William Shakespeare 's Fifth Business

made to be one of the most important throughout the book and helps mold the story into the

The Ghost’s appearance troubles Hamlet again in a different way at the end of Act Two, when Hamlet questions whether or not the apparition he has seen is really the ghost of his father. He believes that it is likely that what he saw was really an evil spirit trying to trick him into sinning, for, as he says, “the devil hath power / T’assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps…abuses me to damn me” (2.2.628-32). His concern is legitimate; however, it causes him to delay further due to his worries about sin and what could happen to him should he decide to take action if the Ghost is in fact evil. When Hamlet attempts to work himself into a frenzy by insulting himself and climactically cursing Claudius with caustic epithets, he is incapable of maintaining his emotion and he orders his brains to turn about, bringing himself back down to logic and reason. He feels that he cannot act without some sort of proof of the truth of what the Ghost has said, and therefore he arranges to “catch the conscience

saw the ghost, Hamlet’s sanity isn’t in complete doubt. Horatio is a man of virtue, known as

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).

Hamlet sees something that is rotten in his kingdom and he knows it is his moral responsibility to resolve this issues however he finishes off by saying that in actual fact he is powerless “but break my heart, for I must hold my tongue” admitting his weakness. Hamlet begins to grapple with the nature of humanity and morality following the confrontation with the ghost. The appearance of the ghost triggers Hamlet’s existential struggle “All is not well… I doubt some foul play… foul deeds will rise” (Act 1 scene 2) through the use of foreshadowing, Shakespeare exposes the nature of humanity to audiences through the construction of Hamlet’s character. He emphasises that a strong sense of morality can cause conflicts in the decision to make noble choices.

The Fifth business story by Robertson Davies and The Hamlet play by Shakespeare are both strikingly remarkable stories; Notably, teaches the readers and audience lessons about life based on adversity. However, The most impactful part of both tales is that the main characters experiences parenting problems mother issues. Nonetheless, The need to be accepted, and how relationships are solely built on trust.

Guilty conscience is a theme that appears after unfortunate cases in one 's life. In Fifth Business, guilt is shown through the experiences of Dunstan, as he blames himself for the cause of Paul Dempster’s premature birth. This surrounds him with the feeling of guilt, which he carries into old age. After Percy throws the snowball at Mary Dempster, it results in a cycle of guilt emerging. Dunstan states, “... for I knew the snowball had been meant for me...” (Davies 3). Mary Dempster gets hit by a snowball after Boy taunts Dunstan. Dunstan explains how the snowball was meant to hit him, and he takes the blame for failing to take the hit for Mary Dempster. The cause and effect of guilt is the fact that he indirectly the root of Paul’s early birth. Identically, Hamlet measures many reflective questions in his mind that prevents him from avenging his dead father, however, it does not prevent him from being violent. First, he

Hamlet has thrust upon him the dual responsibility of avenging his father and becoming a man. These new responsibilities push Hamlet’s already fragile sanity over the edge into madness. “Hamlet experiences anxiety both because of the dysfunction of previous masculine roles and because of his shames at their loss, a loss he holds himself accountable for” (Rosen, 63). Hamlet is instantly roused from a bout of depression at Horatio’s news of the ghost. Hamlet undoubtedly feels that this ghost might be able to put his mind at rest.

Characters: Although there were a reasonable amount of characters in the story, there were only two that were important and consistent throughout the book. The others didn’t have much of an impact into the story.

As the act progresses, Hamlet encounters the Ghost of his father, King Hamlet, who confessed the man who murdered him was not Fortenbraus but, his own brother, Claudius. The Ghost orders Hamlet not to permit "the royal bed of Denmark [to be] a Couch for luxury"(1.5.82). His father then vanishes and Hamlet enters a state of great rage and drives to complete his father’s task in aniliating Claudius. He is young so his “sinews, grow not instant old”(1.5.94) which gives him the physical strength. Hamlet is so focused on his task, he agreed to, "...wipe all trivial fond records"(1.5.99) and replace them with "...[King Hamlet's] commandment all alone..."(1.5.101). Shakespeare elaborates on the characterization of Hamlet in this soliloquy. The author not only displays Hamlet's anger and depression but, his determination in vanishing the injustice in his kingdom. To summarize, Shakespeare characterizes Hamlet by using imagery to express how Hamlet was originally depressed but, turned towards anger that later lead him to become vengeful.

       In Act I, Scene II, one is first made aware of the strength of Hamlet's relationship with Horatio when the latter informs Hamlet that he has seen what he believes is the ghost of the former King Hamlet. This introduction to the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet demonstrates the strong bonds of trust and confidence they share. Unlike the other characters who have seen the apparition and would choose to shrink away from it, Horatio, recognizing the ghost for who it might be, tries to make contact with it, albeit unsuccessfully. After this initial contact, and recognizing the significance of what he has witnessed, it is Horatio that takes Hamlet into his confidence to relate what he has seen. "As I do live, my honored lord, 'tis true, / And we did think it writ down in our duty / To let you know of it" (1.2. 220-222). Horatio gives Hamlet a very detailed account of the sighting, answering Hamlet's questions with the honesty and insight of a concerned friend. It is obvious by Horatio's candor that he is neither fearful of Hamlet's response, nor is he concerned that Hamlet will not believe his accounting of the event.

All of these main characters cared very little for Hamlet except for Horatio. Horatio was the kind of friend to Hamlet that all people wish their friends could be. He was loyal, honest, and loving. Horatio was honest with Hamlet when he told him about seeing his father’s ghost. “My lord, I think I saw him yesternight”(I.2.189). Hamlet did not question Horatio because he trusted him with all of his heart. Seeing a ghost every day is not a common thing, but Hamlet never doubted him. Throughout the play Horatio is looking out for Hamlet. When he was about to fight Laertes Horatio told Hamlet, “if your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will

Without Horatio, there is no one to give truth to Hamlet's words. Horatio bears witness to the ghost: “Look, my lord, it comes” (I. iv. 38), giving credence to Hamlet’s later claims that he has seen the ghost of his father. When Hamlet is forcing the guards to swear an oath, it is to Horatio that he tells of his plan “to put an antic disposition on” (I. v. 172). If this scene did not occur as it did, with Hamlet informing someone of his actions, then Hamlet's sanity would be questioned from the very beginning of the play. After all, if there is no one else to confirm the facts, who can say that Hamlet truly loses his sanity in Act I, and then his "act" is not an act at all?

In his attempt to "catch the conscience of the king" with The Mousetrap (2.2.558), Hamlet tells Horatio that if Claudius' "occulted guilt/ Do not itself unkennel in one speech,/It is a damned ghost that we have seen" (3.2.70-72). The significance of Hamlet's dilemma is that it shows Hamlet to be very vulnerable and he seems only subconsciously aware of it. It is this vulnerability that makes the character of Hamlet problematic to the reader/audience because it leads to the blurring of the boundaries of right action and wrong judgment.  On hearing of the appearance of his father's ghost, Hamlet exclaims: "My father's spirit, in arms! All is not well./ I doubt some foul play."(1.2.254-255). His expectations that something is wrong is confirmed when the ghost tells him of Claudius' treachery. In this sense, Hamlet is willing to believe in the ghost even before he hears the ghost speaks as he "waxes desperate with imagination" (1.4.87). Then, as the ghost starts to speak, he tells Hamlet to "List, list, oh list!"(1.5.22), pouring into the latter's ears the verbal poison that juxtaposes words like "foul", "unnatural" and "lust" with words like "virtuous queen" and "marriage", "royal bed"(1.5.25-83). It seems that the ghost is trying to place a constant and elevated value on the royal marriage only if it includes having him as the rightful king. Yet life, marriage and death are cycles and not fixed points and death of one spouse

The necessity of balance within the human mind is addressed by the theme of action and inaction within the play. Hamlet, the protagonist of the play, must seek revenge for his father’s murder. However he suspects that his informant, the ghost of his father, could be the devil in disguise, so Hamlet requires proof that Claudius is guilty. In act 2, scene 2, Hamlet soliloquises, ‘I’ll have grounds / More relative than this. The play’s the thing / Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the King’. The use of iambic pentameter, and the rhyming couplet at the end of the scene conveys the importance of the plan. Hamlet has asked the players to perform a scene, mimicking his father’s murder. If Claudius is guilty, he will react poorly to the scene. This example of careful planning illustrates the balance between thought and action that humanity seeks to exemplify. In act 3, scene 1, Hamlet declares, ‘Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, / And thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought’, soliloquising that natural instinct is inhibited by thought. The personification of fear and the connotations associated with the words, ‘sicklied’ and ‘pale’ depict action as strong and thought as weak. This power imbalance between action and thought foreshadows the climax of the play, where action without thought provokes chaotic consequences. In act 5, scene 2, Horatio says to Hamlet, ‘If your mind dislike anything, obey it. I will forestall their repair hither and say you are not fit’. Hamlet replies, ‘Not a whit… If it be now, ’tis not to come. If it be not to