Ghost In Hamlet

520 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What does the ghost symbolize in hamlet

Ghosts are a common figure that have appeared throughout history. In today’s society, ghosts are feared and viewed as scary creatures of the night that haunt people who wronged them during their lifetime. In many of Shakespeare’s plays, ghosts are present and play a role contradictory to that which society has given them. The plays Hamlet and Macbeth both contain ghosts who are trying to send the characters a message.
In Hamlet, the ghost is that of Hamlet Senior, the former king of Denmark. The ghost appears to Hamlet and three watchmen and exposes the truth behind his death. It is revealed that Claudius poured poison into the king’s ear while he was taking a nap in the garden. Hamlet Senior’s ghost reveals information that is critical to the plot and provides background to Hamlet’s main objective throughout the play, which is to get revenge for his father’s murder. The ghost in Hamlet is also seen by several different people and is driven by a need to complete his mission. He initially fulfills his mission by revealing the truth behind his death then again completes his mission when he comes back to check whether Hamlet is fulfilling his task of getting revenge.
In Macbeth, the ghost is Banquo, one of Macbeth’s closest friends. …show more content…

The ghost in Hamlet reveals major plot information that sets up Hamlet’s main objective throughout the play. On the other hand, the ghost in Macbeth does not reveal information crucial to the development of the plot but he does signal an important point for Macbeth which is his turning away from guilt and unease about ruining or taking lives in order to obtain his objective. Ghosts are commonly thought of as mysterious figures returning from beyond the grave to haunt those who wronged them during their lifetime. This concept is prevalent in many older pieces of literature and has become increasingly popular today as people gain an interest in the

Show More
Related

  • Hamlet

    1049 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet was not sure if the ghost was really his father or if it was the devil trying to trick him to commit a crime. He needed to prove to himself that what the ghost said was true or not. Therefore he is going to stage a play that will reenact the killing of his father to see if the King is guilty.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The Kite Runner And Hamlet

    1511 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet is extremely proud of Old King and respects him.“He was a great human being. He was perfect in everything. I’ll never see the likes of him again” (I.ii.185-188). Hamlet loves his father and gives the greatest praise at the funeral. Grief driven by love tempts Hamlet to think his father’s goodness, and more, the loss of such a favorable figure. Hamlet believes that the ghost that is said to look like the dead king is indeed his father.”He waxes desperate with imagination”(I.ii.92). The Prince, who is deep in sadness and does not think sufficiently, is convinced that the spirit is the Old Hamlet, he is the only person that can physically communicate with the ghost. Hamlet for the second time talks to the apparition in his mother’s chamber, where Gertrude does not see any. What Horatio and other witnesses encounter at the gate at night proves the possibility of the existence of the ghost, Hamlet later in the play is considered to be truly mad on the account of his unusual ability to see and talk to the spirit, which is obviously conjured up by his mind. Rising actions in both the book and the play are implied at the beginning of the stories: Amir’s memory of 1975 and Old Hamlet’s death. The journey of redemption or revenge takes actions of concealing their true emotions and implementing devised

    Read More

  • The Ghost: Bona fide or Bogus?

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Shakespeare put this ghost in his story it opened up a large debate. Although, at the time when Hamlet was written, almost everyone believed in ghosts so there was no confusion about the ghost. But as time moved one more people stoped believing in ghosts and other mystical creatures. This opened up the debate for if the ghost is real or not. I personally do not believe in ghosts, but I strongly believe the ghost in Hamlet was intended to be a real ghost.

    Read More

  • Psychoanalytic Criticism Of Hamlet

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” there are many different events throughout the play that affect and shape the main character Hamlet. The biggest event being when Hamlet meets the ghost of his father, the king, who then proceeds to tell him that his uncle murdered him. This event will lead Hamlet to madness with sanity while plotting his revenge on his uncle which will ultimately end in his, his uncle and several other’s deaths at the end of the play.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Ghost In Act 1 Scene 1

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Act I Scene I, there was a lot of uncertainty pertaining to the ghost and why he is showing up. Bernardo and Marcellus, watchmen, are uncertain of what the mysterious “thing” is that’s appeared for the last two nights. They bring Horatio to watch with them, but Horatio thinks that the guards are imagining it. There is a mixture between preparation and surprise when the ghost appears. The reader knows that there is something unexplained wandering in the night by listening to the watchmen. However, one can sense the surprise when the ghost shows up as they all agree that it looks like the recently decease King of Denmark. The reader learns that Denmark is preparing for war with Norway. Therefore, Horatio believes that the ghost could signify that Denmark is going to lose the battle with Norway (1.1.158-162). He believes the ghost’s presence could be a bad omen. The speeches introduce a note of hope as Marcellus explains that the ghost left as the cock crowed and when the cock crows, spirits do not stir. Horatio and Marcellus believe that the spirit will speak to Hamlet if it is his father so they decide to get Hamlet to try to speak to the ghost to see what it is trying to tell them (1.2.163-170). In Act I, Scene II, Hamlet is thinking about committing suicide but is uncertain if there is a heaven or hell. He believes that killing himself would be a disgrace to religion, but if there is no God then suicide would allow him to be in peace without worry (1.2.129-159). In Act I, scene IV uncertainty comes up again when Hamlet decides that speaking with the ghost cannot harm him because he does not care if he is alive (1.4.64-68).

    Read More

  • An Analytical Essay on the Significance of the Players in Hamlet

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet grants himself the opportunity to momentarily direct himself, yet it remains unknown as to whether he directs a representation of truth or a falsity.  He exemplifies madness so well, as the sight of "a damned ghost" (77) insanely induces his imagination and comfortably transforms his identity to one of lunacy.  This role he acquires is one he portrays so explicitly well as an actor that he easily utilizes it as the foundation for his players.  He instructs the players:

    Read More

  • Examples Of Hamlet As A Love Story

    2357 Words  | 5 Pages

    The aspect of Hamlet that I find interesting is the appearance of the ghost that Hamlet suspects may be the ghost of his father. Hamlet does not know if the ghost is actually of his father or if it is a demon taking on his father's appearance. How will he know what decision to make if he does not know what the ghost actually is? Also, now I'm wondering if Hamlet makes the wrong decision, will his decision lead to his death? This is the second play of Shakespeare's that I have read that has the appearance of ghosts. Macbeth also had apparitions appear in it. Shakespeare seems to have a method of placing ghosts into his writings, and in Macbeth these ghosts led to the downfall of Macbeth. -Keisha McWhorter

    Read More

  • Hamlets Grief

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    All throughout the play Hamlet mourns the loss of his father, especially since his father is appearing to him as a ghostly figure telling him to avenge his death, and throughout the play it sets the stage and shows us how he is plotting to get back at the assassinator. Such an instance where the ghost appears to Hamlet is when Hamlet and his mother are in her bedchamber where the ghost will make his last appearance. Hamlet tells his mother to look where the ghost appears but she cannot see it because he is the only one who that has the ability to see him.

    Read More

  • King Hamlet's Ambiguous Ghost

    2020 Words  | 5 Pages

    I personally disagree with the author W.W. Greg’s interpretation of Hamlet’s ghost, and believe that his assumption that Hamlet is simply hallucinating his father’s ghost is without merit. Many of W.W. Greg’s claims relate Hamlet to other plays that were written by Shakespeare, claiming that due to how Shakespeare portrayed ghosts in his previous works, it would follow that Hamlet also fits into the same mold as these past writings. W.W. Greg even states, “I should like to be told what Shakespeare's views were of ghosts in general ... I am forced to turn to Shakespeare's other plays for suggestions as to how he represented these phenomena” (Greg 395). W.W. Greg is simply claiming that trends in Shakespeare’s writings in the past logically must take the same form in the character of Hamlet’s ghost. This method of thinking simply does not hold up when examined critically, mainly due to the fact that there were multiple witnesses to the ghost, a...

    Read More

  • The Meaning of the Ghost in Hamlet by Shakespeare

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    In traditional and modern, ghost reflects death and fear, and it never change. In Hamlet, the ghost is a symbol of Hamlet’s father who is killed by Claudius. Its propose is to demand Hamlet to avenge its death. Although the ghost only appears three times in front of Hamlet, it is a specify role to develop the whole story and plot. Through Hamlet, the ghost is the motive to make Hamlet kill Claudius, and the ghost plays a critical role to influence Hamlet.

    Read More

  • The Supernatural in Hamlet and Macbeth

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    The core of the play then unfolds from the actions and words of this ghost. Hamlet's revenge against his uncle is certainly fueled by the ghost's words, but the ghost seems to serve a more subtle and internal part here. In the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy (III.i.55-88), Hamlet makes it clear his is not only unsure of what action to take, but unsure of himself as well. It seems his father's aberration confuses Hamlet ...

    Read More

  • The Ghost of King Hamlet in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout his years as an author, William Shakespeare wrote approximately thirty-seven plays. “Hamlet”, a play written by Shakespeare, follows a young prince of Denmark named Hamlet and his quest to redress his father’s death that occurred by the Hand of his Uncle and now step father and King Claudius. While dealing with this inward conflict of his own, he must deal with the imminent attack by the bordering Norway. William Shakespeare wrote his play “Hamlet” to assert that inner conflict portrays a causal relationship with outward conflict.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Revenge Essay

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the beginning of the play, Hamlet has returned from Wittenberg to honor the death of his father, King Hamlet, and the ghost of his dead father suddenly confronts him. The ghost of King Hamlet has returned to inform his son about the murder that his brother has committed. While King Hamlet was asleep, his brother, Claudius, placed poison in his ear and left him suffering to die. The ghost of King Hamlet sets the main conflict of the play into motion and puts the idea of revenge into Hamlet’s mind. He says to Hamlet:

    Read More

  • Free Essays - The Supernatural in Hamlet

    507 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ghost is the guiding force behind hamlet. It asks hamlet to seek revenge for king Hamlet's death. This propels him into a series of events that end in his death.

    Read More

  • The Supernatural Element in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    A common motif in Shakespeare’s many plays is the supernatural element, to which Hamlet , with the presence of a ghost, is no exception. The story of Hamlet, the young prince of Denmark, is one of tragedy, revenge, deception, and ghosts. Shakespeare’s use of the supernatural element helps give a definition to the play by being the catalyst of the tragedy that brings upon Hamlet’s untimely demise. The ghost that appears at the beginning of the play could possibly be a satanic figure that causes Hamlet to engage in the terrible acts and endanger his soul. The supernatural element incorporated into the play is used as an instigator, a mentor, as well as mediation for the actions of the protagonist that ultimately end in tragedy, with the loss of multiple lives, as well as suscept Hamlet’s soul to hell. Shakespeare’s portrayal of the ghostly apparition causes a reader to question whether the ghost is a demonic force on the basis of its diction, conduct towards others as well as Hamlet, and it’s motive to kill.

    Read More

More about Ghost In Hamlet

Open Document