Ghosts often represent an evil spirit in transition. The spirit cannot die either because it is in purgatory or because it has unfinished business on Earth. The only assumption one can make when a vengeful ghost appears is that no good thing could come from this visit. Shakespeare uses ghosts in many of his plays to help the plot move along or to foreshadow an outcome. Julius Caesar and Hamlet are just two examples. These ghosts compare and contrast well because they both were great leaders, and they share some appearance techniques when they meet the protagonist, yet they also differ in their approach to executing their revenge. These two plays demonstrate that one should never listen to a vengeful ghost because it results in more death.
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Their leadership is important because it shows even rich leaders do not necessarily go straight to heaven. As Hamlet states, “Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay” (Hamlet 5.1.3541). In this quote, Hamlet is simply stating that everyone turns to dust no matter the class or the power they had on Earth. These leaders had more in common than simply their profession though. They were also both loved by many of their subjects. The people offered a crown to Julius Caesar three times (Julius Caesar, 1.2.313). This particularly showed the love of the people because they were asking him to rule in a democracy that is not supposed to have a supreme ruler. Horatio describes the King Hamlet to other watchmen. He states, “Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet (For so this side of our known world esteemed him) Did slay this Fortinbras” (Hamlet, 1.1.101-104). The word choice of “valiant” especially describes how the people felt because the word is often a word that goes with heroic. This means that even though they were unsure about his ghost, they thought the living King Hamlet was courageous and heroic. Arguably, he could only be stating that the king was valiant because he …show more content…
One similarity about their appearance is that they only speak when they are commanded to. Brutus tells the ghost of Julius Caesar, “Speak to me what thou art” (Julius Caesar, 4.3.2310). Hamlet similarly commands his father’s ghost to “Speak! I 'll go no further” (Hamlet, 1.5.733) when the ghost motions Hamlet to follow him. Hamlet also commands the ghost to speak again a few lines after saying, “Speak. I am bound to hear” (Hamlet, 1.5.742). A reason why they might need to be commanded to speak is because they are under a curse that they need to be commanded like a genie to be able to do anything; they are enslaved to the person that is unintentionally keeping them from heaven. In both cases, it is obvious that the ghosts would and could only speak the person they searched and no one else. When Horatio tries to get the ghost to talk the ghost “stalks away” (Hamlet, 1.1.64). When Horatio is describing the ghost spotting to his friend Hamlet, he also states the
Their leadership is important because it shows even rich leaders do not necessarily go straight to heaven. As Hamlet states, “Imperious Caesar, dead and turned to clay” (Hamlet 5.1.3541). In this quote, Hamlet is simply stating that everyone turns to dust no matter the class or the power they had on Earth. These leaders had more in common than simply their profession though. They were also both loved by many of their subjects. The people offered a crown to Julius Caesar three times (Julius Caesar, 1.2.313). This particularly showed the love of the people because they were asking him to rule in a democracy that is not supposed to have a supreme ruler. Horatio describes the King Hamlet to other watchmen. He states, “Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet (For so this side of our known world esteemed him) Did slay this Fortinbras” (Hamlet, 1.1.101-104). The word choice of “valiant” especially describes how the people felt because the word is often a word that goes with heroic. This means that even though they were unsure about his ghost, they thought the living King Hamlet was courageous and heroic. Arguably, he could only be stating that the king was valiant because he …show more content…
One similarity about their appearance is that they only speak when they are commanded to. Brutus tells the ghost of Julius Caesar, “Speak to me what thou art” (Julius Caesar, 4.3.2310). Hamlet similarly commands his father’s ghost to “Speak! I 'll go no further” (Hamlet, 1.5.733) when the ghost motions Hamlet to follow him. Hamlet also commands the ghost to speak again a few lines after saying, “Speak. I am bound to hear” (Hamlet, 1.5.742). A reason why they might need to be commanded to speak is because they are under a curse that they need to be commanded like a genie to be able to do anything; they are enslaved to the person that is unintentionally keeping them from heaven. In both cases, it is obvious that the ghosts would and could only speak the person they searched and no one else. When Horatio tries to get the ghost to talk the ghost “stalks away” (Hamlet, 1.1.64). When Horatio is describing the ghost spotting to his friend Hamlet, he also states the