals of my watch, bid them make haste.
francisco: i think i hear them. stand, ho! whos there?
in this part of the play, horatio and marcellus join bernardo on
guard duty. marcellus and bernardo report that they have seen
a ghost the past two nights. although horatio is skeptical, the
ghost suddenly appears again.
click to listen to this part of the play read aloud.
how do the setting and dialogue in the first scene of hamlet affect the
audience?

• they set a dark and eerie mood appropriate

for a serious play.

• they introduce a light, comic mood to keep

the audience entertained.

• they give the audience hints about the

personality of the hero.

• they give the audience a preview of how

the play will end.

Explanation:

The setting is at night (twelve o'clock, bitter cold) and the dialogue involves guards on watch, with mentions of a ghost. This creates a dark, eerie mood, fitting for a serious tragedy like Hamlet. The other options are incorrect: the mood is not light/comic, the scene doesn't hint at the hero's personality, and it doesn't preview the end.

Answer:

They set a dark and eerie mood appropriate for a serious play.