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, proving that Claudius was indeed

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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