Synopsis of Act 1, Scene 1

Outside Kronborg Castle, Francisco is keeping watch at his post at night.
Bernardo has come to relieve him of his shift, but due to some reason, they cannot immediately recognize each other.

As Francisco begins to leave, two more watchmen arrive, sharing their shift with Bernardo. Francisco departs, and the three men begin talking about an apparition that appears in the night, which Horatio insists does not exist, and will not be seen again.

Bernardo then begins to recount a previous run-in with the ghost when it coincidentally interrupts him by appearing before them. When Bernardo recognizes the ghost's resemblance to the late king, Bernardo and Marcellus pester Horatio into trying to converse with the spirit, since he is a scholar. Speaking in iambic pentameter like a noble, he addresses the ghost of the supposed king, which ignores him and stalks away.

The three men continue to describe how greatly the ghost resembles the late king, wearing both his armour and his frown. Horatio, thinking the ghost must be some kind of omen for the country, is interrupted by Marcellus, who asks why all the labourers have been working non-stop on weapons and boats. He is told by Horatio of a still standing dispute of land with the Norwegians, whose current king does not accept the agreements settled by the former, and refuses to relinquish the land, instead preparing for war.

Continuing to speak of the seemingly imminent war, Horatio is interrupted when the ghost appears once more. Increasingly desperate Horatio cries out to the ghost, demanding it give him some kind of answer, but the only responses or the caws of nearby crows. He continues to urge the ghost to stop and speak, whether of the country's fate, or why he still walks the Earth, but the ghost continues to ignore him. The three men chase the ghost until they eventually lose sight of it, and Marcellus laments their treatment of the ghost, feeling they have done the ghost wrong.

The three of them, noticing the ghost vanished as roosters began crowing, believe they should tell Prince Hamlet of the events that have unfolded that night, in hopes that the ghost would at least speak with him, since he is the prince.