In the first scene, the guards are on duty outside of the castle when the ghost of the dead King Hamlet appears. Horatio asserts that the ghost brings words of caution to the men that the county is headed for some sort of struggle, which probably means an attack from Norway. Horatio also speaks of Hamlet’s battles with King Fortinbras of Norway; Hamlet had conquered much of Fortinbras’ land, so now the Norwegian king’s predecessors seek to win that land back. The appearance of deceased King Hamlet is, in itself, a sign of something wrong in Denmark, as any country that has recently lost a king must have some unrest. The fact that Horatio thinks upon

And even the like precurse of fierce events,

A little ere the mightiest Julius fell,

first sight of the ghost that it must bring a warning to the men about the possibility of conflict with another nation is a sign of unrest in Denmark, as Horatio would probably have to have a preconceived idea that the nation should expect some sort of trouble to be convinced that the ghost brings such a warning. Horatio’s account of the past battles between Denmark and Norway and the fact that those who now rule Norway are seeking to regain the land they lost to Denmark are direct evidence that Denmark is going to be attacked by Norway.

As stars with trains of fire and dews of blood,

This heavy-headed revel east and west

Some topics in this essay:
King Claudius, Julius Caesar, King Hamlet, King Claudius’, Horatio Horatio’s, Denmark Norway, Hamlet Denmark, Denmark Horatio, Norway Hamlet, Denmark Scene, king hamlet, rome fall, fall caesar, king claudius, rome fall caesar, horatio’s words, scene ii, idea denmark, ghost brings, scene iv, allusion rome, allusion rome fall,