For the Elizabethan audience, the spirit could have been an illusion, an angel, a devil or a soul ascended from Purgatory. They believed that it was on death that the soul either went to Heaven or Hell, thus eliminating the possibility of a human soul returning to Earth,” heaven will direct it”. This quote illustrates the strong religious belief, giving rise to speculation of the ghost’s origins, heaven or hell ?
The presence of the ghost is only apparent to Hamlet, Horatio and the guards. Hamlet is the only one who can hear him talking and this also shows how close Hamlet was to his father. His own mother, in the second appearance of the ghost, is completely unaware, which highlights the void created between mother and son since the death of the king. “ Save me and hover o’ver me with your wings, you heavenly guard”, Hamlet puts faith in the ghost rather than his own mother. His mother’s reply, “Alas, he’s mad”. This can only demonstrate how effective the ghost is in bending Hamlet to his will, and making his antic disposition apparent to the other characters, a most important point in the play. The second appearance of Hamlet is not as pivotal or central to the play as the first as its function is to remind the audience of Hamlets quest and therefore adds nothing more to the play apart from to tell us again that Hamlet has yet to act,” do not forget”, the words from the ghost explain completely its role in the second appearance.
The ghost also has an effect on the atmosphere of the play, where tension and fear are emphasized as a result,” What if it tempts you towards the flood…. Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff”, showing the uneasiness and fear the ghost brings. The audience is directly influenced by the apparition as it opens the possibility that “something is rotten in Denmark”. The ghost’s account of his own murder starts the conflict for people watching as it becomes obvious that the witnesses are skeptical. However the window of truth has been opened and before long the main battle of the play is revealed,” O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain,” showing his attitude towards Claudius and Hamlet’s need to avenge his murdered father. We should also remember that for religious reasons, Elizabethan audiences did believe in ghost’s, so for Shakespeare to use this device allows for the audience at that time to associate with the characters, by superstition.
The first appearance of the ghost coincides with and acquaints the readers with the military preparations which Denmark is taking against young Fortinbras of Norway. This play is, to a large extent, concerned with the theme of revenge, but the motive of revenge is provided by the ghost.
The effect of the late king’s speech is unsettling to Hamlet and the audience, both contemporary and Elizabethan. When the ghost repeats the word ‘Swear’, it has no bearing on plot, but it is the only word it says that all characters can hear and therefore gives the line an eeriness that all can feel. Horatio remarks “O day and night, but this is wondrous strange”, reflecting the feelings aroused by the supernatural being. The word swear is essential as it allows for everyone to acknowledge and remember that what Hamlet pledges to the Ghost is central to the play.
Wilson Knight’s interpretation of the Ghost was very different from the conventional beliefs. Knight described the story of Hamlet as an “Embassy of Death”, with the ghost being a true devil, setting all the evil doings within the plot in motion, “ revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”.
It has been established that there is a possibility that the ghost may be a good spirit, however the ghost may be “a goblin damned”. Eleanor Prosser argues that Elizabethan’s would not have approved of the act of revenge, and that it would go against all their Christian beliefs, whether Catholic or Protestant, as well as the law of the land.
There are only two possibilities that remain for the ghost; he is either an angel or a devil, “ be thou a spirit of health or a goblin damned”. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the theory that the ghost is an agent of Satan. The physical appearance of good spirits, both Purgatorial and angelic was agreed to be sweet and amiable. Hamlet’s ghost is certainly not, when he stalks the battlements, frowning and in military garb, “ with warlike form”. His speech is not sweet as would befit an angelic spirit, “ I to sulphurous and tormenting flames must render”. It was also thought that a good spirit could only speak on the invocation of God. The ghost appears at midnight, a time when the Devil was thought to be most powerful. Devils were also thought to seek out lonely places in order to isolate their victims, but perhaps the most damning piece of evidence is that the ghost’s command directly violates the teaching of the Bible and thus it must be from Hell.
Interpretation of the ghost also affects Hamlet’s treatment of the other characters in the play. Hamlet’s cruelty towards Ophelia, for example, can be interpreted in different ways, it can be seen as calculated madness or as him truly being mad. If it is calculated he is cruel and this is brought on by the ghost’s words, if not his madness is caused by the ghost. His treatment of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his mother and Polonius, all prove that the ghost had the power to alter Hamlet’s relationships with other people. It may be true that Hamlet wanted to cut himself off emotionally from other people and therefore he was cruel to Ophelia, perhaps to protect her. However, there is much debate as to whether he confused Ophelia with Gertrude, in his madness. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were put to death, with no shriving time, meaning they were not allowed to repent their sins. This is an act of ultimate cruelty to two men who were his friends. Because of Hamlet’s apparent madness, they were perhaps justified in their treatment of Hamlet. The nature of the ghost also affects any opinion that may be held of Gertrude. She may be seen as evil, but she may also be seen as a weak and stupid woman. The ghost may appear to show mercy to Gertrude, but he envisions her ,”pricked and stung by thorns”.
So what is the significance of the use of the ghost motif in Hamlet? The ghost has often been dismissed as a stage thrill, a device to horrify, yet secure the attentions of the audience. This essay has demonstrated that this argument will not suffice. Obviously the ghost is used to convey the information about Claudius to Hamlet, however this could have been done in a different way, without the need for supernatural intervention. Of course, there is the argument that the ghost is simply a convention of Elizabethan drama, but although the ghost motif had been used in many dramas of the period, none appeared so ambiguous as the ghost of King Hamlet. This essay illustrates that here may be many interpretations of the ghost, and that these different aspects may affect our understanding of the play. The dual nature of the ghost is reflective of the dual nature of man. The ghost’s ambiguities are essential in heightening the tragic element of the play. In embracing the ghost, Hamlet embraces both good and evil.
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