How Does Shakespeare Use The Ghost In Hamlet

Hamlet is a tale of despair and murder. Throughout the play, Shakespeare weaves a web of death, love, and betrayal that intrigued people of the time period and is still read widely today. The tale tells of the death of a king, and it follows his son Hamlet, the prince of Denmark. Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, takes the throne and marries his dead brother's wife only a month after his death. Soon after the ghost of the old king appears to young Hamlet and tells him he was murdered by none other than his brother Claudius, the new king. Hamlet then tries to prove Claudius' guilt and begins to slip slowly into madness. The key points in the plot of Hamlet are the meeting with the ghost, proving Claudius' guilt, and the ironic and untimely deaths of different characters. In the play Hamlet, Shakespeare draws a picture very complex and intriguing using imagery and diction.

Shakespeare fancies the application of ghosts in his plays, Hamlet is no exception. Scholars argue that the ghost in Hamlet is only a figment of Hamlet’s imagination, but how does that explain others witnessing the apparition. Hamlet’s mental state is declining throughout the play, but what is the true cause? From an external view Hamlet appears insane, whether or not he is insane is left ambiguous. If he is insane, is the traumatic loss of his father causing Hamlet to see a ghost or is the ghost real indeed?

The Ghost in Hamlet cleared out the event that Hamlet was uncertain of. The spirit clarified the death of King Hamlet, and caused Hamlet to perform his evil deeds. The Ghost’s request to avenge him caused the death of Hamlet’s family, friends, and eventually himself; therefore, the spirit can be viewed as evil because it failed the four tests that was set by Lewes Lavater and the Church.

murder in a rash mood. It is not seen by Gertrude. It tries to urge

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

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 beginning of the play sets the stage for everything to unfold. Hamlet is weak in the mind due to his father’s unnatural death. In Act 1, Hamlet speaks to the Ghost and learns how his father died. Without Hamlet interaction with the Ghost, he would not have created a desire for revenging his father’s death. Now knowing that Claudius killed his father in order to take his place as king, it only makes sense that Hamlet desires the truth to be revealed as to what happened to his father.

The Ghost and Hamlet’s development and trait difference. The Ghost with “martial stalk hath he gone by our watch” (Act 1.1, 64-65). Hamlet will visit tower to see the Ghost (Act 1.2, 242 - 243). The Ghost was developed to be ominous. Hamlet was developed to be curious. The Ghost’s development of being ominous contributes in helping Hamlet’s curiosity which makes him intrigued to see the Ghost. (GHOST) Cautious, not speaking (Act 1.1, 170). Hamlet shows he is a follower, by stating, “It is ‘Adieu, adieu. Remember me.’ I have sworn’t.” (Act 1.2, 111-112). The Ghost seems to be silent or cautious depending on the point of view the reader is taking. Hamlet’s trait is shown by him seeing his dead father which he was recently mourning for. Hamlet’s

William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet relays Hamlet’s quest to avenge the murder of his father, the king of Denmark. The late King Hamlet was murdered by his brother, Claudius, who took the throne and Hamlet’s mother Gertrude for himself. Hamlet is beseeched by the ghost of his father to take vengeance upon Claudius; while he swears to do so, the prince inexplicably delays killing Claudius for months on end. Hamlet’s feeble attempt to first confirm his uncle’s guilt with a play that recounts the murder and his botched excuses for not killing Claudius when the opportunity arises serve as testimony to Hamlet’s true self. Hamlet is riddled with doubt towards the validity of the ghost and his own ability to carry out the act necessary to

The ghost did not only complicate the entire story of Hamlet, it also developed the theme of revenge and Hamlet’s delay of vengeance. However, it can be inferred that if the character of the ghost was not included in the story, then the story of Hamlet would not have happened. In the process

Hamlet and the Ghost relationship are connected because the Ghost is the only on tell Hamlet the truth. “But 2 months dead-nay, not so much not two” (Shakespeare P. 26). His father hasn’t been dead for no more than two mounts and King Claudius want the whole kingdom to stop mourning over the death of the former king (King Hamlet) and start celebrate him (King Claudius). “ so, Uncle, there you are, now it’s time for me to keep the vow that i made to my father” (shakespeare P.66). Hamlet’s father's (Ghost) had just got done tell Hamlet that Claudius just killed him and that his mother (Gertrude) was having an affair the whole time Hamlet. “O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else? Shall I cripple in hell” (Shakespeare P.66). This is ready a turning point in the reading because of the fact

This belief relates to the play because the Ghost of Hamlet’s father decides to visit Denmark and makes everyone question his visitation. Clark states that ghosts appear to “obtain revenge”, although this appears to be true as to the reason Hamlet’s father’s Ghost appears, it is not the actual reason. The Ghost is there to ask Hamlet to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare 57). In other words, the Ghost is not there to seek revenge physically, but to have Hamlet seek revenge on Claudius for killing him. The Ghost makes his visitation to specifically ask Hamlet to seek revenge on his murderer; however, he does not force Hamlet to seek revenge. Since the ghost does not force Hamlet to seek revenge he appears to the audience that he is a good ghost because he does not hurt anyone and does not appear violet. Therefore, because the Ghost has not been physical this situation allows the audience to become aware that he is a good ghost.

Hamlet tries to see if it was really his uncle who was responsible for his father’s death. He sets up a play that reenacts the way King Hamlet was murdered to see if Claudius acts guilty afterwards. The whole point of setting up the play is to see if Claudius is responsible for Hamlet’s father’s death. Hamlet’s actions are propelled by the promise that he had made to the ghost (to get revenge on King Hamlet’s murderer).

The ghost was not looking to do Hamlet any good. The ghost had his own agenda. The ghost revealed to Hamlet the truth about the murder of Hamlet’s father. The ghost also told him who was to blame: “The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (I.5. 38-39). The ghost ignited a rage inside of Hamlet. Revenge replaced the grief in Hamlet’s heart. The play does not reveal if the ghost is the devil or the ghost of Hamlet’s father. However I do not think that Hamlet’s father would have wanted to end another life to make up for his. The deaths that occur in the play could have been avoided if the ghost had never appeared. The truth would have come out eventually and maybe Hamlet would have a clear head by that time. If the ghost was the devil I am sure that he was pleased with what transpired in the play.

To start with, the ghost heavily influences the development of a few characters in the play which includes Hamlet and his friends. In the opening act, Hamlet’s friends encounter the ghost of the former king while standing guard on the wall of the castle. They are the first and only characters besides Hamlet that the ghost influences. They are also the only ones besides Hamlet that can see the ghost. This furthers the story by sending Hamlet’s friends on a mission to tell him of his father’s return. From the beginning of the play Hamlet is already depressed and down after being called home from school to return to Denmark to witness the funeral of his father. Following the funeral Hamlet meets up with his friends where they tell him of his father’s ghost. Immediately, this sparks Hamlet’s interest and he wishes to hear more of his father. ‘The king my father!/For God’s love, let me hear.” (1.2.192-95 Hamlet) Here Shakespeare shows Hamlet’s interest in the matter