Monday, March 16, 2020

The Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet essays

The Ghost in Shakespeares Hamlet essays The ghost of William Shakespeares play, Hamlet, has a clear mission. He knows that the kings death must be avenged, he knows that Hamlet must do it, and he is very clear about how it should be done. The ghost knows that he must first convince Hamlet that he is who he says he is, and then he must convince Hamlet to avenge his death. His concerns are related primarily to Gertrude and Claudius but he also thinks that all of Denmark should be aware of the terrible deed that has been done. The ghost of Hamlet has a strong sense of self and he is very aware of the immediate surrounding as well as the bigger picture. He also has a plan and Hamlet is the only person that can carry out the plan. The ghost in Hamlet is one that exhibits extreme self-control throughout the entire play. We can see an example of this when the ghost and Hamlet talk at the end of Act I. The ghost is very well aware of who he is, although Hamlet expresses much doubt about his identity. When the ghost tells Hamlet that he is thy fathers spirit (Shakespeare I.v.14), we believe him because his character is strong. He is also aware of the fact that he is a ghost: Doomed for a certain term to walk the night And for the day confined to fast in fires Till the foul crimes done in my day of nature Here we see how the ghost is not only aware of the fact that he is a ghost but he knows why. He knows that he cannot tell the secrets of his house but if he could, they would freeze Hamlets blood. The ghost is also aware of Hamlets place in all of this. It is simply to avenge his fathers death, a foul and most unnatural murder (I.v.31). It is also important to note how the ghost is able to see the bigger picture. He wants Hamlet to know that he was not just murdered but he was murdered in a foul way by those closest to him. He tells Hamlet that because of how he died ...