The ghost responds to a plea from Hamlet to tell him about the late king’s murder so that he may “sweep to [his] revenge” with a combination of ironic praise and criticism: “I find thee apt, and duller shouldst thou be…wouldst thou not stir in this.” The ghost is insulting Hamlet and therefore is presented as an uncaring and insensitive character. Even though he claims “I am thy father” the ghost fails to comfort the melancholic and grieving Hamlet. This is a factor in catharsis as the audience feels pity towards Hamlet due to the ghost treating in an abusive manner, at the time claiming to be his father.
In Scene I, the ghost does not engage in any conversation but instead walks across the stage ignoring the other characters’ pleas for it to “speak, speak!” This adds to the sense of dread as the ghost doesn’t act human but “stalks” and shuns any interaction. It is also made ambiguous when it is firstly described as “majestical” by Marcellus, and then later “like a guilty thing” by providing the audience with two different impressions of the ghost. This leaves the audience confused as to whether it is good, or evil. In Scene iv, Marcellus describes the ghost as having a “courteous action”, suggesting the ghost has good manners and is chivalrous. This strongly contrasts with the idea of the ghost’s appearance being said to signify something “rotten in the state of Denmark.” When Hamlet questions: “Be thou a spirit of health, or goblin damned?” Shakespeare polarizes the ghost, and it is unknown at this point in the play which category of good or evil the ghost falls into. Due to this unknown and the suspense created by the threefold antithesis, “bring thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell, be thy intents wicked or charitable,” used in Hamlet’s speech, the ambivalence the audience feels for the ghost is heightened. Shakespeare thus makes the audience experience terror, contributing to catharsis.
Marcellus asks if he should “strike it with [his] partisan”, and the reason for his wanting to hurt or injure the ghost is because the characters are beginning to think the ghost is evil. This is also shown when they use the word “it”, even though the ghost resembles the late king. The reason for this is because they believe the king’s spirit is possessed by a demon. In the Elizabethan period the majority of people were Protestants and therefore did not believe in the Catholics’ Purgatory. It can be considered that Shakespeare created the ghost to appear as demon possessing the spirit of the late King Hamlet. Another way in which Shakespeare presents the ghost as a demon is by portraying Hamlet as fearful of the spirit and as calling upon God for help: “angels and ministers of grace defend us.” Hamlet is shown here as believing the ghost will attack him and his friends and needs a strong and divine power to “defend”, him from the demon and “hover o’er [him]” Hamlet then vows to trust the ghost and keep its “commandments”, putting the ghost in a position of authority and also contrasting strongly with the idea of it being God who created the Ten Commandments, and God’s commandments condemn murder whereas the ghost wants Hamlet to murder Claudius. Therefore, this all provides the audience with the impression that the ghost is evil, and perhaps a demon.
Shakespeare often uses the ghost to present the conflict between the morality of Roman and Christian religions. The ghost is portrayed by use of dialogue to be of Christian belief after mentioning the “matin”, which is a service of the Christian Church and the “fast in fires” that is Purgatory. This is contradictory to the task requested of Hamlet as the ghost wants a Roman style revenge to be taken out upon Claudius. Since during the Elizabethan era most people were Protestants and therefore believed that Hamlet would be sent to hell if he committed a revenge offence due to it being thought of as God’s duty, the ambiguity of the ghost leaves Hamlet stuck between loyalty to the ghost or to God. Additionally, Protestants did not believe on the transitional state of Purgatory which would have left the contemporary audience questioning the ghost’s authenticity.
The Russian film production presents the ghost as a terrifying, dominating and dark character compared to the feeble Hamlet1. It is portrayed as a mighty armored man dressed solely in black with large cape, its face hidden by shadows. Beside the ghost, Hamlet looks significantly smaller and defenseless. This creates fear of the ghost and sympathy for Hamlet and therefore it ensures the audience undergoes catharsis.
In Act Three Scene Four, by use of pathos the ghost gives the effect on the audience of pity and not terror, unlike the previous scenes where the ghost was seen wearing a suit of armor. Shakespeare presents the ghost dressed in its “habit”, ordinary clothing or nightgown, which creates the impression of vulnerability. The audience also sympathizes with the ghost when it shows affection towards the Queen who it believes is suffering from her “conceit”. This forces the audience into questioning the integrity of the ghost. However, in the BBC production, the ghost remains in his armor, which emphasizes the idea of terror instead2.
Kyd had designed the Elizabethan formula for revenge tragedy with The Spanish Tragedy, while Shakespeare furthered the basic idea in Hamlet by adding suspense, characterization and ideological symbolism in order to produce a catastrophic and highly tragic play. He also demonstrates a building of catharsis throughout the play until it finishes with an emotional purge. In conclusion, the play successfully includes the majority of Aristotle’s ideas as well as involving the moral significance of revenge. It is these factors that are contribute due to the ghost and because of its presence the play is classified as a remarkable tragedy.
References:
New Swan Shakespeare Advanced Series (2008), Hamlet
1 Directed by: Grigori Kozintsev (1964), Hamlet
2 BBC Television Shakespeare (1980), Hamlet
