Act 1 of Shakespeare's Hamlet introduces key characters and themes that set the stage for the tragedy to unfold. Important quotes from Hamlet, Act 1 reveal the play's central conflicts and foreshadow later events.

• Prince Hamlet is grieving his father's death and upset by his mother's hasty remarriage to his uncle Claudius
• The ghost of Hamlet's father appears, claiming he was murdered by Claudius
• Hamlet vows to avenge his father's death, setting the plot in motion
• Themes of appearance vs. reality, corruption, and revenge are established
• Supporting characters like Horatio, Ophelia, and Polonius are introduced