Hamlet Act I Response Paper Joshua Eargle 5B AP Literature

Within the first act of the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare hides a
magnitude of significant jabs at societal precepts beneath the tragic events and failed morality of
his characters. Although, no element is more significant than the speech that is given by
Polonius to his son, Laertes; or, more specifically, this well known quote from the speech which
states, "This above all- to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou
canst not then be false to any man." (Hamlet. I. iii. 33)
This quote essentially means that, as long as one is true to himself, then he will inevitably
present his true character to everyone else. It invites the thematic principle of the tragedy in
which all the characters must face, question, and decipher for themselves. An example of a
character facing this dilemma can be seen as early as Act I, where the audience sees Hamlet
being confronted by the ghost of his father.
In the concluding scene of Act I, Hamlet confronts the apparition that has been appearing
before his guards. The ghost reveals himself to be the spirit of his late father, and also tells
Hamlet that the cause of his untimely death was by none other than Hamlet's uncle, the brother
of his father. The ghost continues to instruct Hamlet in the act of avenging his father's death.
Upon the departure of the ghost, Hamlet states, "Yea, from the table of my memory I'll wipe
away all trivial fond records, all saws of books, all forms... And thy commandment all alone shall
live within the book and volume of my brain." (Hamlet. I. v. 43)
This scene is a representation of Hamlet's battle with the theme of the quote, because
Hamlet decides to banish all directions of his moral compass from the past to live his life solely
devoted to avenging his father's death. By doing this, Hamlet is no longer remaining true to
himself and, therefore, presenting a facade to everyone else so that he may fulfill his purpose of

Hamlet Act I Response Paper Joshua Eargle 5B AP Literature
murdering his uncle. From this scene, the audience can infer that the rest of the play will be
spent following Hamlet and the rest of the ensemble as they further battle with the concept of
being true to one's self, or by presenting themselves as something they are not; thus, allowing for
this quote to be the most significant element of Act I because of its portrayal of the continuing
theme.