Power Of Memory In Hamlet

Memory is a powerful determinant of the way one sees his present and future. Hamlet, in particular, is so consumed by the memory of his father that he is driven into a suicidal quest for revenge. The player King in “The Murder of Gonzago” well illustrates this truth, as he points out that “Purpose is but the slave to the memory” (3.2.194). For Hamlet, this power of memory is set in motion by the appearance of the late Old Hamlet’s ghost at the beginning of the play. The guards as well as Hamlet can see the ghost and are shocked by it, though the ghost apparently does not show itself to, or is invisible to, Queen Gertrude and Claudius. The play begins with watchmen encountering the ghost on the ramparts of Elsinore Castle. The watchmen – notably Horatio, Marcellus, and Barnardo – who recognize the ghost as Old Hamlet, immediately attempt to question its purpose. Horatio calls to the ghost, “If there be any good thing to be done…/ Speak to me./ If thou art privy to thy country’s fate…/ O’ Speak!” (1.1.130-135). That is, the men speculate that the ghost has appeared for a specific purpose. They …show more content…
For Hamlet, the memory of his father is imbedded so deeply in his thoughts that he cannot but continue to mourn. However, Claudius has swept aside memories of his brother, or at least he has done so until he is reminded of his murder upon watching “The Mousetrap.” Claudius indulges in the benefits of his murder of Old Hamlet: the queen and the throne. In a rather callous attempt to cheer up his nephew, Claudius states, “’Tis unmanly grief./ It shows a will most incorrect to heaven,/A heart unfortified, a mind impatient,/ An understanding simple and unschooled” (1.2.94-97). This statement gives the reader a glimpse into Claudius’ attitude toward the past: he clearly attempts to forget what has happened, and tries to concentrate on the present and the