The Ghost Of Hamlet Sir In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

In Literature, there is more often than not a character who appears briefly if at all, but whose scarce appearances play a predominant role in the piece. An example of such character would be the Ghost of Hamlet Sir in William Shakespeare's Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Although the ghost of Hamlet Sir appears only three times in the play, he significantly affects the action, theme, and the development of other characters. Hamlet does, in fact, believe that foul play was to blame for his father's death, and that it was orchestrated by his uncle Claudius, Hamlet Sir’s successor. Even though Hamlet has a strong gut feeling that his uncle is at fault he has no evidence or proof to go on. This all changes when his father's ghost appears to him and confirms his sons hunch, and orders his son to avenge him. Due to his father's apparition Hamlet’s course of action changes from just suspecting of his uncle, to investigating if the ghost is telling the truth, to ultimately killing his uncle. Hamlet Sir's ghost also affects the action of the play later on during Hamlet's quarrel with his mother
The essence of the play practically revolves around revenge. Except for the beginning of the play where the themes are sorrow and anger because of the reasons stated before: Hamlet Sir's death and Hamlet’s mother’s hasty wedding with his Uncle Claudius. The theme of Revenge is not introduced until the second appearance of Hamlet Sir's wraith. The wraith also introduces secondary themes of a life after death and mortality when he informs his son that he is in purgatory because he did not receive his last rites or the chance to make a final confession. In addition to presenting a secondary theme, this remark by the phantom also affects Hamlet's decision to assassinate his Uncle during prayer. In conclusion, the themes of revenge, mortality, and a life after death are introduced by the specter of the old