hat does the role of the Ghost of King Hamlet add to the beginning of the play Essay Example

viewers. As the Ghost materializes, the men discuss its appearance and continue to prompt Horatio to communicate with it. They feel that as he is a scholar and capable of speaking Latin, a language believed to be effective for communicating with spirits and for exorcisms in general, he should be the one to approach it.

As the spectre draws near, Horatio inquires about its nature with regards to the King. However, he receives no response. The guard, who was previously unaware, angers the Ghost by accusing it of trespassing on royal property and demanding that it speak. In response, the Ghost stalks away, indicating that it will only communicate as a King and not be spoken to disrespectfully. Horatio gains confidence at this moment and cries out to stop the retreating figure: "Stay! Speak, speak!" Horatio now fully acknowledges the existence of the Ghost, which he previously believed to be a figment of his companions' imaginations. When he challenges the Ghost to speak again, despite his fears of potential harm, the lines of his speech become irregular, adding to the sense of excitement and terror.

During Horatio's second attempt to make the ghost speak, he nearly succeeds, but at the crowing of a rooster indicating dawn, the ghost hurriedly returns to its hellish abode. As the ghost vanishes with the oncoming light, the men consider seeking advice from Hamlet, which imbues them with hope, causing them to adopt a more upbeat vocabulary; they observe that it is "needful in our loves, fitting our duty," realizing that their loyalty to their royal prince mandates that they inform him about this encounter. Although the guards have not yet determined

the source of this apparition, its similarity to the king portends danger.

The guards interpreted the Ghost's appearance in full armour as a sign of an impending war with Norway. At this point, Claudius had not yet secured his position as the King, and other nations saw this uncertain period as an opportunity to engage in battle with Denmark. The presence of ghosts was considered a negative omen, irrespective of any ongoing political strife. Historical instances were cited, such as the warning spirits that arose before Julius Caesar's death the night before: "A little ere.."

. The suggestion is made in Shakespeare's play that all the dead rose before the assassination of Emperor Julius, as evidenced by "Julius fell, the graves stood tenantless." The revelation of Hamlet's father's ghost is delayed until after we observe his complicated interactions with his step-father Claudius and newly remarried mother Gertrude. In scene two, Horatio, Marcellus, and Bernado seek Hamlet's advice on the unearthly figure they have seen over three consecutive nights.

During their conversation, Hamlet's acquaintances inform him that the creature resembling his deceased father is present. Horatio directly and briefly inquires about Hamlet's father. Curious, Hamlet agrees to visit the guards on their platform between eleven and twelve to witness this ghost. While the three men converse, Hamlet broods bitterly on the speed of his mother's remarriage - "The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables" -observing that the hot flesh served at his father's funeral was distributed coldly at his mother's wedding. Clearly still grieving for his father and disapproving of his mother's carelessness in forgetting him and marrying again so soon to his brother, Hamlet

candidly tells Horatio he would rather have died than seen the day of his mother's second marriage, expressing discontent at the cheerful atmosphere of court and his family.

Shakespeare takes advantage of the conversation between Hamlet and his associates to illustrate the Ghost's frightful appearance and ominous aura. The use of expressions like 'armed at point', 'solemn march' and 'slow and stately' serve to portray the figure's sense of superiority and significance, adding credibility to the guards' belief that it may be the King. The play's tempo shifts yet again in this scene, enabling Shakespeare to disseminate crucial details and information across several characters. Through their speeches, Horatio, Marcellus, Bernado and Hamlet convey new suspicions ('I doubt some foul play') and recall past findings with short and long lines ('thrice he walked'). Hamlet concludes his conjectures relating to deceit, albeit in isolation. His soliloquy illuminates his concealed suspicions, but it is ambiguous whether they were present earlier on.

Shakespeare effectively builds tension in the play's climax by delaying the Ghost's appearances, similar to Act 1 Scene 1. The weather is harsh and Denmark's state is grim, with mentions of being labeled as drunkards and tarnishing the reputation. Short and long speeches, such as Hamlet's from lines 13-38 and Marcellus' from 60-63, add to the ominous atmosphere that keeps the audience engaged, leading up to the Ghost's abrupt arrival at Act 1 Scene 4 line 38, which leaves Hamlet and the audience startled.

Throughout the play, Hamlet immediately recognises his father's spirit and expresses his loyalty, stating that he will follow him no matter what. Horatio, Marcellus and Bernado try to stop him but are unsuccessful. In scene five,

Hamlet and his father's spirit have a private discussion about important matters that the Ghost has come to inform Hamlet about. During this conversation, Hamlet learns that his father will burn in hell due to the lack of forgiveness for his sins. Shakespeare cleverly describes the terrifying thought of the underworld without disclosing any actual details. Since the Ghost is forbidden to share any further information about the happenings of hell, the audience only has access to limited information regarding the topic.

The line "When I to sulphurous and tormenting flames must render up myself" portrays King Hamlet as constantly suffering in a hellish environment. Hamlet responds sympathetically with "poor ghost!". The ghost explains his fate in the afterlife as an indefinite sentence of unbearable horrors that he is forbidden to reveal to mortals. He reveals that he was murdered, not killed by a serpent, which contradicts what the people of Denmark believe. Hamlet is shocked and the king questions his love for his mortal self. This horrifies Hamlet and he reassures his father of his loyalty.

Shakespeare expertly uses negative and emotive language in the Ghost's speeches to describe Claudius and his affair with Gertrude as 'incestuous', 'adulterate', and 'traitorous'. The Ghost cunningly lures Hamlet into a trap by appealing to his sense of family morals, discloses that Claudius now wears the crown that rightfully belongs to Hamlet's father, and elicits a passionate response from Hamlet exclaiming 'oh my prophetic soul!' which confirms his suspicions of foul-play.

'Incestuous' may seem too harsh to describe the extra-marital activity between sibling-in-laws in Shakespeare's time, but it was an appropriate term. The King's ghost urges Hamlet to avenge his

father's death while sparing his mother Gertrude, who he sees as a victim seduced by Claudius. The King asks for God's discipline against Gertrude, but Hamlet responds with empathy and a commitment to carry out his father's wishes: 'now to my word; I have sworn't'.

To sum up, Shakespeare uses the Ghost of King Hamlet as a central element in the play, revealing the plot and building up high expectations for the audience. The author increases fear and tension through the use of atmospheric language during the ghost's appearances and disappearances.