Question

Read the line from Hamlet cited in Shakespeare: The World as Stage. Barnardo: Who's there? What does this line most likely show about the setting of the scene?

Answer 1

It is dark because Barnardo has trouble seeing the other guard.

Answer 2

This line shows that the scene is set in a dark place, probably at night. In Shakespeare's time, plays were acted during the afternoon, and theaters were open to natural light. Playwrights and actors had to suggest many things that nowadays might be shown with different effects. Barnardo's question tells the audience that he cannot see well, and thus the scene takes place at night.