To determine the intrinsic first critical speed of a circular steel shaft supported by two bearings, it's essential to analyze the shaft's static deflection between the bearings. The discussion highlights the need to calculate the mass of the shaft using the density of steel, as only the modulus of elasticity (E) is provided. The Rayleigh Method and Dunkerley's equation are mentioned as potential approaches, but the user is unsure how to apply them without the mass. It is suggested to calculate the critical speed for each region of the shaft and take the lowest value. Understanding these calculations will clarify the process of determining critical speed for the shaft.