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Probability in Hamlet: The Ghost Scene

            Hamlet is perhaps the greatest work of English drama ever written. The story is filled with intricate plot twists and imagery. It deals with the themes of madness, jealousy, deception and love. And like any good Shakespeare play there is the element of the supernatural and also bloodthirsty rage, two elements that are sure to draw in a crowd. It is the former that I will discuss here, the supernatural.
             How do you take a play like Hamlet that tells the story of a young man filled with rage and self-doubt and interject a ghost into it without losing credibility? The short answer is, hey it's Shakespeare and he can do whatever he wants because he is that good. However a more scholarly way to look at the credibility of the ghost in Hamlet is to examine the probability of the encounter.
             So how do you introduce a ghost to reality? Local superstition is the method that Shakespeare uses in Hamlet. From the very beginning, he makes the appearance of the ghost probable through the character Horatio. Horatio sets up precedent for the existence of spirits when tells Bernardo that sometimes spirits walk when there is something out of place. Hamlet continues this as he ponders why his father's spirit is up in arms. He says that all is not well and that he doubts some foul play. These two dialogues justify the existence of the ghost. Later the ghost justifies his own presence by telling Hamlet about his murder. The murder is the foul play of which Hamlet speaks and also the grounds that make the ghost probable.
            


Essays Related to Probability in Hamlet: The Ghost Scene

1. Hamlet

In the very beginning of Act 1 scene i the guards dialog reflect that "there is something rotten in the state of Denmark". ... I can not talk about Hamlet's emotional state without also going into the fact that Hamlet already suspects the King of killing his father, before the ghost tells him so (Leavenwoth, 34). ... Because of some of Hamlet's actions in the "closet scene" it is first apparent that he is making some sort of sexual advance towards his mother the Queen. ... When Hamlet is talking with the ghost of his late father, the ghost tells Hamlet not to kill his mothe...

  • Word Count: 3265
  • Approx Pages: 13
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Comparison of Zeffereli and Branagh version of essay Hamlet

Hamlet Essay "On a dark winter night, a ghost walks the ramparts of Ellsinore Castle in Denmark. Discovered first by a pair of watchmen, then by the scholar Horatio, the ghost resembles the recently deceased King Hamlet, whose brother Claudius has inherited the throne and married the king's widow, Queen Gertrude- (Hamlet, 2004). ... This quote is part of the famous soliloquy given by Hamlet in the nunnery scene when he questions the meaning of his existence and thinks about suicide. ... Another scene that could be compared between the two productions is the madness scene. ... I...

  • Word Count: 2265
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3. Ross and Guil Are Dead Summary

He tries to decide whether, since probability is a natural phenomenon, they might not be in a "natural" realm of existence. ... He tries to prove that if one says that while operating under unnatural forces the probability is that probability does not exist, that in itself is a probability. This means (he says) that since probability does not seem to apply to their coin game, they must not be operating under unnatural forces. ... He tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that they are actors who perform high tragedy-- battles, ghosts, romance, etc. ... Scene Three: Directions...

  • Word Count: 4316
  • Approx Pages: 17
  • Grade Level: High School

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