The Importance of the Ghost Scene in Hamlet
Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is one of the most universally admired anddiscussed works of literature in the English language. It is about Hamlet, the popularyoung prince of Denmark, who returns from school because of the news of his father'sdeath, and finds that his uncle, Claudius, has married his mother and is now King. Hamlet is upset by the death of his father, as well as his mother's hasty and incestuousmarriage. To add to his distress, he later finds out that his uncle actually killed his father,and that his father's ghost wants him to avenge his death. Hamlet resolves to get hisrevenge on Claudius, and then inexplicably puts it off for the rest of the play. During thistime Hamlet acts more and more insane, killing Polonius, behaving cruelly towards hismother and Ophelia, and making dangerous enemies of Claudius and Laertes. The storyline culminates in a bloody duel scene in which Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrudeare killed. One of the most important scenes in the play, one that would devastate theplay's narrative if it were to be taken out, is the scene in which Hamlet is confronted bythe ghost of his father, who tells him of his gristly murder, and Hamlet's obli
(Act One, Scene Five) At the time of the scene, the ghost has been appearing to the guards for severalnights. His behavior wouldn't have been so erratic as to alarmClaudius and Gertrude, prompting them to use Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to try tocheer him up, and to spy on him. They plead with him not to go, but he refuses, so they followhim. Bernado, Marcellus, and Horatio have seen all seen it, but it hasn't spoken to anyof them. If this scene were removed from the play, the play as we know it would ceaseto exist. Theghost then disappears, and Hamlet tells Horatio and Marcellus not to tell anyone whatthey have seen. Hamlet does a poor job of it, in contrast to Laertes and Fortinbras, who act quickly anddecisively, he over thinks his task and is slow to complete it. If Claudius and Laertes hadn'twanted Hamlet dead, there would not have been the final climactic duel scene, in whichso many characters perished. Hamlet is a play about revenge, primarily. Without knowing about his father's murder Hamlet would not have feltobligated to kill Claudius in revenge. Thisexplains many of Hamlets actions, and his extreme indecision over what actions heshould take. If the ghost had never spoken to Hamlet its possible thateveryone would have lived, if not happily ever after. The scene in which Hamlet isconfronted by his father's ghost reveals the crime which it is Hamlet's duty to avenge. When the ghost sees Hamlet it beacons him away fromHoratio and Marcellus. He swears them to secrecy three times before explaining to them that hemight "put on an antic disposition" but that they shouldn't be concerned and theyshouldn't try to explain it to anyone.
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