Explore how Shakespeare explores uncertainty in Hamlet.

Ghost’s appearance further enhances the ongoing them of uncertainty in Hamlet. Horatio’s initial reaction when being told about the ghost could be interpreted as him mocking Bernardo and Marcellus for believing in the supernatural, saying it is their “fantasy” and it will “not appear”. His certainty is quickly crushed, and he is proven wrong the same night indicating how fast events can turn, foreshadowing following events and alarming the Elizabethan audience. His choice of adjective when describing the ghost, “strange eruption to the state” highlights how unfamiliar and unnatural the appearance of the ghost was for Elizabethans. Haverkamp’s interpretation “nothing is more heavily contested, by both Hamlet and the audience, than the veracity of the Ghost” highlighting the insecurities of the audience. Moreover, it indicates how it is a broad concern and it will affect the whole of Denmark, “eruption” can also be taken literally, thus the ghost may cause an environmental change, linking to the “unweeded garden” referring to the state of Denmark while being ruled by Claudius. For Elizabethans, a ghost would visit mortals for three reasons; if he wanted to do something but died early, knows the country’s fate or wants to take back his treasure, leaving the audience uncertain on which of the three is the actual reason the ghost came. When the Ghost requests Hamlet to follow him, Horatio is very paranoid giving Hamlet many alternatives of the Ghost’s intentions, including “tempt you towards the flood” and turn into a “horrible form”, suggesting that it could be the devil trying to kill Hamlet in the form of his father. The possibility of the ghost being an evil spirit in the form of King Hamlet further enhances the theme of uncertainty of the unknown.

Uncertainty is also explored by Shakespeare through the political matters of Denmark. When the play was performed for the first time, Queen Elizabeth had no clear son/heir to the throne and had refused to give the name of the next in line of the succession, leaving everyone in anticipation. This was a time of uncertainty and instability for England. Similarly, Denmark’s succession was uncertain when King Hamlet died. Claudius hastily married Gertrude to secure his role as a King. Political uncertainty is expressed by Marcellus, a simple guard, highlighting the worries that lower classes and not just the elite had. The appearance of the ghost leaves Horatio, a scholar, worrying about Denmark, “strange eruption to our state”. Marcellus’ curiosity is emphasised by his repetition of, “why” and the consequent questions about the state of Denmark and the reason why there have been changes going on. The uncertainty of the population around the state’s fate contradicts with Knight’s interpretation of Claudius as “a good and gentle King” which is evidently incorrect given the insecurity he provides. Furthermore, even Horatio is not aware and sure of an answer to give Marcellous saying that “the whisper goes so”, highlighting how the closest friend of the Prince is ignorant of political matters too.  The fact that “whispers” have been going around about a potential invasion of Denmark from Norway shows how alarmed the natives, in a constant fear of war while the King “keeps wassail”, weakening the nation appearance to their rivals. Similarly, Elizabethans (macrocosm) had a constant fear of a potential war with Spain and as Elizabeth was getting older and weaker the nation was also getting weaker as the health of the Kingdom depended on the health of the monarch.