Do ghosts always intend wickedness? The question is difficult to answer because ghosts appear in different forms and sometimes they are only visible to specific people like in Hamlet’s case. The Ghost in Hamlet is difficult to understand because the main character does not tell us whether it is wicked or charitable. It stirs Hamlet’s action after telling him how his father died. The Ghost demands that he avenges the death of his father. Hamlet’s behavior changes as he seeks to take revenge on his father’s murderer. The Ghost terrifies Hamlet and he asks it the question, “Be thy intents wicked, or charitable…?” (Shakespeare 1.4.42). The question leaves one wondering about the real intention of the Ghost. Nonetheless, the Ghost’s speech and behavior show that its intent is charitable.
Some ghosts are charitable depending on their nature. The Ghost in the play is charitable because it helps Hamlet to know the truth about the way his father died and to begin finding clues for the murder. At the beginning of the story, Hamlet’s depression occurs because of two huge events: his father’s death, and his mother Gertrude’s remarriage to his uncle Claudius. Losing a parent is tragic and catastrophic, so Hamlet falls into despair. Moreover, his mother, the queen, remarries his uncle, Claudius, who killed his father, the former king, right after his father died and does not mourn for his death like a spouse is expected to. This makes Hamlet feel bad because the queen does not feel sad about her ex-husband’s death. These two events, therefore, cause him to slip into depression. His depression is conspicuous, and Claudius asks Hamlet: “How is it that the cloud still hangs on you?” (Shakespeare 1.2.66). Hamlet, at this time, is too depressed so that people around him can realize the fact. Moreover, his mother urges him to stop mourning, but his sorrow is too deep. He is very concerned about his father’s death and dwells on it very much; Hamlet had his suspicions that maybe his uncle Claudius had a hand in his father’s death as he says: “O my prophetic soul! My uncle!” (Shakespeare 1.5.40). However, even though he had suspicions, he could not bring himself to find clues that could prove Claudius’s suspect because he was very depressed. The Ghost appears to Hamlet when he is suffering and having a hard time, and tells him the truth. Hamlet confirms his previous suspicions and swears to avenge his father’s death after the Ghost tells him that Claudius poured poison in the deceased king’s ear as he lay on his orchard. Therefore by telling the truth to Hamlet and motivating him the Ghost’s intention seems charitable.
The Ghost could also be charitable if it appeared to Hamlet to help in preserving his father’s memory. Hamlet mourns for the death of his father because he used to be very important to him and people around him want Hamlet to forget about him. For example, Claudius tells him that his continued mourning makes him look unmanly. Everyone around him tells him to stop mourning his father but the Ghost reminds him of his father and through the revenge, he is able to keep the memory of his father alive. Hamlet keeps his father’s memory and looks for a way to prove that Claudius really bears the blame for killing his father. He creates a play and he is able to confirm that Claudius is indeed guilty. The ghost represents his lost father but who is not forgotten because his son’s actions keep his memory alive. Horatio lives on to tell the story of Hamlet hence his memory remains and he is not forgotten by means of the Ghost’s help.
Moreover, the essay “Of ghosts and spirits walking by night” also gives proves that the Ghost in Hamlet intends charitable when it appears. According to “Of ghosts and spirits walking by night,” written by Lewes Lavater, there are four ways to distinguish good spirits from evil spirits. The first clue that Lewes talks about is “good spirits will at the beginning somewhat terrify men, but again soon revive and comfort them” (115). In the play, the Ghost at the beginning terrifies men. Horatio is frightened when the Ghost appears. He tells Hamlet not to follow the Ghost when he tries to because Horatio is afraid it might harm his lord. Hamlet also says: “Angels and ministers of grace defend us!”(19). It sounds like a prayer, which means he is frightened by the Ghost. However, Hamlet decides to follow the Ghost, and eventually, he talks to the Ghost about his father’s death. Hamlet adapts to the Ghost and starts a conversation with it. Also, after the conversation, Hamlet revives from his depressions and despairs. Furthermore, Lewes mentions that good spirits and evil spirits have different shapes. He says: “Good spirits appear under the shape of a dove, a man, a lamb, or in the brightness and clear light of the sun” (115). In the play, the Ghost appears in the form of a man. Bernardo says: “In the same figure like the king that’s dead” (4) when he describes the form of the Ghost. The Ghost appears in the form of a man, so the Ghost is a good spirit. Moreover, the last clue to figure out good spirits is to see if the spirit “desires any help or deliverance” (115). In the play Hamlet, the Ghost tells who killed Hamlet’s father and the way he died. The Ghost desires to help to reveal the truth hence its intentions are charitable.
Furthermore, the Ghost is charitable because it helps to tell the right from the wrong in Denmark and that have been committed by Claudius of killing the King in cold blood. The King is killed by the greedy and ambitious Claudius who desires power. He is willing to kill and marry his brother’s wife immediately. The Ghost appears to ensure that the wrong person sitting on the throne losses it through assassination. The killing of Claudius removes a wicked king from the throne and the coming of the Prince Fortinbras of Norway to Denmark offers hope for a fresh start because he is a probable King. Therefore, the Ghost is charitable to Denmark because it helps to purge her of wickedness in leadership and usher in a new dawn.
Finally, the Ghost helps Hamlet to overcome his depression and have a purpose for living again. He starts to live because he wants to take revenge against his father’s murder. The Ghost pushes him towards the goal of killing Claudius even though many other people die in the final scene in the bloodbath. The death of the innocent King is avenged and hence the evil is defeated. The Ghost helps to reveal the truth about Claudius’ character, even though Hamlet takes a very long time before taking revenge. He takes his time as he investigates the validity of the Ghost and leads to a tragedy like no other because he does not rush to take revenge as soon as he gets the information as we expect him to do. He is rational and does not want to rely entirely on a Ghost rumor but seeks to find the truth. The Ghost plays a very important role in the play because it overpowers Hamlet and lures him into the path of revenge. Although Hamlet’s revenge ends with tragedy, it is not because the Ghost lures Hamlet, but because Hamlet develops his emotion to revenge too much. Therefore, since the Ghost helps Hamlet to overcome his depression, the Ghost shows its charitable intention.
Although the Ghost causes tragedy, its role is very important because it tells the truth, motivates Hamlet, and makes Hamlet overcome his sorrow. The story of Hamlet proceeds with Hamlet’s revenge and ends with a bloodbath because Hamlet hurries the revenge and acts hastily. The Ghost did the right thing in pointing Hamlet to the truth about his father’s murderer although the result is a tragedy. Thanks to the Ghost, Hamlet can hear the truth, overcome his depression and obtain a purpose for his life. Hamlet devotes himself to achieving his purpose, which he may not be able to get to if he would not meet the Ghost; for this reason, the Ghost’s intent is charitable in the play.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. 2nd. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1992.