Essay on The Supernatural in Hamlet - 3078 Words

The Supernatural in Hamlet Though Shakespeare cannot claim the invention of the ghosts in tragedies, still he can claim to have clothed his ghost in Hamlet with convincingness. This essay concerns his one supernatural character in the tragedy. Regarding the supernatural in Hamlet, Cumberland Clark says in â€Å"The Supernatural in Hamlet†: At least six or seven years pass after the writing of Midsummer Night’s Dream before we find Shakespeare engaged on Hamlet, the second of the great plays with an important Supernatural element, and, in the opinion of many, the greatest tragedy ever penned. What a profound change has come over his attitude towards the Unseen! No longer does he handle it in . . . [a] cheerful,†¦show more content†¦W.H. Clemen in â€Å"Imagery in Hamlet Reveals Character and Theme† describes the pervasive influence which the Ghost’s words have on the entire play: Perusing the description which the ghost of Hamlet’s father gives of his poisoning by Claudius, one cannot help being struck by the vividness with which the process of poisoning, the malicious spreading of the disease, is portrayed: Sleeping within my orchard, My custom always of the afternoon, Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole, With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour The leperous distilment; whose effect Holds such an enmity with blood of man That swift as quicksilver it courses through The natural gates and alleys of the body, And with a sudden vigour doth posset And curd, like eager droppings into milk, The thin and wholesome blood: so did it mine; And a most instant tetter barkd about, Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust, All my smooth body. (1.5) A real event described at the beginning of the drama has exercised a profound influence upon the whole imagery of the play. What is later metaphor is here still reality. The picture of the leprous skin disease, which is here – in the first act –Show MoreRelatedSupernatural in Hamlet754 Words   |  4 Pagesstrong belief in the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural is a recurring aspect in many of Shakespeares plays. In two such plays, Hamlet and Macbeth, the supernatural is an integral part of the structure of the plot. It provides a catalyst for action, an insight into character, and augments the impact of many key scenes. The supernatural appears to the audience in many varied forms. In Hamlet, the most notable form of the supernatural that appears is the ghost. 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