Is Hamlet Really A Devil?
Is the ghost in Hamlet really a devil? Uploaded by xsparklyvix (1188) on Sep 5, 2005
‘The ghost that I have seen may be a devil’,
Can we be sure about the ghost in Hamlet?
What are your conclusions on this matter.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a drama, which has been renowned for its content and depiction of characters. Over the years, it has gone through many variations of interpretations and criticisms. One such criticism is the nature of the ghost who takes the form of Hamlet’s dead father. At first glance it may be sufficient to accept the ghost as the spirit of Hamlet’s dead father who returns to the land of the living in order to have his son avenge his murder. However, looking deeper into the text, several signs …show more content…
that cannot be ignored become visible which lead us to see that the ghost may be the devil in disguise.
Shakespeare’s contemporaries believed in ghosts and closely linked apparitions with their religious fears of the devil’s power and hell’s dominion on Earth.
Ghosts were believed to be agents of the afterlife but interestingly, they were not universally dreaded. Many counterparts believed they were a representation of the spirit of God. Ghosts could represent the angel or the devil to the Shakespearean sensibility.
Hamlet begins the doubting of the ghost’s origins by questioning if the ghost ‘airs from heaven or blasts from hell’. Deeply grieved by his Father’s death he is in shock and is unsure whether to trust or believe in the ghost. The ghost appears to Hamlet at night ‘What hour now? / I think it lacks of twelve’ and appears to shun the light which in Shakespearean times, suggested the works of the devil, ‘For Satan himself is transformed away from the Angel of light’ (II Corinthians 11:12).
Marcellus claims it is the Christmas season and that during this time of year ‘no spirit dare stir abroad’ because ‘so hallowed so gracious is that time’. This may explain the cautiousness of the ghost in only appearing at night time because he understands the crime he is committing in appearing at that time. Yet, It could be interpreted that as the spirit is still willing to appear during the ‘hallowed’ time, that it is the devil indeed, caring little for the season and God’s …show more content…
wishes.
Moreover, the ghost claims that he is ‘Doomed for a certain term to walk the night / And for the day confined to fast in fires’, this may argue that the ghost could only appear at night time because during the day he was restrained.
In referring however, to his place in purgatory ‘till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away’, the argument of the ghost’s intentions is raised.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is experienced by those "who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified" (CCC 1030). It notes that "this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, ‘nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven’ (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. However, this may argue that the ghost was indeed the spirit of Hamlet’s father returning to the real world as a ghost to avenge his death and reveal the truth to his son, Hamlet, in order to cleanse his sins to enter heaven. Catholics believe that, ‘As the sins are cleansed from your soul, you will be illuminated by the sun of Divine Grace’.
Nevertheless, the ghost tempts Hamlet to commit evil crimes, as does the serpent acting as the devil to Adam and Eve in the Bible ‘Did God tell you it to was evil?’ (Gen: 2). The ghost entices Hamlet to ‘Let not the royal bed of Hamlet be’, which plays on his previous suspicions of
the ‘incestuous sheets’. In tempting Hamlet, the ghost shows his amoral desires to get revenge on his brother. This may lead to people believing that the ghost is the devil in disguise as previously Hamlet portrays his Father as being perfect ‘so excellent a king’ which would suggest that his soul would also be ‘excellent’.
However, This could also been seen as the spirit of his father being so caught up in the emotion of trying to seek revenge on his brother, that in rage his morals are forgotten. This is plausible because he surely is angry after being brutally murdered and wishes to seek revenge, ‘revenge his foul and most unnatural murder’ but relies on Hamlet to fulfil this wish for him.
After Horatio first sees the ghost he claims ‘Such were the very armour he had on / When he th’ambitious Norway combated’. This presents the idea that when he returns he is only a soldier returning to finish a job left undone, an omen for the troubled country he once ruled and a spirit roaming with divine permission. The ghost is only returning to ensure his son knows the truth about his death leaving him free to rest in peace.
This is later proven by the ghost appearing mournful and emotional ‘like a guilty thing’. This proves that the spirit is the ghost rather than the devil because he feels emotions and the devil lacks in guilt. The ghost also cares for Hamlet as he cares for his emotional sensitivity and does not wish for Hamlet to ‘taint his mind’ with this knowledge. The ghost still refers lovingly to his wife and wishes for Hamlet to ‘leave her to heaven’ rather than committing an act of revenge on her.
In Kenneth Branagh’s 1997 production of Hamlet, he portrays the ghost as having seen the fires of hell through his frozen blue eyes. This is in contrast to Zeffirelli’s 1990’s version of Hamlet where he portrays the ghost as caring and full of anguish wanting only for the truth to be told to his child. This comparison of views just in films shows the variety of views from the audience whilst watching Hamlet.
I believe that the ghost in Hamlet was supposed to be portrayed as Hamlet’s father’s spirit trying to get revenge on his brother through his son. By his line wishing Hamlet not to ‘taint his mind’, it appears he genuinely cares for his son, and from this show of emotions it proves he is not the devil. By tempting Hamlet it shows not that he is the devil but only wishing to avenge his murderer so that he can rest in peace and progress to heaven. However, from the lack of evidence and definition of how the ghost was to be interpreted, it appears that Shakespeare, who himself acted the ghost on stage in the performances of Hamlet at the Globe, wished the ghost to be interpreted in different ways by each different director. This ultimately makes the play original and unique to the audience for each different production
‘The ghost that I have seen may be a devil’,
Can we be sure about the ghost in Hamlet?
What are your conclusions on this matter.
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a drama, which has been renowned for its content and depiction of characters. Over the years, it has gone through many variations of interpretations and criticisms. One such criticism is the nature of the ghost who takes the form of Hamlet’s dead father. At first glance it may be sufficient to accept the ghost as the spirit of Hamlet’s dead father who returns to the land of the living in order to have his son avenge his murder. However, looking deeper into the text, several signs …show more content…
that cannot be ignored become visible which lead us to see that the ghost may be the devil in disguise.
Shakespeare’s contemporaries believed in ghosts and closely linked apparitions with their religious fears of the devil’s power and hell’s dominion on Earth.
Ghosts were believed to be agents of the afterlife but interestingly, they were not universally dreaded. Many counterparts believed they were a representation of the spirit of God. Ghosts could represent the angel or the devil to the Shakespearean sensibility.
Hamlet begins the doubting of the ghost’s origins by questioning if the ghost ‘airs from heaven or blasts from hell’. Deeply grieved by his Father’s death he is in shock and is unsure whether to trust or believe in the ghost. The ghost appears to Hamlet at night ‘What hour now? / I think it lacks of twelve’ and appears to shun the light which in Shakespearean times, suggested the works of the devil, ‘For Satan himself is transformed away from the Angel of light’ (II Corinthians 11:12).
Marcellus claims it is the Christmas season and that during this time of year ‘no spirit dare stir abroad’ because ‘so hallowed so gracious is that time’. This may explain the cautiousness of the ghost in only appearing at night time because he understands the crime he is committing in appearing at that time. Yet, It could be interpreted that as the spirit is still willing to appear during the ‘hallowed’ time, that it is the devil indeed, caring little for the season and God’s …show more content…
wishes.
Moreover, the ghost claims that he is ‘Doomed for a certain term to walk the night / And for the day confined to fast in fires’, this may argue that the ghost could only appear at night time because during the day he was restrained.
In referring however, to his place in purgatory ‘till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away’, the argument of the ghost’s intentions is raised.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is experienced by those "who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified" (CCC 1030). It notes that "this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of the damned" (CCC 1031). The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, ‘nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven’ (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our mortal sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us, specifically venial sins and the temporal punishment due to sins already forgiven. However, this may argue that the ghost was indeed the spirit of Hamlet’s father returning to the real world as a ghost to avenge his death and reveal the truth to his son, Hamlet, in order to cleanse his sins to enter heaven. Catholics believe that, ‘As the sins are cleansed from your soul, you will be illuminated by the sun of Divine Grace’.
Nevertheless, the ghost tempts Hamlet to commit evil crimes, as does the serpent acting as the devil to Adam and Eve in the Bible ‘Did God tell you it to was evil?’ (Gen: 2). The ghost entices Hamlet to ‘Let not the royal bed of Hamlet be’, which plays on his previous suspicions of
the ‘incestuous sheets’. In tempting Hamlet, the ghost shows his amoral desires to get revenge on his brother. This may lead to people believing that the ghost is the devil in disguise as previously Hamlet portrays his Father as being perfect ‘so excellent a king’ which would suggest that his soul would also be ‘excellent’.
However, This could also been seen as the spirit of his father being so caught up in the emotion of trying to seek revenge on his brother, that in rage his morals are forgotten. This is plausible because he surely is angry after being brutally murdered and wishes to seek revenge, ‘revenge his foul and most unnatural murder’ but relies on Hamlet to fulfil this wish for him.
After Horatio first sees the ghost he claims ‘Such were the very armour he had on / When he th’ambitious Norway combated’. This presents the idea that when he returns he is only a soldier returning to finish a job left undone, an omen for the troubled country he once ruled and a spirit roaming with divine permission. The ghost is only returning to ensure his son knows the truth about his death leaving him free to rest in peace.
This is later proven by the ghost appearing mournful and emotional ‘like a guilty thing’. This proves that the spirit is the ghost rather than the devil because he feels emotions and the devil lacks in guilt. The ghost also cares for Hamlet as he cares for his emotional sensitivity and does not wish for Hamlet to ‘taint his mind’ with this knowledge. The ghost still refers lovingly to his wife and wishes for Hamlet to ‘leave her to heaven’ rather than committing an act of revenge on her.
In Kenneth Branagh’s 1997 production of Hamlet, he portrays the ghost as having seen the fires of hell through his frozen blue eyes. This is in contrast to Zeffirelli’s 1990’s version of Hamlet where he portrays the ghost as caring and full of anguish wanting only for the truth to be told to his child. This comparison of views just in films shows the variety of views from the audience whilst watching Hamlet.
I believe that the ghost in Hamlet was supposed to be portrayed as Hamlet’s father’s spirit trying to get revenge on his brother through his son. By his line wishing Hamlet not to ‘taint his mind’, it appears he genuinely cares for his son, and from this show of emotions it proves he is not the devil. By tempting Hamlet it shows not that he is the devil but only wishing to avenge his murderer so that he can rest in peace and progress to heaven. However, from the lack of evidence and definition of how the ghost was to be interpreted, it appears that Shakespeare, who himself acted the ghost on stage in the performances of Hamlet at the Globe, wished the ghost to be interpreted in different ways by each different director. This ultimately makes the play original and unique to the audience for each different production