The ghost is a useful dramatic but for a modern audience its effect is to diminish rather then enhance the plays impact

Jessica Weston 12:2

21/03/05

The Ghost is a useful dramatic device but for a modern audience its’ effect is to diminish rather then enhance the plays impact.

How far do you agree?

I will be discussing the Shakespeare play Hamlet and the effectiveness of the ghost as a dramatic devise, the audience I will be discussing is one that is contemporary to myself. To be able to discuss this I have to be able to examine the connotations of a ghost in Shakespearian times, and the connotation of a ghost to a modern audience.

In Shakespearian times a Ghost lead to fear because a ghost was a wondering soul left upon earth to finish its’ life. Shakespearian people were of a more religious nature and were lead to believe that Ghosts were ungodly, due to the fact that they were unable to enter heaven once dead. The Shakespearian audience was also far more believing to what they saw and took what they saw on face value. Shakespearian audience were also more easy to impress do to the lack of comparisons, unlike modern audiences who are bombarded with many different interpretations of things; for example ghosts.

Opposing to the Shakespearian audience views the contemporary audience views a ghost as a crass form of fright due to the over use of such a character, as a twenty-first century audience the use of a ghost is childish, and has a more two-dimensional view for a contemporary audience. As a contemporary culture we are less religious and more sceptical about ghosts, ghouls etc. Furthermore with a contemporary audience there are now cultural issues to the way ghosts are seen. When Shakespeare wrote the play they were written in English for an English audience therefore now with Shakespeare’s Hamlet written in 30 languages and with each culture comes a different interpretation of a ghost for example in Jamaica ghost are called Duppies and these are not dire Duppies are seen as positive aspects of the after life these ghosts are carers of the home.

Unlike our Shakespearian counterparts, we as a modern audience expect more, there are so many different versions of a ghost that when viewing a ghost there has to be something individual about this adaptation of a ghost.

This is a preview of the whole essay

In Hamlet the sight of a ghost to a modern audience does not entail drama to a modern audience. Unlike in the play where the Ghost appears first time in Act1 Scene1 where Horatio says: ‘It harrows me with fear’. This line was also voicing the audience own opinion and how this sight made them feel. A Shakespearian audience would find the sight of a ghost on stage a more believable sight because they had a lack of choice in their viewing and ‘seeing was believing’. I feel that due to the contemporary period connotations to a Ghost as being a ‘person under a white sheet’, we as an audience mock this use of a ghost as a dramatic element. But, when viewing the play as Shakespeare meant to be viewed we have to understand that for its time, the character that is upon stage is frightful, and does fulfil its purpose. Due to this view there is no impact upon a contemporary.

However, if you observe the Ghost as it’s intended to be viewed by the audience we are able to see how effective the use of a ghost is. The sight of a ghost is one of the most frightful experiences that could happen to a person due to the connotations of ghosts. When the Ghost appears in Act I Scene I we see what are seen to the bravest of men, soldiers, cowering. Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo are wrapped in fear when they come in contact with the Ghost. When these men describe themselves as ‘harrowing with fear’ it gives a contemporary audience a better understanding because of a similarity in thought that both audiences assume soldiers to be, even for a contemporary audience we understand that if admirable and brave men are scared that we should also be.

In act 1 scene 4 the use of the ghost for dramatic purpose changes. The ghosts’ appearance is no longer to shock the audience; his use is now has a more psychological fear role, I think it is left open ended and makes he audience. In this scene the ghost is now indoctrinating Hamlet to follow him. Hamlet says ‘my fate cries out’, Hamlet is now being leaded astray, this is a question raised in the audiences mind. By the ghost and his men have fear for him, because they expect no good will come from the ghost.

Marcellus says in act 1 scene 4 that: ‘something is rotten in the state of Denmark’. By stating this, Hamlets men know that the sighting of a ghost will do no good for this him and the country he has power over. Marcellus also says that ‘heaven secure him’ this shows the religious link between ghosts and the devil, this link was very obvious in Shakespearian times, people assumed that the ghosts appearance was the sighting of the devil. There was also a link between a ghost and madness, people thought that if u saw a ghost. This shows how he fears for Hamlets well being due to his association with the ghost.

From the ghosts confessions to his son about his death he is now the catalyst for all that is to take place. When the ghost says ‘the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown’. From this comment all other dramatic events take place, the ghost then goes on to cause more tension by then telling Hamlet that he must then avenge his father, and then by telling Hamlet to do this he sends Hamlet mad whether or not this be a visage or not his insanity plays a vital part in the play.

I think that what the ghost says still makes the character of the ghost a timeless dramatic device. However, due to the medium in which Shakespeare has used to portrait these powerful pieces of information to our title role now lacks the shock in which we assume that the ghost would have given in Shakespearian time. Yet the actions, which in succession to his appearance occur, make the character of the ghost a very useful dramatically because without him there would be no storey, the revenge tragedy would not take place without the information that the ghost gives hamlet to seek his revenge against his uncle, which then due to his madness subsequently leads on to the deaths of others for instance: Polonius and Ophelia.

Therefore I feel that the ghost is a useful dramatic device to a contemporary audience it may not entail as much fear due to the lack of connotation it now has to a modern audience, this slightly diminishes the characters ominous presents however when then viewing the play ‘Hamlet’ as it was written we see how the character of the ghost enhances the play. A modern audience who believes that the ghost only demolishes the dramatic tension should then see him as a dramatic catalyst. There are many ways in which the ghost can be seen but I think that as a character he enhances the plays impact due to how much control his actions to seek his revenge has ruined so many lives.

Word count: 1203