Ghost-Hamlet

The Role of the Ghost in Hamlet 1
The ghost of Hamlet's late-father is a character from William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, also known as The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In the stage directions he is referred to as "Ghost."
King Hamlet appears as a Ghost four times in the play: in Act I Scenes i, iv, and v, and Act III Scene iv. The ghost arrives at 1.00 a.m. in at least two of the scenes, and in the other scene all that is known is that it is night.
The Ghost appears first to a duo of soldiers—Barnardo and Marcellus—and a visitor to Denmark, Horatio. Francisco never sees the Ghost having the immediate preceding watch to Barnardo and Marcellus. The men draw their swords and stand in fear, requesting that Horatio, as a scholar, address the ghost. Horatio asks the ghost to speak, and reveal its secret. It is about to do so when the cock crows, signaling morning, and the ghost instead disappears. In this scene, the Ghost is clearly recognized by all present as the King, dressed in his full armour. It is also said that he had appeared to the castle guards at least twice before at exactly the same time.
In his second appearance, Horatio has talked Prince Hamlet into staying up with the guards to see if the ghost returns. At midnight, it appears, and beckons Hamlet to follow. Horatio and his friends beg him not to go alone, but he does anyway, driven by curiosity. Once alone, the ghost describes his wanderings on the earth, and his harrowing life in purgatory, since he died without receiving the ordinances of the Catholic Church, such as Extreme Unction. He tells the young Hamlet that he was poisoned and murdered by his brother, Claudius, the new King of Denmark, and asks the prince to avenge his death. He also expresses disgust at his wife, Gertrude, for marrying Claudius, but warns Hamlet not to confront her, but to leave that to Heaven. Later, Prince Hamlet returns to his friends and has them swear on his sword to keep what they have seen a secret. When they resist, the ghost utters the words "Swear" and "Swear on the sword", from below the stage, until his friends agree.
The prince Hamlet, fearing that the apparition may be a demon pretending to be King Hamlet, decides to put the ghost to the test by staging a play that re-enacts the circumstances that the spirit claims led to his death. Claudius's reaction is one of guilt and horror, and Prince Hamlet is convinced that the ghost is, in fact, his father. However, due to his over-analytical mind and the complexity of the ghost's conditions, much time passes before Hamlet can carry out his orders.
In the third appearance, Hamlet is confronted by the ghost in his mother's closet, and is rebuked for not carrying out his revenge and for disobeying in talking with Gertrude. Hamlet fearfully apologizes. Gertrude, however, cannot see the ghost, and thinks Hamlet is mad, asking why he stares and talks to nothing. In this scene, the ghost is described as being in his nightgown.
King Hamlet is described by other characters in the play as a warrior, as he led Denmark's forces to victory against Norway, and personally defeated its King Fortinbras in hand-to-hand combat. Hamlet respects him, saying Claudius pales in comparison to him, and frequently reflecting on him in an endearing manner.

2
Shakespeare fashionably utilizes the popular concept of the ghost in Hamlet which is of tremendous significance in the development of the play. The introduction of the ghost in Hamlet serves three main purposes of the dramatist. It introduces an element of fear and mystery and creates a tragic atmosphere in the play. It motivates the action of the play by imposing a task upon Hamlet. Finally it shows up the characters and produces a certain moral effect in them.
The ghost in Hamlet discloses to the audience the suspicions already in the minds of Hamlet and his friends.
The motive for the revenge theme of the play is provided by the Ghost. The awful revelation of the Ghost forms the source of the tragedy and the spring of the action. Thus the supernatural is made the starting point of the play. The revelation of the Ghost intensifies the horror that Hamlet felt at the over hasty marriage of his mother with Claudius. The foul play that Hamlet suspected becomes a reality and he is charged by the spirit of his dead father to avenge his father’s murder of which he is incapable. The duty is thus imposed on Hamlet and his failure to carry it out in proper time form the substance of the tragedy.
With the Ghost’s description of Claudius and Gertrude, Hamlet as well as the spectators comes to know them in their true colours. Hence Hamlet condemns Claudius as ‘smiling damned villian’ and Gertrude as a ‘most pernicious woman’ in his soliloquy.