* The play begins with two guards standing watch outside the castle in Elsinore.
* They are discussing the appearance of a ghost that resembles the late King Hamlet, who died two months ago.
* The guards are afraid that the ghost is a sign of danger or bad luck.
Act 1, Scene 2
* Claudius, the new king, is holding a court session.
* He announces his marriage to Gertrude, the queen, and asks everyone to celebrate.
* Hamlet, the former king's son, is mourning his father's death and is upset about his mother's hasty remarriage.
Act 1, Scene 3
* Hamlet is confronted by the ghost of his father.
* The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius and orders Hamlet to avenge his death.
* Hamlet vows to make Claudius pay for his crime.
Act 1, Scene 4
* Hamlet begins to act strangely in order to hide his anger and suspicions from Claudius.
* He pretends to be crazy and starts talking to himself.
* Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, is distressed by his behavior and tells her father, Polonius, about it.
Act 1, Scene 5
* Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude about Hamlet's behavior.
* They decide to send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet's friends, to spy on him.
* Hamlet suspects that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are spying on him and he starts avoiding them.