The ghost of Hamlet's father appears and tells Hamlet to avenge his death by killing his uncle, the new king, but to leave his mother alone. Hamlet swears revenge but is unsure if the ghost is good or evil, so he decides to feign madness and stage a play enacting his father's death to gauge the king's reaction and confirm his guilt before acting further.
2. What the Ghost Requests The ghost tells Hamlet to avenge his death. This means that Hamlet will have to kill his uncle. The ghost tells Hamlet not to harm his mother, but let God determine what will become of her.
3. What Hamlet Does Gets angry Swears to get revenge Starts to think about the ghost Is it a good spirit, telling me the truth? Is it an evil spirit, misleading me? He begins to think, hesitate, and feels he needs more proof before he can act.
4. Hamlet¡¯s Plan To ¡°put on an antic disposition¡± This means he¡¯s going to act crazy. Why? What advantage will this offer to Hamlet? Insert a scene in a play called ¡°The Mousetrap¡± that the court will be seeing. The scene acts out the events of Hamlet¡¯s father¡¯s death. If the King acts nervous or upset, Hamlet will KNOW he is guilty. Plan B Plan A