Essay: Uncovering the Role of the Ghost in “Hamlet” and Its Influence on the Characters

Hamlet and the Ghost
In Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, the Ghost plays a key role in influencing the destinies of the other characters. The Ghost is important to the play as it symbolizes both fate and catalyses the plot. It also brings the play into the revenge tragedy genre, which allows foreshadowing to occur and helps the audience to better understand the play and appreciate it. The Danish King Hamlet is forced to roam the earth as he was murdered before he could confess to his sins, having to remain in Purgatory till his sins are washed from him and he is able to enter into Heaven. At least that is what Prince Hamlet is told.
The Ghost is an influential element that causes Prince Hamlet’s variety of reactions toward the world around him and the killer, King Claudius. Besides, the Ghost is the tool of knowledge that lights Hamlet’s heart with the love of searching the credibility of the crime. The Ghost of Hamlet’s father commanded his son to do the act of revenge after informing him of his betrayal. “If thou didst ever thy dear father love,” he tells his son, “Revenge his foul and unnatural murder” (1.5. 23-5).
For the Elizabethan audience, the spirit could have been an illusion, an angel, a devil or a soul ascended from Purgatory. They believed that it was on death that the soul either went to Heaven or Hell, therefore eliminating the possibility of a human soul returning to Earth, “Heaven will direct it” (4.91.1691). This quote illustrates the strong religious belief, giving speculation of the Ghost’s origins, Heaven or Hell?
Hamlet’s conflicting views on the Ghost seem fit considering the differences between his upbringing and university teachings. Hamlet attended the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. Protestant views were taught at this university rather than Catholic. “Martin Luther, a young Augustinian monk, challenged centuries of Catholic teaching by repudiating a principal article of its faith: salvation by works. In ninety-five theses nailed to the doors of the cathedral at Wittenberg, Luther insisted that Christians were to be saved by grace alone and not by any action, however generous it may be” (Jordan 185).
In Religion and the Decline of Magic, Keith Thomas describes that “departed souls fell into one of three categories. The first two were the damned and the blessed; these everyone agreed could never return. But the third comprised those who were consigned to Purgatory, and these, according to Catholic teaching, might well be sent back for some specific purpose” (589). Thomas counteracts, “As for the apparitions which were still encountered, Protestants agreed that they were not to be mistaken for the souls of the departed, but were to be recognized as spirits; very rarely as good ones, more usually evil ones, sent by the Devil in an effort to entrap men’s allegiance” (589).
The presence of the Ghost is only apparent to Hamlet, Horatio and the guards. Hamlet is the only one who can hear him talking and this also shows how close Hamlet was to his father. His own mother, in the second appearance of the Ghost, is completely unaware. “Save me and hover o’ver me with your wings, you heavenly guard”, Hamlet puts faith in the Ghost rather than his own mother (3.107.1732). This demonstrates how effective the Ghost is in bending Hamlet to his will. In Hamlet in Purgatory, Stephen Greenblatt explains the Ghost’s chosen appearance:
Just as the Ghost on the battlements returns not in the semblance of the poisoned man whose flesh has hideously crusted over but in the complete armor of the powerful warrior-king, so, too, the memories that force themselves into the prince’s consciousness—scenes of his father’s love for his mother and his mother’s desire for his father—are at least on the surface agreeable. But they are all the more tormenting in that they remind Hamlet of the magnitude of his loss and the shock of his mother’s hasty remarriage.” (213-14)
Hamlet understands the Ghost is implying murder as revenge, yet he can not bring himself to do it right away. The prince’s faith in the Ghost flops back and forth during the play. Whether it is truly his father’s soul stuck in Purgatory, or a demon in disguise, he doesn’t make up his mind. This makes sense with the differences between the religion he grew up with and what Wittenberg taught.
Hamlet has the perfect chance to shed King Claudius’ blood yet doesn’t. At the end of Act 3, Hamlet finds Claudius alone, but praying. “And now I’ll do’t—and so ‘a goes to heaven, and so am I revenged…why, this is hire and salary, not revenge” (3.74-79.1728). Hamlet can not find the courage to commit the act. He merely blames it on Claudius going straight to heaven if he were to kill him, but it ultimately seems like fear is the main proponent.
Eventually, Hamlet gathers enough courage to assassinate Claudius—or so he thinks. During a conversation with his mother, he discovers someone is listening behind the curtain. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Claudius, but Polonius that was eavesdropping. The death of Polonius expedites Hamlet’s decision to kill Claudius, along with Claudius’ decision to kill Hamlet.
“While it is true that the Ghost cannot harm his soul in the same way that it can harm his body, the Ghost can manipulate circumstances such that Hamlet can harm his own soul” (Atchley 12). The Ghost asks Hamlet to basically damn his soul by pursuing revenge on King Claudius. Why would a spirit trying to fix its wrongdoing condemn another?
The Ghost in Hamlet cleared out the event that Hamlet was uncertain of. The spirit clarified the death of King Hamlet, and caused Hamlet to perform his evil deeds. The Ghost’s request to avenge him caused the death of Hamlet’s family, friends, and eventually himself; therefore, the spirit can be viewed as evil because it failed the four tests that was set by Lewes Lavater and the Church.
Lewes Lavater describes how the church determines if a ghost is evil or good. The first description is “good spirits terrify initially, but ultimately comfort.” The spirit does not cause comfort to Hamlet. According to Eleanor Prosser, “The Ghost has done everything possible to taint Hamlet’s mind with lacerating grief, sexual nausea, hatred, and fury. It has just focused its appeal on the lewd picture that Hamlet knows can most corrupt him – and it says, “Taint not they mind” (Prosser 137).
Hamlet decided to kill Claudius because the Ghost wanted to avenge his death. Hamlet became obsessed with killing Claudius, which sparked his false insanity. This act caused the death of Polonius, which lead to the death of Ophelia. The death of Ophelia led to the death of Laertes, which led to the death of the queen and king, and eventually Hamlet himself. The source of these strings of death is the Ghost. The Ghost calls Hamlet deep into this world of disruption, and leaves everyone dead at the end. It was merely a demon.