“Ghost’s During the Elizabethan Era” - 2807 Words

At around ten o’clock at night, a young girl was laying in bed when all of a sudden someone started rubbing her cheek. She looked around and no one was there. Was this her imagination, or was someone there? Ghosts always make their presence known, just like the Ghost in the tragedy Hamlet written by William Shakespeare. Throughout the character of the Ghost of Hamlet’s father, Shakespeare portrays many Elizabethan beliefs on ghosts. Shakespeare creates the question: is the ghost good or bad? Many people have their own opinion on this question, but in this writer’s opinion, the Ghost of Hamlet’s father is a good ghost because throughout the tragedy the Ghost of Hamlet’s father never physically hurts anyone, instead he persuades Hamlet†¦show more content†¦In other words, when ghosts would confront their loved ones, they would stay on track as to why they were there and would not get distracted from the main reason for their visit. As a result, many humans, especially loved ones, know the real reason the ghost has decided to visit. This belief relates to the play because the Ghost of Hamlet’s father decides to visit Denmark and makes everyone question his visitation. Clark states that ghosts appear to â€Å"obtain revenge†, although this appears to be true as to the reason Hamlet’s father’s Ghost appears, it is not the actual reason. The Ghost is there to ask Hamlet to â€Å"revenge his foul and most unnatural murder† (Shakespeare 57). In other words, the Ghost is not there to seek revenge physically, but to have Hamlet seek revenge on Claudius for killing him. The Ghost makes his visitation to specifically ask Hamlet to seek revenge on his murderer; however, he does not force Hamlet to seek revenge. Since the ghost does not force Hamlet to seek revenge he appears to the audience that he is a good ghost because he does not hurt anyone and does not appear violet. Therefore, because the Ghost has not been physical this situation allows the audience to become aware that he is a good ghost. The third Elizabethan belief in ghosts was that people were believed to be hallucinating if they believe they had seen a ghost. â€Å"Persons affected by mania or melancholy are most commonly subject to receive false imaginationsShow MoreRelatedThe Ghost Is a Useful Dramatic Device; Essay1444 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Elizabethan period, a ghost was seen as a common feature in most tragedy plays. Shakespeares Hamlet is a prime example of the use of a `ghost to entice fear and apprehension amongst the Elizabethan audience. The ghost can be seen as projecting several functions throughout the play, all of which are vital to the plays ultimate impact. 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