Essay On The Ghost In Hamlet

Much debate has been had over the topic of the Ghost in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Throughout the play, the ghost appears only to a select group of people: Hamlet, Horatio, Marcellus, and the other guards. There is no evidence that the ghost has appeared to other people, namely Claudius, Gertrude, and Polonius. In Act III scene IV, the Ghost appears to Hamlet, but Gertrude, who is in the same room cannot see it. It has been suggested that Gertrude cannot see the Ghost because of “ a lack of moral sensitivity”. I do not think this is so. I believe that Gertrude cannot see the ghost because the Ghost doesn’t want her to.

First of all, who does the Ghost appear to and for what reasons? He first appears to some guards, who then tell Horatio, who in turn, tells Hamlet. These are the only people who the Ghost has revealed itself to. Now for what reasons might it do so? I believe it is all an elaborate plan to get its revenge. If the Ghost …show more content…
I believe that it is not because she has a ‘lack of moral sensitivity’ like some people have suggested, but because the Ghost doesn’t want her to. It has been shown that the Ghost has a well thought-out plan to take its revenge. The Ghost has used Hamlet’s relationship with Horatio, and Horatio’s natural skepticism to convince Hamlet to kill Claudius. Now, the Ghost obviously wants its plan to succeed. So it is not unreasonable that the Ghost does not show itself to Gertrude. Revealing itself to Gertrude only adds another variable that can go wrong. Gertrude might tell Claudius that Hamlet wants to kill him or she might reveal that Hamlet is only pretending to be mad. The Ghost also wants Gertrude to pay for her sins. It will leave her to God to judge. Either way, the Ghost revealing itself to Gertrude is not conducive to its plan. It does not matter whether or not Gertrude has a ‘lack of moral sensitivity’. If the Ghost doesn’t reveal itself, she will not be able to see