Hamlet, Act 1 through a Mythological lens:
Immediately, we see that Shakespeare's Denmark is a land populated by superstitious people - A ghost appears before Bernardo, Fransisco and Marcellus and Horatio, and they comment that the night time is the time for things like witches and goblins, to explain away the ghosts disappearance at the cock's crow. Hamlet is right off the bat participating in a literary tradition of tales in which the dead communicate with the living. The Ghost is an acknowledgement of the mythological climate of Shakespeare’s era.
As for young Hamlet himself, he is a reflection of a Campbellian hero, in that he is tasked with a quest (revenge) by a father figure (ghost of his father) in a way indicating magical gravity (he’s a flipping ghost) that he must complete to bring order to the world. Or so he thinks.
A few other archetypes are also filled, though it should be recognized that many of our current day archetypes were crafted by Shakespeare himself. Polonius is another father figure, but of a different variety - he’s the one just FILLED with wisdom, who can’t keep himself from bestowing his wise wisdom to his children. They don’t seem too keen on it.
In fact, I imagine that they get this from Polonius a lot - Laertes seemed mighty keen on getting out of there.
All in all, act 1 is in many ways a set up, ramp up kind of act. It introduces the characters and major plot information: This is Hamlet, Claudius, Ophelia, Gertrude, etc. Here’s how they’re all related, and how they feel about that. Now watch Hamlet talk to a ghost.
So far, Hamlet’s relation to mythology seems to be one of open acknowledgement.
In other words, ‘There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy!’
