Zork! the frustration builds

After putting in close to four hours of play in my first go at the game, I was left incredibly frustrated. The first hour of play revolved around learning the commands and exploring. For awhile I believed that I was stuck, locked grate in the forest, impassable mountains, needing a machete and so on. Until I discovered the trap door, this only lead to more frustration and death. I spent nearly two hours in the tunnels/chambers of this underground world before I found something that I think is a treasure. Opening the coffin reveled a sceptre, which filled me with more confusion, because I haven't discovered what it is used for. As of now I'm still down in the underground trying to find a way out, if anyone can help, I would really appreciate it. All in all, although frustrating, I've really enjoyed Zork. It makes modern RPGs seem quite simple in comparison.