Characters in Hamlet Characters in Hamlet What follows is an overview of the main characters in William Shakespeare's "Hamlet", followed by a list and summary of the minor characters from the play. Three different early versions of the play survive: known as the First Quarto ("Q1"), Second Quarto ("Q2"), and First Folio ("F1"), each has lines—and even scenes—missing in the others, and some character names vary. Marcellus, Bernardo (or Barnardo) and Francisco are sentries at Elsinore. Francisco gives up his watch to Bernardo in the opening of the play, and it is Bernardo and Marcellus, who first alert Horatio to the appearance of
Equivocation (play) cell. Later, Shag comes to Garnet's cell disguised as a jailor, which Garnet quickly sees through. He tells Garnet he has come to learn to equivocate—to tell the truth in his play without getting caught at it. Garnet gives him the same hypothetical scenario and asks him what the Spanish are "really" asking, but Shag can't figure it out. The play was first produced at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon. It premiered April 15, 2009, and closed on October 31, 2009. Seattle Repertory Theatre in partnership with Oregon Shakespeare Festival presented the play in Seattle from 18 November