The Importance Of The Ghost In Hamlet

However, in the play the ghost was in armor with a helmet and raised visor. While in Branagh's version Hamlet is constantly catching glimpses in the mirrors in the castle. The initial portrayal of the ghost was coming out of the clouds and as in the play he was seen in armor with a raised visor and eerie look on his face. Branagh's version allowed the actor's to express their fear and determination. This is translated to the audience who are able to feel the characters position which increases the fear and suspense. Branagh also uses a form of flashbacks without dialogue. He shows scenes of Elsinore years ago, with the characters as young children playing games and laughing at the jokes of Yorick. We're also shown Hamlet and Ophelia is bed which indicates the true nature of their relationship. Then, we see Claudius murder his brother while the ghost served as a narrator.

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.

The Ghost in Hamlet is a widely controversial topic with arguments determining whether the Ghost is a “goblin damn’d” or a “spirit of health.” (1.4.40) “‘A spirit of health’ is one, which comes from heaven with charitable intentions, and ‘a goblin damn’d’ is one, which comes from Hell with wicked intentions.” The Ghost only has two appearances in the play and is a symbol for uncertainty, yet it is important as it catalyses the play into action and also Hamlet into madness. The Ghost in Hamlet is an evil spirit returning to revenge his killer Claudius; which is a questionable action for a Catholic person leading the audience to believe that the Ghost is evil. He pressures Hamlet into revenging Claudius while destroying Hamlet’s

that it was on death that the soul either went to Heaven or Hell, thus

In the early 1600’s, William Shakespeare created the masterpiece play Hamlet. Since that day, numerous theaters have performed the play and many publishers have made they’re version of the original playwright (the original copy is at an unknown location.) For these years, there has been numerous debatable aspects of Hamlet - one of which being whether or not the ghost encounter with the deceased King Hamlet was real. Of course, Horatio is the credible witness to tell us of the ghost’s existence - but the ghost never actually talks to him like he does Hamlet. In fact, no one besides Hamlet has actually heard the ghost of King Hamlet speak. Furthermore, Hamlet is already grief-stricken over his father’s death and completely expects this ghost

Hamlet questions the true intentions of the ghost and whether it be “a spirit of health or goblin damn’d,” (1.4.669). The Ghost enlightens the Prince of the treason committed by his uncle Claudius, which Hamlet doubts the legitimacy for an instance. According to “Hamlet’s Precarious Emotional Balance,” “Hamlet conceives a way out of his uncertainty, a way to make certain that he has not, because of his melancholy, simply hallucinated the ghost's revelations or been tricked by an evil spirit,” (Lidz). Hamlet develops a scheme to “catch the conscience of the king” by staging a play that depicts the murder of King Hamlet precisely (2.2.581).

Hey guess what!!! Your father King Hamlet is dead!!! Amazing right, I know, so not I'm going to attempt to steal his life, that does include marrying his wife. Your mom, so from now on don’t call me uncle just call me dad!!!! Whoa whoa whoa that was wild I know “but that what does that have to do with anything?” you may be asking yourself. Well Hamlet is struggling to deal with the realization that his world has just been turned upside down!! “Well has is he dealing with it?” you may be asking yourself. Well buckle up because we are going to take a closer look at Hamlet's relationship with the Ghost (Hamlet’s father), King Claudius(Hamlet's Uncle), and Queen Gertrude (Hamlet’s mom).

At around ten o’clock at night, a young girl was laying in bed when all of a sudden someone started rubbing her cheek. She looked around and no one was there. Was this her imagination, or was someone there? Ghosts always make their presence known, just like the Ghost in the tragedy Hamlet written by William Shakespeare. Throughout the character of the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, Shakespeare portrays many Elizabethan beliefs on ghosts. Shakespeare creates the question: is the ghost good or bad? Many people have their own opinion on this question, but in this writer’s opinion, the Ghost of Hamlet’s father is a good ghost because throughout the tragedy the Ghost of Hamlet’s father never physically hurts anyone, instead he persuades Hamlet

Every character in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is important in their own way, even if they have very few appearances. One character in particular, King Hamlet’s Ghost, influences several characters in Hamlet, as well as the actual theme of the story as a whole. Perhaps one of the most important things about King Hamlet’s Ghost is how a character that holds no physical form, can influence and shape the outcome in such a way that makes Shakespeare’s Hamlet what it is; a tragedy.

The second piece of artwork I examined was, Hamlet the Ghost, Painted in 1789 by Henry

In William Shakespeare's work Hamlet, Shakespeare uses the ghost of the deceased king, a character with only a brief presence, to play a significant role in the plot of the story as a whole in multiple ways. The first way Shakespeare uses the ghost of King Hamlet is by first using him to play a crucial role in the development of the characters in the play This is especially true regarding Hamlet. An example of the ghost influencing the development of the characters in the play is sending Hamlet into his descent into madness and furthering his complex character. Shakespeare does this by having the ghost inform Hamlet of his father’s murder. Secondly, Shakespeare uses the ghost to influence the theme of revenge and madness that develops in the play by using the ghost as a driving force

    Does the ghost in Shakespeare’s Hamlet conform to the standards for ghosts in the days of the dramatist? This essay will answer this and other questions about the ghost in the drama.

    Though Shakespeare cannot claim the invention of the ghosts in tragedies, still he can claim to have clothed his ghost in Hamlet with convincingness. This essay concerns his one supernatural character in the tragedy.

According to “The Theatrical World,” (ix-xii) the specific segments of Elizabethan society that attended Shakespeare’s plays were the poor people. “The Theatrical World” states that “The remains of the Rose [theater] indicate that it originally (1587) had rather “thrust” stage that tapered into the open area from which a standing audience, the “groundlings,” watched” (x). Shakespeare’s plays were available to the public, which meant that even the poor had access to it. The groundlings could not afford to pay in full price and would have to stand instead of sit. In addition, Shakespeare may have written Hamlet to appeal to his audience by incorporating magic elements in his plays. According to “The Theatrical World,” “A winch in the loft above the stage, called “the heavens,” could lower and raise actors playing gods, goddesses, and other supernatural figures to doors permitted entrances and exits to and from the area, called “hell,” beneath the stage”(xii). An example of magic is King Hamlet’s ghost. While guarding the gates, Horatio, Barnardo, and Marcellus observe a ghost that looked like Hamlet’s father and would appear and disappear in Act 1. Horatio notes, “But behold, lo where it comes again! / I’ll cross it, though it blast me” (I.1.126-127). This indicates that Horatio and the guards see the ghost, yet it disappears when they continue to speak to it. In the stage, the person who performs the ghost would have to exit and enter through the door to appear and disappear