The opening act of Hamlet outlines the main issues or themes of the play as well as revealing the plot, characters and mood of the play. Most of the first act is devoted to developing the series of unfortunate events that shape the woeful trap that Hamlet and those around him eventually stumble into. Act I also introduces many key issues of the play such as appearance versus reality, problems that need be resolved, and the theme of action versus inaction.
             The importance of appearance versus reality is presented in Hamlet's first emergence on stage in scene two. Hamlet appears, still dressed in black mourning his father's death while showing his contempt for Claudius to whom he directs dry and sarcastic remarks. Gertrude asks Hamlet why it seems his father's death has troubled him for so long. Hamlet replies, "I have that within which passeth show;" (I, ii, 85). Hamlet implies that most people only pretend to grieve and do so by using "all forms, moods, shapes of grief...for they are actions a man might play" (I, ii, 82 – 84). Hamlet feels within what his appearance symbolizes. Hamlet feels people in the Kingdom merely put on an outward appearance that is contrary to their inner feelings. Shakespeare makes reality versus appearance a main theme by making practically every character in the play guilty of this contradiction.
             Act I presents many problems that need to be resolved within the play as well as many signs of the devastating and tragic ending that is to follow. The first scene provides at least two strong foreshadowings. After the ghost has reveles himself, Horatio concludes, "This bodes some strange eruption to our state" (I, i, 69). He may have come to this conclusion by reasoning that ghosts are unnatural and only appear if they have unfinished business. This suggests that something that should not have occurred has already taken place. Therefore the gh
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