LITERARY FICTION AND EMPATHY

By reading literary fiction, one can experience many situations and circumstances that they would never have gotten to in their real lives. This can help them understand those around them, who may be experiences something similar, if only slightly, to a character in a novel. The article seems to focus mainly on ones ability to read facial expressions and body language, and how the skills to do that can be improved by reading certain kinds of literature. 

Hamlet Act 1 Scene 1 Notes

-Start with Francisco and Bernardo

-Bernardo relieves Francisco from his post

- Marcellus shows up with Horatio and Francisco exits.

- Ghost appears, which the men speculate to be the ghost of the former king, Hamlet. Not to be confused with his younger son, also Hamlet.

- Horatio says that the ghost is warning that the nephew of Fortinbras is looking for revenge while the kingdom seems weak, after the death of a king. Fortinbras (older) was king of Norway and was killed in battle by King Hamlet.

- The characters make an allusion to Julius Caesar, which I can't say I fully understand.
- After the ghost disappears a second time, the group decides they will bring it to the attention of Young Hamlet, whom they are confident the ghost will be willing to communicate with.

Hamlet Act I Scene II