In Act I, Scene V, Hamlet’s encounter with his father’s ghost establishes the theme of revenge. King Hamlet’s ghost appears and states that, “If thou didst ever thy dear father love—revenge his foul and most unnatural murder… the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown”. After encountering his father’s ghost, Hamlet agrees to seek revenge, but is hesitant when given the opportunity. However, his father’s ghost returns in Act III, Scene IV and states, “do not forget. This visitation is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose,” in order to remind him of his responsibility to get revenge. After the second encounter with his father’s ghost, Hamlet reaches a turning point in Act IV, Scene IV and states, “…which is not tomb enough and continent to hide the stain? O, from this time forth my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”. In Act V, Scene II, Hamlet finally achieves revenge for his father by piercing Claudius with his dagger and forcing him to drink the poisoned wine. Although he is reluctant at first, Hamlet’s encounters with his father’s ghost eventually drives him to get revenge …show more content…
After encountering his father’s ghost, Hamlet states, “how strange or odd some’er I bear myself as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition”. Hamlet clearly states that he is going to pretend to be a madman. However, Hamlet’s statement that, “… the spirit that I have seen may be the devil, and the devil hath power t’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, out of my weakness and my melancholy, as he is very potent with such spirits, abuses me to damn me,” and the fact that he is the only one that can hear and speak to his father’s ghost may suggest to the reader that perhaps Hamlet is truly mad. Despite of whether Hamlet is truly mad or not, his encounter with his father’s ghost clearly introduces the theme of madness into the
Hamlet’s madness is questioned by many readers. The truth is that Hamlet portrayed madness before he came up with the plan of acting madness. This madness is an important characteristic in the play with Hamlet’s actions revolving primarily around the idea he has because of his madness. There are several occasions further in the play when the audience sees Hamlet acting mad even though there is no one else in the room that he was aware of. In act three, scene four, when Hamlet is in his mother’s chamber and hears a noise behind the arras the rash decision to stab the noise behind the curtain shows exactly how erratic and unstable Hamlet is. His rash behaviour to kill without seeing what he is doing shows that his madness is real and not something he is faking to have revenge for his father. In act five scene two, Hamlet announces that he has switched the letter that ordered Hamlet to be killed in England; instead writing that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are to be killed. This is perhaps because he thought they were the ones who ordered his death when in fact they were just following Claudius’ instructions. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were Hamlet’s friends which show that he was perhaps paranoid in his madness. They were there to help yet his rash character after seeing the Ghost has yet again ended people’s lives. It is important to consider that in the Elizabethan era madness was defined differently than what the
In the play by William Shakespeare, the ghost of King Hamlet approaches his mourning and depressed son, Hamlet, who is still affected by his death. The ghost explains to Hamlet how he died and demands that Hamlet avenge his death. Note how the ghost approaches Hamlet when he’s the weakest and still mourning to persuade and manipulate him into taking revenge for him. In Act one Scene 5 the ghost states, “If thou didst ever thy dear father love-/ Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” The way King Hamlet words his request is more as a challenge; in which Hamlet’s love for his dead father can only be proven by carrying out whatever his father wishes. The ghost influences most Hamlet’s behavior, which not only affects the plot, but also the relationships with other characters. The ghost influences the relationship between Hamlet and his mother, Gertrude. He becomes angry at Gertrude because of her fast marriage with his uncle Claudius. Through the use of innuendos, antic disposition, and metamorphic plays, Hamlet makes it his duty to get King Claudius back for killing his father. Hamlet agreed to avenge his father without second thought. As the play advances, Hamlet begins to doubt the apparition. In act 3 Hamlet begins to have second thoughts and states, “The spirit that I have seen/ May be a devil…” This shows Hamlet’s inner conflict between listening to his father and avenging his death or following his ethics. To be sure that Claudius
The Ghost of Hamlet's father is a foil for Hamlet. The ghost is introduced so to reveal information that is not blatantly revealed to us yet. The king gives us some explanation of why Hamlet wants revenge. The king tells us of his death and introduces the fact that it was a murder and tells that the murder was committed by his brother. Through the conversation with the ghost he gains more fuel for the anger he has about his mother’s marriage. In the discussion with Hamlet and the
He doubts the Ghost’s revelation, “The spirit that I have seen / May be a devil, and the devil hath power / T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, / Out of my weakness and my melancholy, / As he is very potent with such spirits, / Abuses me to damn me” (Shakespeare II.ii.627-632). Upon reflection, he realizes that the Ghost being stuck in purgatory until Hamlet avenges his father’s unnatural death does not add up. Also, he specifically points out the Ghost’s ill intentions as it asks Hamlet to go against the natural order of the universe through the act of murder. His philosophical nature is seen through his intellectual analysis of the Ghost’s request. He needs proof of the Ghost’s accusations to convince himself that it is okay to murder the Ghost. He is more likely to obey his father than the impression of his father, as demonstrated in the fact that Gertrude cannot see the Ghost, which suggests that it is not real. Secondly, in order to conceal his newfound knowledge, Hamlet decides, “To be on an antic disposition” (I.v.192). That he considers feigned madness necessary shows the intricacies and ambiguity of his character, for he has multiple personalities. On one side is his antic disposition and on the other is his active within action, mind always racing side. He creates madness as an outward display and insists, “That [he is] essentially…not in madness, / But mad in
So far, the reader sees Hamlet as a young man that has lost his mentor and seems quite devastated. Shakespeare adds a twist to the play when Hamlet encounters his dead father’s ghost who speaks to him, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. ”(Act I Scene V, Line 25).
The ghost did not simply introduce an idea of revenge, it also represented the unpleasant idea which at the time was popular: revenge. When the ghost approaches Hamlet, it lures him to create a private conversation between them. The ghost told Hamlet, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,” and led Hamlet in a direction that shifted his purpose in life from mourning to objective revenge (Shakespeare,
Hamlet decides that instead of taking revenge he will see if the ghost is telling the truth or not. He says that he wants to take revenge but does not have the heart in him to do it. This helps to develop the play because we see that Hamlet is reluctant to take revenge for his father because he doesn't really know the truth of what happened.
Hamlet meets the ghost of his father and he is shaken by what he hears. Hamlet’s father relays to him that Claudius is indeed his murderer. The ghost strictly instructs Hamlet to get revenge on Claudius, not mentioning the correct moment to do it. With Hamlet’s warrior side active, he relays his thoughts that
Pursuing vengeance, the ghost tells Hamlet, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder." Having only one goal, Hamlet begins his quest to avenge his father.
Although Hamlet initially swears he will never forget the ghost while seeking retribution (Hamlet. I. v. 112-113), his focus slowly shifts from his father to his own self-interest. In fact, in his final soliloquy, Hamlet laments over his tragic situation: "How stand I, then,/ That I have a father killed, a mother stained,/ Excitements of my reason and my blood,/ And let all sleep while, to my
In Shakespeare's tragedy, Hamlet, the thoughts of revenge are introduced early in the play. At the end of the first act, Hamlet meets the ghost of his deceased father. He is brought to see him by Horatio and Marcellus, who saw the ghost "yesternight" (Shakespeare 1.2.190). During this exchange of words between the Ghost and Hamlet, the Ghost tells Hamlet, "[s]o art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear." (Shakespeare 1.5.5). He is telling Hamlet to listen closely to what he has to say. Then he tells Hamlet to "[r]evenge his foul and most unnatural murder" (Shakespeare 1.5.23). When Hamlet finds out that it was his Uncle Claudius who murdered his father, Hamlet plots against him to avenge his father's
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,'; demands the ghost in (Act I, Scene 5, line 23). The fact that his own uncle could kill his father leaves Hamlet crazy and confused. Although Hamlet knows something is wrong in Denmark, he begins to question everything that the ghost has told him. When something is needed to be done, Hamlet is to busy thinking about his
'Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder,' says the ghost of Hamlet. The fact that his own uncle could kill his father leaves Hamlet dumbfounded and confused. Although Hamlet knows something is wrong in Denmark, he begins to question everything that the ghost has told him. When something is needed to be done, Hamlet is to busy
Even though Hamlet seems ardent in his intentions of avenging his father’s death during his encounter with the Ghost, by the second act, Hamlet begins to doubt that the ghost was actually his father. While giving his soliloquy after he has seen
In this revenge tragedy, which is a play in which the plot typically centers on a spectacular attempt to avenge the murder of a family member, Hamlet’s call to adventure is when the ghost, whom he believes to be the ghost of his recently deceased father, beseeches Hamlet that he avenge his death (Charters and Charters 1251). At first looking at the ghost, he questions the authority of him and contemplates that the apparition is just the devil tempting him: