Is the Ghost in Hamlet Pure Evil?

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The Ghost in Hamlet is a widely controversial topic with arguments determining whether the Ghost is a “goblin damn’d” or a “spirit of health.” (1.4.40) “‘A spirit of health’ is one, which comes from heaven with charitable intentions, and ‘a goblin damn’d’ is one, which comes from Hell with wicked intentions.” The Ghost only has two appearances in the play and is a symbol for uncertainty, yet it is important as it catalyses the play into action and also Hamlet into madness. The Ghost in Hamlet is an evil spirit returning to revenge his killer Claudius; which is a questionable action for a Catholic person leading the audience to believe that the Ghost is evil. He pressures Hamlet into revenging Claudius while destroying Hamlet’s reputation in the kingdom. The readers can contrast the madness of Ophelia and Hamlet to create the truth behind the Ghost allowing the reader to create their own decisions on the Ghost’s motives in returning to visit his son.
The Ghost first appears in act 1 scene 1 when Horatio and Marcellus and Barnardo are outside the castle swapping the guard. Once Hamlet discovers that perhaps the Ghost is his father. After the encounter and reveal of secrets in act 1 scene 5 Hamlet announces he will become a madman,
“As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on,” (1.5.171-172) It is obvious that Hamlet’s behaviour has varied immediately after his encounter with the Ghost when Hamlet decides that is it better if they part their separate ways and Horatio comments that Hamlets words are “wild and whirling.” (1.5.133) Perhaps Horatio was right to be wary of the Ghost. He warned Hamlet that it could be an evil spirit here to lure Hamlet into ma...

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...sion that the spirit could have had good intentions as a “spirit of health” (1.4.40) would have. Therefore the Ghost in Hamlet is a “goblin damn’d” (1.4.40) from Hell with wicked intentions.

Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Signet Classic, Newly revised edition, 1998

Salami, Ismail. 2011. “The Contradictory Nature of the Ghost in Hamlet” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 2.2.2039-2117. Assessed April 21, 2014. http://www.mcser.org/images/stories/2_journal/mjssmay2011/4.pdf
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Hamlet Religion Quotes Page 1"Shmoop University, Inc. 11 November 2008. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/religion-quotes.html (accessed April 21, 2014).
"Definition of madness in English:." madness: definition of madness in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/madness (accessed April 21, 2014).

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