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Murder most foul, as in the best it is, but this most foul, strange, and unnatural.
GhostHamlet · Act I, Scene 5
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Act 1, Scene 5
Rising Action
Alone with Hamlet, the Ghost reveals the truth: he was not bitten by a serpent but murdered by his brother Claudius, who poured poison into his ear as he slept in the garden. He commands Hamlet to avenge him but spare Gertrude.
Why This Matters
The Ghost reveals the central crime — Claudius murdered his own brother by pouring poison in his ear.
murderrevelationfraticide
Hamlet Sees the Ghost of His Father
Eugene Delacroix, 1843 · Public Domain