Ghost Essays

Hamlet and Faustus have differing views on death at the start of each of the plays. Faustus is a typical character of an Elizabethan drama in the role of a man overreaching himself in his quest for knowledge: he believes that he knows all there is to know about what happens after death and Faustus […]

Hamlet and Doctor Faustus have a preoccupation with death and the afterlife. The protagonists’ attitudes towards death drastically change as the plays progress. Hamlet is at first very scared of what the afterlife holds, but then begins to accept the inevitability of his death. At the beginning Faustus shows no fear of dying or of […]

In this Essay I will be trying to point out J. B. Priestley’s intention in writing ‘An Inspector Calls’. I will also be showing how modern interpretations of the original, support his message o the audience. J. B. Priestley wrote ‘An Inspector Calls’ in 1944 but it was first performed in 1945 in Moscow. It […]

‘The Swan’ by Roald Dahl and ‘The Signalman’ by Charles Dickens are two stories which create an atmosphere of tension, fear and danger. ‘The Swan’ is a late twentieth century story about a small boy who is severely bullied by two older and bigger boys. ‘The Signalman’ is a nineteenth century ghost story of a […]

The setting of the story creates a mysterious feeling from the start. Early on in the story Dickens begins building up the tension, the opening line says “Halloa! Below there!” this gets us immediately into the story showing us we must be follow the story carefully to understand it. This also gets the reader-asking questions […]

The first line of the “SignalMan” is, ” ‘Halloa! Below there!’ “. The signalman looks away confused. As this is what the ghost had said the signalman is cautious about the source of it. This is the visitor. This already adds a tense atmosphere, as the signalman is afraid and cautious of the new visitor.You […]

Both of these stories are set in the Victorian era and were written before 1914. The Dickens story explores the introduction of railways, while the other story shows how scientific theory began to replace mystery and how Victorian people started to embrace rational thinking. “The Red Room” uses a dark castle in a remote area […]

The first gothic short story was written by Horace Walpole in 1765. The first gothic short story was called “the caste log Otranto”; from this the whole gothic short story tradition began when readers found this novel to be electrifying, original, thrilling and suspenseful. Gothic short stories are based on the supernatural, and its medieval […]

The purpose of writing about the supernatural is to interest the reader into depth and mystery, and get the reader involved quickly, these are one of the best wide spread mysteries all over the world. Are ghosts real?. As readers of the supernatural, we expect to be entertained by a suspenseful tale of dark fantasy […]

English ghost stories became popular in 1855 when a tax reform brought about the withdrawal of duty on newspapers. This brought about a magazine boom that fed the large literate middle class who were thirsty for sensation. To satisfy their readers, magazines needed stories and promised “fiction of powerful interest”. Charles Dickens owned one of […]

‘The Red Room’ by H. G. Wells, ‘The Clubfooted Grocer’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and ‘The Signal Man’ by Charles Dickens are all short stories set in the nineteenth century. Knowing this the reader gets the impression that the stories will be taking him or her back in time. The author makes the reader […]

In analyzing four works by Charles Dickens, specifically the Queer Chair, Goblins who stole a Sexton, The Signalman, and The Baron of Grogzwig, I have observed that the author portrays ghosts in different manners throughout each story. I will assess whether Dickens presents these specters as malevolent or benevolent and attempt to ascertain the reasons […]

Originally stories were sung or spoken and handed down through word of mouth from one person to another. There were thousands of traditional stories all over the world, from King Arthur and his knights of the round table in Britain to Hercules and the Gods on Mount Olympus in Greece. In the middle ages this […]

At noon during sunset, I first encountered Mr Head. I called out to him, saying “Halloa! Below there!” Instead of looking up, he looked towards the tunnel entrance where a red light was present. So, I repeated myself and shouted ‘hallao! Bellow!’ This time, he looked up. I asked if there was a way for […]

These two short stories belong to the mystery genre and use some of the typical elements of the mystery and ghost story genre periodically. The four aspects of these ghost stories I am going to investigate and compare between the two stories respectively are; Plot, Setting, Style, and character. “Bang Bangs who’s dead? ” is […]

In this essay, I will define how, I think, Dickens creates tension and suspense in this short, ghost story titled, ‘The Signalman’. ‘The Signalman’ was written in 1863, during the era when the Victorians had a fascination with the paranormal. The other famous ghost story that Dickens wrote, was written shortly before this time, ‘A […]

A diary entry by the signalman Day 16 On that dark and somber Thursday, it was two minutes past midnight. In the tunnel, there was a refreshing breeze that proved helpful as this area is consistently damp. While engrossed in my task, I suddenly caught wind of a voice emanating from the red light. As […]

The 19th century was a time when religious belief was almost universal and extended to all sorts of additional beliefs in fate, the supernatural, ghosts and monsters. The three stories that I am going to discuss, exploit supernatural only to scare and entertain. Charles Dickens’ story “The Signalman” is a story about mysterious sighting of […]

The Red Room, a tale by HG Wells, recounts the experience of a man who embarks on a ghost hunting expedition to an antique castle. His endeavor yields success despite a close call with candles during his watch. Meanwhile, The Signalman written by Dickens, tells the story of a man haunted by spectral figures that […]

During the Victorian era, mystery was a common genre in literature. Each story delved into philosophical, religious, and social concerns through its use of mystery. Comparing the narratives, whether in first or third person, can reveal similarities and differences in the setting, role of the author, and language used. ‘The Red Room’ and ‘The Signalman’ […]

‘The Withered Arm’, and ‘The Call’, are both ghost stories. ‘The Withered Arm’ was written in the 1800’s, but was set in 1819. ‘The Call’, by Robert Westall, is a much more modern story. The atmosphere in ‘The Withered Arm’ is also older than ‘The Call’, due to the social and historical background. Women’s roles […]

Macbeth is one of the most dramatic plays ever written. It opens with witches, encompasses the murder of a king and the appearance of a ghost, and ends in madness, despair and death. The use of supernatural in the script, the witches, the visions, the ghost of Banquo, and the apparition are the key elements, […]