Supernatural Appearances

Supernatural Appearances

Supernatural Appearances
In the tragedy Hamlet, a young prince of Denmark named Hamlet struggles to cope with the untimely death of his beloved father. About a month after his father’s death, a ghost resembling his father appears to some watchmen on night patrol. This event sparks a slew of supernatural visits of the ghost of Old Hamlet. Throughout the play, the three appearances of the ghost serve to present Hamlet with information regarding his father’s death as well as strong words as to what should be Hamlet’s next move. The ghost also serves to create dramatic irony in the reader thereby arousing a sense of tragic fear. The first appearance in Act I sc I, show only a glimpse of the ghost and he utters no speech. However, since this happens very early in the play, the reader automatically experiences a chilling atmosphere brewing. The second appearance in Act I sc v, sends a clear and vivid message to Hamlet about the true cause of his father’s death and how and when Hamlet should enact his revenge on his now incriminated Uncle Claudius. The third and final appearance in Act III sc vi, serves as a reminder to Hamlet on what his next course of action should be. When the ghost appears, Hamlet is in the middle of an intense and fiery argument with his mother, the Queen Gertrude of Denmark. The ghost sets Hamlet back on track and quells Hamlet’s will to argue with his mother. The three appearances of Old King Hamlet’s ghost effectively create dramatic irony in the reader, guide Hamlet toward his ultimate revenge, and reveal the next part of the story through clear and blunt diction in order to skillfully convey when to act and when not to act.
The first appearance of the ghost in Act I sc I, is short but strong. “Thou art a scholar. Speak to it, Horatio.” Here the guard Marcellus sarcastically and fearfully tells Horatio the “scholar” to speak to it. For instance, the dramatic irony here is that since Horatio proves to be more intelligent than...

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