The Ghost in Hamlet
The Ghost of Hamlet's father is one of the most crucial characters in the play. If not for him, Hamlet would not have been thrown into the state of distress and torment that plagued him throughout the story. Every tragedy needs an element of the supernatural, and in this tale, the Ghost brings forth the reasons for revenge. Although the Ghost only has a few lines, he tells the truths of betrayal and his death to Hamlet. Only one other person, the betrayer and murderer, knows this crucial information, so without the Ghost's appearance, Hamlet would never know of his uncle's treachery. The play of Hamlet takes place within the possibility that there is a higher court of values than those which operates around us... within the possibility that an act of violence can purify, within the possibility that the words of 'salvation' and 'damnation' have meaning (Edwards 71). It brings forth a gripping tale of death, betrayal, and honor. Is this story a testimonial of a higher power and a higher court than what is on Earth? That is left to the reader or spectator of this play. Everything depends on interpretation (Edwards70). The Ghost in this story could simply be a messenger sent from this higher court to
Upon leaving, the Ghost tells Hamlet to remember him (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 90). The remembrance of his father and what the Ghost told him that night is meant to sustain him until he can take his revenge. However, as the play goes on, Hamlet is torn about what action he should take. It may very well be that the Ghost was an evil spirit, tempting him to his own destruction by telling him lies (Chute 141). The Ghost insists that Hamlet mustn't die before he's killed Claudius (Frye 54-55). This could suggest a couple of different motives. Hamlet cannot decide if the Ghost wants him to ruin the country by killing the king and possibly getting himself killed, or if the Ghost really does just want revenge. These thoughts and what he should do about the situation torment him deeply. If the spirit had been kind, it would have prayed that Hamlet might forget (Knight 82). This thought crosses his mind once or twice, but he is so bent on action that it is nothing more than a fleeting one. Later, when he begins to stray from what the Ghost commanded of him, he is revisited. The Ghost appears while Hamlet is talking angrily to his mother and is only visible to Hamlet. Hamlet is going insane, and his mother thinks that he may kill her after he has just killed someone she told to spy on them. The Ghost tells Hamlet, "Do not forget; this visitation is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose" (Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 111-112). The Ghost reminds Hamlet of what he should be doing because as he descends into madness, Hamlet is forgetting the wishes of the Ghost. In the beginning of the play, the Ghost is seen two nights in a row by Bernardo and Marcellus. Troubled by the sight of him, they invite Horatio, who is a scholar, to see the Ghost for himself. Just as he appeared the two previous nights, the Ghost appears again, and Horatio tries to speak to him. Horatio is desperate to know its reason for coming and poses in question the three traditional explanations (Cahn 7
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Approximate Word count = 1336
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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