Explain how the opening scene establish the theme, setting, and characters in the play?

Explain how the opening scene establish the theme, setting, and characters in the play? What is the main action or conflict in the drama? Is it a conflict between characters or between characters and events or their environment? What complications do characters face as the drama unfolds? When and where do crises (moments of tension) occur? Does the play have a defined climax or pivotal scene? Are events presented in a chronological order or does the playwright include flashbacks or dream sequences? What effect do these scenes have in establishing character or advancing the plot? Is the plot dominated by action or relationships between characters? Does the ending resolve major conflicts or leave the audience to speculate about future events? Characters Who is the protagonist (main character)? Are there multiple main characters? Does the protagonist face an antagonist (an opponent)? What are the most important characteristics of the main characters? What defines their personalities? What motivates their decisions and actions? Who are the minor characters? How do they introduce exposition, advance the plot, set up dialogue, and represent themes? Do any minor characters serve as “foils” who reveal elements of the protagonist through contrast? Which characters are round (well developed), and which, if any, are flat (one-dimensional)? Which characters are dynamic (growing and changing), and which are static (remaining unchanged)? Does the author appear show any bias or sympathy to one or more characters? Can you consider any of the characters literary or cultural stereotypes? Does the playwright give characters names that suggest elements about their personality? Setting When and where does the play take place? Is the historical setting or geographical location simply a background or an important element in the drama? Are set descriptions detailed or vague? How do they influence the play’s tone, style, and meaning? How does setting influence characters’ actions or attitudes? Does the setting change over the course of the play? Does the playwright attempt to focus on a specific event in a particular setting or make a universal statement? Does the setting influence the lives of the characters or shape events? How do these aspects of setting influence the play’s mood or atmosphere? Is the setting supportive, hostile, or neutral to the characters’ situations and goals? Themes What values and ideas are expressed in the play? Are themes expressed by events or by characters? What is the central idea of the drama? How do conflicts within the play reveal the theme? Does the conflict in the play illustrate larger social or political conflicts? Do any characters appear as spokespeople for cultural, social, or political viewpoints? Point of View Does any character serve as a narrator who comments on the actions of others? Does any character appear to be the playwright’s spokesperson? Do the playwright’s views come through characters or events? Does the playwright appear to express a personal view or represent the views of others? Does the play’s final scene express the playwright’s message? Form Does the play follow the traditions of “fourth wall” theater in which an audience is invited to accept the actions on stage as reality? Do any characters break the fourth wall by addressing or acknowledging the audience? Are set descriptions, characters, and dialogue realistic or stylistic? Is the play related in long acts or a series of short scenes? How do act or scene changes signal transitions, establish contrast, highlight characters, or advance the plot? Do any events or actions occur offstage? How does the playwright explain their significance to the audience through dialogue? Language, Style, and Tone Is the dialogue realistic or stylized? How does the opening dialogue of the play set the tone, theme, and condition of the characters? How does the playwright use dialogue to establish character? Do any characters speak in monologues, asides, or soliloquies? Are any words or phrases repeated or given special emphasis? Do they express or highlight a theme? Do different characters speak differently from one another (more or less formally; using regional expressions; using nonstandard English; and so on)? What is the effect of such differences? What figures of speech are used to describe characters, setting, or events? How do metaphor, simile, and personification, for instance, establish tone or cause you to understand things in a way that literal descriptions would not? Symbols, Images, Allegories, Allusions, Myths Does the playwright use any symbols or images to establish characters, unify events, or express themes or ideas? Does the play contain allegories or allusions to associate characters, themes, or events with other works of literature or historical events? Does the play include or reiterate well-known or ancient myths or stories? Literary Connections Does the play contain any references to other works of literature? Can you think of other works that focus on the same issue, present similar characters, or use similar narrative techniques? Cultural and Social Connections Does the play comment on any historical or current social or political issue? Does the play reveal how much or how little people and attitudes have changed since it was first staged? Can modern readers easily relate to the characters and their conflicts or do they require background or historical explanations? Do any characters appear to represent social conditions or express political points of view? The play I want to Choose is Hamlet by William Shakespeare.