1) The play scene was a turning point because it is the first scene in which hamlet has truly descended into madness. Ophelia has betrayed him, his mother betrayed him, his father dead. This is where he starts insulting everyone and everything. This scene is where Hamlet confirms Claudius' murder, more importantly though this is the scene in which Claudius knows that Hamlet knows. The cards are on the table from here on out.
2)
Exposition: The exposition is the background information, in this we are told of fortinbras and the nation preparing for war, we are also told of the arrangements which brought Claudius to kingship(with the exception of murder of course) and how hamlet feels about the incestuous relationship between his mother and uncle.

Inciting event:the inciting is when Hamlet meets the ghost of his dead father, this will set into motion Hamlets rampage into madness as well as his slow crusade against Claudius, and ultimately the death of everyone.

Rising Action: In the rising action, hamlet feigns madness, Claudius feigns caring, Ophelia retracts her love, Polonius spys on everyone, Gertrude is unhappy, Rozencrants and Guildenstern spy on hamlet, Laertes goes gambling, and Horatio remains honest. (in no particular order) Basically everything up to the death of Polonius is rising action.
1.) Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern along with Hamlet to England, where he has sent word to have the trio terminated. He does this quickly because Hamlet is adored by the (whatever state Denmark is in(Norway?))ish people and hopes not to cause an uproar. He claims that the group is being sent in order to collect tribute which the English owe.
2.) While Hamlet speaks with his mother, Polonius will hide so as to again attempt to see what is causing Hamlet's madness.
3.) Claudius Admits that he killed the king
His guilt is so strong he cannot pray, he knows he has done horible deeds yet cannot bring himself to repent the actions.
He reveals the reasons he has commited the murder-crown, lady, and ambition.
4.)It is odd that Hamlet sees the king praying because Claudius is not in fact praying. Because he will not give up the gains he has made for his sins, he cannot repent and ask for forgiveness. Hamlet saw Claudius pretending to pray, or perhaps trying to pray, but there was no real praying going on.
5 Hamlet spares the life of Claudius because Claudius is praying. His father was killed before he could perform his last rights and thus is doomed to spend time in purgatory. Hamlet believes that if he kills Claudius while praying he will ascend to heaven. This shows Hamlets unwillingness to do the deed. He even states that he will kill him while he is performing some unholy and vile act. Yet 4 months has passes since his fathers death and he has still not succeeded in avenging the king.

1.) Polonius hopes to trick Hamlet into revealing his secret by appealing to his child like instincts. He asks Gertrude to :"be round with him" to tell him that she has shielded him from outrage at his insane actions and behavior. They are attempting this becasue Ophelia has clearly failed. So they must try a different route to the princes heart. Polonius then hides behind the curtain where he will die.
2.) Hamlet yells it after he kills polonius. He is insulting Polonius by calling him a rat and by saying his life is only worth one ducat. This could tie in with the army that hamlet meets later on, they tell him that the ladnn they are fighting for is only worth 5 ducats.
3.) In this quote hamlet insinuates that his morther was part of the killing of his father. However there are few explicit details to support this and this has never been brought up before. What is most interesting is that the ghost of his father never said anything about Gertrude being involved, in fact he asked Hamlet to look after his mother. This could signal that Hamlet is no longer following the Ghost's wishes but merely acting upon the whim of his own insanity.
4.) Gertrude says this because she is still attempting to maintain her innocence. Hamlet is accusing her of being involve with his fathers death, in his mind she must be for she moved so fast from brother to brother. She is taken aback by such accusations and defends herself.
5.) King Hamlet is described as a man blessed by all the ancient Greek gods.
Claudius is described as a mildewed ear of corn, one which stains all other corn around him. This again brings in the idea of ears, and Gertrude would be one of the nearby corns, one poisoned by the original corruption.
6.) Hamlet means to show that Gertrude has sided with the clearly weaker and ill-fated man, that the nature of Claudius causes him to corrupt and weakin those around him. Again he hints that she was involved in the murder of Old Hamlet
7.) Hamlet used these descriptions to describe his mothers relationship with Claudius. The nasty sty might also be referring to the decaying corpse of his fathers body. The body of the father being what brought the two together, as Hamlet believes that Gertrude corroborated with Claudius in the murder. The image of which is quite disturbing.
Mickey also informs me that" the nasty sty is more pleasing than the missionary. "
8.) The apparition of old hamlet stops Hamlet from berating his mother. The ghost tells him to get on with his almost "dulled" vengeance and go after Claudius.
9.) Hamlet makes many philisophical arguments about humanity, saying "do not spread fertilizer on weeds" and such, mostly negative comments. These are all fairly hypocritical as he is planing to kill his father in law, widow his mother, and ultimately destroy his country in order to seek revenge for his father who is already dead.
10.) In act I the ghost is clear and descriptive, although it disappears rapidly with the crowing of the cock. It wants revenge in both scenes however in the second scene the ghost is fleeting. Perhaps protecting Gertrude from Hamlet.