Hamlet Essay, Research Paper
n the play, "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare, many aspects
contribute to the
tale of tragedy, but of these there is one thing that is purely essential to
this
famous story : the ghost of King Hamlet. The ghost of King Hamlet is so
important to "Hamlet" on so many levels, accounting for most
issues, directly
or indirectly, that are involved in the drama. The intrigue of the pale
specter
creates many things such as Hamlet’s procrastination, it also projects the
image of Hamlet’s madness, and most importantly, it provides the plot of the
story: Hamlet seeking revenge for King Hamlet’s murder. The mystery that
was set at the beginning of the play, with the appearance of the king’s
ghost,
was resolved when his son Hamlet went to the battlements after a quick game
of follow the leader. This is where King Hamlet’s visage speaks to Hamlet,
saying not the most famous words of the play, but the words with the most
meaning. At this time King Hamlet tells his son the truth of his death. Here
it is
revealed that King Hamlet did not die of a tragic accident, but of a
treacherous betrayal by his own dear brother. With this event revealed the
story is set in motion with Hamlet seeking to avenge his father’s untimely
demise and with Hamlet also seeking the death of Claudius. With Hamlet’s
new found knowledge about the murderous Claudius, another aspect of
Hamlet is shed light upon. Hamlet’s so called "procrastination" is
brought forth
with the apparition’s information. Because the prince was unknowing of his
father’s true identity, whether he was truly his father, King Hamlet, or a
devious imposter sent by the devil himself to make Hamlet commit a deed of
unrepentable evil. To make sure the accusations of the spirit were true,
Hamlet set out on a quest to test the validity of the statements made. So,
through half the play, Hamlet goes forth looking for clues, finding no hard
evidence but plenty of suspicion. It wasn’t until the actors came that he
pondered on an idea that would test the truth of the words that were
circulating in his mind. Here Hamlet decided "the play is the thing, to
catch the
conscience of the King". That he did,
responsible for killing his father, therefore proving the identity of the
ghost
being actually his father. In most of Shakespeare’s plays, madness plays a
major role and Hamlet is no exception. In Romeo & Juliet mad love played
an important part in the tragedy. In even closer ties, Macbeth’s run in with
the
ghost of Banquo also proved to be an important additive. The appearance of
Banquo to only the eyes of Macbeth displayed to his guests a visage of
madness. This case is also true in Hamlet, but in a slightly different
manner. In
Hamlet, the coming of the apparition did not totally create the image of
Hamlet being mad. To begin with he was not the first and only person to see
this ghost of King Hamlet. Only with the testimony of Horatio, Marcellus, and
Barnardo did Hamlet even know that this apparition existed. The impression
of Hamlet being crazy was not present in his first encounter with the ghost,
but in another. After the first meeting with the specter, Hamlet made his
three
accomplices swear not to tell anyone about what they saw. So instead of
sweeping through Denmark that the King was present in a less substantial
manner, no body knew of the ghost’s existence. So comes the ghost’s second
encounter with Hamlet. This time it occurs in the "closet" of Queen
Gertrude
while Hamlet is pleading with his mother to lay off of Claudius because of
Claudius’s dark deed. Right before Hamlet was to totally sell his speech to
Gertrude, his ranting got out of hand and his father’s form appeared again,
warning Hamlet not to harm his mother for a second time. While Hamlet was
conversing with his father, the Queen stood in dismay not knowing who
Hamlet was talking to because of her lack of ability to see her ex-husband.
This convinced Queen Gertrude that Hamlet was truly mad and she totally
dismissed the ideas that were recently programmed in her mind. With out the
mad appearance of Hamlet and his noted procrastination, "Hamlet"
would not
be as popular as it is today. Certainly without its detailed plot the story
would
have little meaning and little effect. Therefore, where would the play be
without King Hamlet’s insubstantial visit.
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