Shakespeares Hamlet - The Ghost Of Hamlet’s Father Essay

The Ghost Of Hamlet’s Father What would Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, be like without the character of the Ghost? The drama simple wouldn’t BE! The Ghost, though not a human character in most senses of the word, is crucial for the development of the play. This essay will analyze this interesting character. Frank Kermode in â€Å"Hamlet† fits the Ghost into the local and national scene: But meanwhile the ghost – â€Å"this thing† – has appeared. (Horatio as skeptic raises questions as to its status which could have been avoided.) There has been speculation as to its purpose, but one thing seems sure: it has to do with the state of the nation – it â€Å"bodes some strange eruption to our state† – and with the armaments†¦show more content†¦This is what we see Hamlet do when, in spite of his immediate conviction that it is an honest ghost he has seen, he arranges a trial of its veracity in the form of the play within the play. (117) Thus is explained the rationale of the â€Å"play within a play† which is seen as necessary for the climax of the drama. To begin consideration of the Ghost, let it be said that the Ghost makes his appearance even before the play has opened. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes the ghost’s activity prior to the opening scene of Shakespeare’s tragedy: The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. A young man named Horatio, who is a school friend of Hamlet, has been told of the apparition and cannot believe it, and one of the officers has brought him there in the night so that he can see it for himself. The hour comes, and the ghost walks. The awed Horatio tries to speak to it but it stalks away, leaving the three men to wonder why the buried king has come back to haunt the land. [. . .] WhateverShow MoreRelatedEssay about Hamlets Struggle and Disillusionment1137 Words   |  5 PagesQUESTION: Shakespeares Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment. In the light of your critical study, does this statement resonate with your own interpretation of Hamlet? RESPONSE: In the light of my critical study, the statement that Shakespeares Hamlet continues to engage audiences through its dramatic treatment of struggle and disillusionment resonates strongly with my own interpretation of Shakespeares play, Hamlet. It clearlyRead More The Ghost of King Hamlet Essay1301 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ghost of King Hamlet      Ã‚   Many Shakespeare plays contain ghosts, perhaps most notably and most disturbingly in Macbeth and Hamlet. 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