Read the passage from Act I, Scene V, of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Ghost. . . . I could a tale unfold whose lightest word
Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,
Make . . . Thy knotted and combined locks to part,
And each particular hair to stand an end, . . .

What mood is created by these words?
A. fear and dread
B. sadness and sorrow
C. outrage and anger
D. spitefulness and revenge

1 answer

The mood created by the words spoken by the Ghost in this passage is primarily one of A. fear and dread. The language used conveys a sense of horror and the ability to instill deep fear in Hamlet, suggesting that the tale the Ghost could tell would be unsettling and terrifying.