King Hamlets Ambiguous Ghost - 2031 Words

In discussions pertaining to the nature of Hamlet’s ghost, there is much debate. On the one hand, authors such as W.W. Greg believe that Hamlet’s ghost was merely a hallucination, but on the other hand, Maurice Egan believes that Hamlet’s ghost was a real character who truly existed. Egan also contends that the ghost is sent from purgatory, however, authors such as Roy Battenhouse believe that the ghost is pagan and came from hell. Others such as Robert West maintain that the ghost is neither from heaven or hell, but was written to be purposefully confusing so that any audience member could think of the ghost in many different ways. I personally believe that the ghost was a real character who came from hell and appeared before Hamlet in†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the ghost requests for Hamlet to â€Å"revenge his foul and most unnatural murder† (Shakespeare 1.5 25). The ghost’s request of Hamlet matches what the true King Hamlet woul d have wished for, which further supports the claim that the ghost was real and actually did want Hamlet to exact revenge upon Claudius. While I agree with Roy Battenhouse’s claim that evidence supporting that the ghost is Catholic is lacking, I disagree with his assumption that if the ghost is not Catholic, then it must be pagan. Battenhouse states, â€Å"We may ask: is the Ghosts isolated gobbet of sacramental language sufficient to prove a Catholic faith?† (Battenhouse 162). Battenhouse is referencing to a particular section of the play where the ghost gives indication to the fact that he has partaken of Catholic rituals, however, he maintains that this one section alone is not enough evidence to prove that the ghost is indeed Catholic (Battenhouse 162). Battenhouse then attempts to paint King Hamlet as pagan, stating, â€Å"his desire for revenge represents a pagan demand for natural justice† (Battenhouse 190). This kind of claim cannot be thought of as proo f, simply due to the fact that the desire for revenge is merely a natural human emotion, and not necessarily a pagan belief. The ghost is also quoted stating, â€Å"Against thy mother aught, Leave her toShow MoreRelatedHamlet : Sadness, Madness, Or Just Misunderstood1053 Words   |  5 Pagesstraight out as the antagonist, though not immediately. He (Claudius) begins to establish himself as King of Denmark but it is until Hamlet makes his appearance that we see some of Claudius’s attributes. Claudius shows two faces; one of the grieving brother in mourning for his dead king and then as if the earth isn’t cold on his brother’s grave, he acts calm and professional as King himself showing almost no sadness at all up to entrance of Hamlet in the scene. To move that quicklyRead MoreThere is No Ghost in Hamlet Essay753 Words   |  4 Pagesapplication of ghosts in his plays, Hamlet is no exception. Scholars argue that the ghost in Hamlet is only a figment of Hamlet’s imagination, but how does that explain others witnessing the apparition. Hamlet’s mental state is declining throughout the play, but what is the true cause? From an external view Hamlet appears insane, whether or not he is insane is left ambiguous. If he is insane, is the traumatic loss of his father causing Hamlet to see a ghost or is the ghost real indeed? The ghost firstRead MoreHamlet Character Analysis995 Words   |  4 Pagesare many events and characters that are ambiguous to the audience. They are interpreted in several ways as there are different view points on why a character decided to act like they did. Such examples in the play are Hamlet’s use of language is equivocal as he uses his words to confuse and insult other characters in the play. Moreover, the decisions that Hamlet makes to delay Claudius’ murder in the play can be interpreted to have various explanations. Hamlet’s personality is quite enigmatic as a resultRead MoreThe Contagion In Shakespeares Hamlet1365 Words   |  6 Pagescharacters, including Hamlet. Hamlet’s conscientious neutrality and vitality during the spreading of the contagion prohibit him from becoming villainous or heroic, but his actions, infected by the contagion, indirectly affect other characters ultimately determining his final destination. The contagion that has been cast over Denmark is a result of Hamlet’s father’s ghost who is stuck in purgatory. After King Hamlet dies, Hamlet’s mother marries the dead king’s brother, Hamlet’s uncle. The motive of theRead MoreHamlet : A Tragic Hero995 Words   |  4 PagesShakespearean tragedy Hamlet, the main protagonist, Prince Hamlet, is fated by the ghost of his late father that, because of his tragic flaw of procrastination, leads him to his self-destruction which deems him a tragic hero. For characters to be considered a tragic hero, they must first be destined by the gods or any other form of the supernatural. In the first act of Hamlet, the Ghost, who is believed to be the late King Hamlet, appears to his son, Prince Hamlet, to destine him to seek revenge forRead MoreAn Analysis of Queen Gertrudes Position in King Hamlets Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet1056 Words   |  5 PagesAn Analysis of Queen Gertrudes Position in King Hamlets Death in William Shakespeares Hamlet Usually in a playwright, one of the authors objectives is to keep the viewer or reader confused or disconcerted about certain events in the plot. Certain characters in a play or story that have concocted covert schemes to perhaps murder or frame somebody, may have confusing effects on the viewer. Depending on the way the plan was developed in the plot the viewer may have to stop and ask themselves;Read MoreHamlet Corruption Essay1040 Words   |  5 Pagescorruption, cruelty and uncertainty are portrayed. The idea that the human condition is corrupt and cruel shows that Hamlet has been hurt by something or someone in his past, and it gives an emphasis on his hurting. The thought of uncertainty is Hamlet’s point of view that we are uncertain of what life beholds thus that is why we as people never give up on life, we want to know what is next. Human nature makes the people want to know more, they want to know the future. First we shall start withRead MoreThe Success Of The Conjuring Trick1722 Words   |  7 Pagesdead horse was brought to receive the sacrament.† Such superstitions were believed as well as the interest in ghosts was increased during Elizabethan age were the element for the success of the conjuring trick made by King Hamlet Ghost. The Ghost knows so well about the belief of his people, especially his own son; that is why he is confident once he appears to Hamlet, he can lead Hamlet’s mind to serve for his evil purpose. The most important thing determines whether the conjuring trick will be successfulRead MoreHamlet s Downfall Of William Shakespeare s Hamlet1701 Words   |  7 PagesHamlet’s Downfall William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is perhaps the most significant tragedy ever written in literature to date. Hamlet is a reflection of everyday life at some point. Revenge against one another is commonly used in comparison Hamlet to modern life. Shakespeare’s Hamlet eloquently uses foreshadowing and other literary techniques to portray the insanity of Hamlet, which lead to his downfall. â€Å"Hamlet’s test assumes that a criminal, when confronted with his deeds, confesses his guilt throughRead More Significance of the Ghost to William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1580 Words   |  7 PagesSignificance of the Ghost to William Shakespeares Hamlet In Shakespeares Hamlet, the ghost plays a key role in influencing the destinies of the other characters. The ghost is important to the play as it symbolizes both fate and catalyses the plot. It also brings the play into the revenge tragedy genre, which allows foreshadowing to occur and helps the audience, both Elizabethan and contemporary to better understand the play and appreciate it. The late King Hamlet is

The Worst Sinner in The Scarlet Letter Essay - 986 Words

The Scarlet Letter illustrates that the illumination of self-deception gapes open after one like the very jaws of hell. This is apparent through all the main characters of the novel. Although Hawthornes work has several imperfect people as the main characters, including Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth, the worst sinner is Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth commits the greater sin because of his failure to forgive; he has an insatiable appetite for revenge; he receives extreme pleasure in torturing Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne, however, has committed sins of almost the same magnitude. While Hester tries to protect Dimmesdale by not giving the name of Pearls father, she actually condemns him to a long road of†¦show more content†¦Though she suffers for seven long years, she never actually repents, but falls into adultery once again. She is defiant to the Puritan way and the commandment forbidding adultery, not only physically but in her heart as well. By the end of the book, a reader can observe that she never repents, but liberally deceives herself and society. In contrast, Dimmesdale eventually realizes that confession is necessary to repentance, in addition to denying himself any adulteress thoughts or acts. A reader may label Dimmesdale the purest of the sinners. Adultery, in the Christian world, is the one of the greatest sins a man can commit, second only to premeditated murder. In a Puritan society, it must be close to the same. Dimmesdale tries to purge himself of this evil sin by scourging and self-denial. However, he shies away from public confession, rationalizing the good he can instill in other men and women with his sermons. We find this illogical reasoning on page He endures Chillingworths revenge and hatred while trying to preach what he doesnt practice. At his weakest point, Hester tempts him to cave in to the sin and do it all over again. Out of desperation to flee from the torture, he crumblesShow MoreRelatedThe Worst Sinner in the Scarlet Letter1444 Words   |  6 PagesThe Worst Sinner in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter there are three main sinners presented to the reader. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth are all written with their own forms of sin, and each has a unique coping mechanism for their sins and guilt. Sin, at this time, was a hugely important part of daily life, and punishment for one’s sins was universally seen as not only a positive thing, but a necessary action to keep the people of the colony pure. Both HesterRead MoreDimmesdale Is The Worst Sinner In The Scarlet Letter914 Words   |  4 Pages The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is about a young woman named Hester Prynne, who has committed adultery and gave birth to a daughter named Pearl. As a punishment, Hester has to wear a cloth with a scarlet letter ‘A’ on her chest that stands for ‘Adulteress’ for all her lifetime. Meanwhile, Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, who has been missing for two years come back and decides to ta ke a revenge on Hester’s lover. Throughout the novel, Chillingworth has discovered that a youngRead MoreDimmesdale Is The Worst Sinner964 Words   |  4 Pages The worst sinner The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is about a young woman named Hester Prynne, who has committed adultery and gave birth to a daughter named Pearl. As a punishment, Hester has to wear a cloth with a scarlet letter ‘A’ on her chest that stands for ‘Adulteress’ for all her lifetime. Meanwhile, Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, who has been missing for two years come back and knows about his wife cheating on him. He tells Hester to keep his true identityRead MoreDimmesdale Is The Worst Sinner914 Words   |  4 PagesThe worst sinner In the novel The Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is about a young woman named Hester Prynne, who has committed adultery and gave birth to a daughter named Pearl. As a punishment, Hester has to wear a cloth with a scarlet letter ‘A’ on her chest that stands for ‘Adulteress’ for all her lifetime. Meanwhile, Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, who has been missing for two years come back and decides to take a revenge on Hester’s lover. Throughout the novel, ChillingworthRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter : The Puritan Time Period1283 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter The Puritan time period is considered one of the holiest time periods of all time since they live a godly life. Nathaniel Hawthorne proves this statement wrong by telling the story of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. â€Å"She never battled with the public, but submitted, uncomplainingly, to its worst usage; she made no claim upon it, in requital for what she suffered; she did not weigh upon its sympathies.† (123) (This quote has no bearing on the openingRead MoreSins inThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred† (Hawthorne). As this sentence is read in the The Scarlet Letter, the reader will realize that the main theme of the book is the sentence above. Throughout the book, secret sin damages the lives, soul, and the integrity of the main characters. However, it could have easily been ev aded through open confession of their sins. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s purpose in writing this novel isRead MoreSymbolism From The Scarlet Letter867 Words   |  4 PagesEmalee McCracken Mrs. Voshell Honors English 10 21 December 2016 Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter There are many forms of symbolism found in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne, the author uses his many forms of symbolism to project a lesson or moral created throughout the story. Even each of the main characters has a different moral representation. Guilt, repentance, purity, and strength each are shown through the eyes of a different character. Pear, Hester Prynne, Chillingworth, and Reverend DimmesdaleRead MoreThe Gift of Evil in The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne764 Words   |  4 PagesGifts Of Evil In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are many characters who have committed sins. In Puritan community they followed the word of god and banned all sins. These sins in The Scarlet Letter were look as The Black Mans work meaning satans work. The sins committed were harmful and hurtful to people and their souls. Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale committed adultery with bearing a child named Pearl. But Roger Chillingworth committed the worst sin by using his gifts for evilRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1037 Words   |  5 Pagesmentality that they are average and no worse than others can actually make them bitter and unsuccessful. In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne a puritan society is plagued by hypocrisy and sin. The three main characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale are all endowed with a deep underlying sin. Out of the three Dimmesdale is the worst sinner in the town because he is a coward for not admitting his sin. Dimmesdale is not only the most complex character in theRead More Greatest Sinner in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay1267 Words   |  6 PagesThe Greatest Sinner in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mankind is prone to some degree of sin. A question that has always plagued mankind is how one can achieve redemption from sin. Any sin becomes compounded when the perpetrator does not take responsibility for it. In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, perhaps the greatest sinner was Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.    Many of Hawthornes works center around what is right or wrong, and the consequences of breaking the basic

A Fight for Survival free essay sample

She tried to encourage the tributes to be happy about being chosen; that it is somewhat of an honor to be selected to participate in the Hunger Games, yet was unsuccessful. The Hunger Games is the first book in an amazing trilogy written by Suzanne Collins, that follows the story of Katniss Everdeen and how she survives The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is an annual tournament where the Capitol randomly picks one female and one male from each district to compete against one another for survival. Katniss follows the Hero’s Journey in The Hunger Games because she met her Mentor, was Tested and made Allies and Enemies, and went through an Ordeal. When the Hero meets the Mentor she is looking to gain confidence, insight, advice, or training for the Ordeal. The Hero also seeks experience and wisdom from her Mentor. A Mentor in The Hunger Games is the victor of the previous or past Hunger Games who is meant to train the tributes from their district to survive. Haymitch, the last living victor of District 12, becomes the official Mentor of Katniss and Peeta. He tells them to get the people of the Capitol to like them so they can gather sponsors, who will give sponsor gifts during the Hungers Games. Haymitch mentions that even the simplest things could save them. Before the Hunger Games began, Haymitch tells Katniss and Peeta to stay alive and not to go to the cornucopia; to go to high grounds and to find water. If she steps off the pedestal before the Hunger Games begin, bombs will go off (The Hunger Games). At one point in the story, Katniss was burned and needed medicine. Haymitch tried to get her some sponsors so they can give her gifts that will help her heal; in this case Haymitch managed to convince a sponsor to send Katniss some medicine (The Hunger Games). Not only did Katniss meet her Mentor, another part of The Hero’s Journey that Katniss followed next was the Tests, Allies, and Enemies. As the movie progresses, Katniss is tested in many different ways that will show her who she can trust and who she cannot. Katniss, along with the other tributes, were tested based on their training scores, their first mpression, and their performances during The Hunger Games. Katniss impressed the sponsors during her training and scored an eleven. Cinna, her stylist and probably the most normal person Katniss meets in the Capitol, becomes her ally. He was there for Katniss when she admitted to him that she is afraid of not being able to impress anyone during her interview process. Cinna suggested that she should be herself and to imagine that she is ta lking to him instead (The Hunger Games). Another ally Katniss made was Rue, a 12 year old tribute from District 11. Their alliance began when Rue warned Katniss about the nest of tracker jackers; which helped Katniss get away from the other competitors who were surrounding her. Rue also helped Katniss blow up their enemy’s food and supplies; which resulted in Rue’s death (The Hunger Games). Katniss’s enemies are the other tributes of the Hunger Games. Her main enemy however, is Cato; a fearless, over confident District 2 tribute. Cato is the Shadow of the story. The Shadow does whatever he can to stop the Hero, Katniss, from succeeding. Katniss’s encounter with Cato and the other competitors, including Rue and Peeta, happens in the Ordeal, which is another step she follows in the Hero’s Journey. The Ordeal begins as soon as the cannons fire and the tributes step off the pedestal. Right off the bat, eleven out of the twenty-four tributes died. Katniss manages to survive and climbs up a tree to stay safe (The Hunger Games). Game-Makers are the people who control and manipulate The Hunger Games. They control the number of deaths, creates and designs the arena, as well as the animals that were generated. Game-Makers are the Threshold Guardians; providing tests and obstacles during the Hero’s Journey. An example of an obstacle is when the Game-makers created a fire to try and kill Katniss because she was too far away from any the other tributes and any danger. Katniss survives but was severely burned. Her mentor, Haymitch, tried to gather sponsors for her so they can send a sponsor gift. He succeeds and Katniss receives medicine to heal her burns (The Hunger Games). An announcement was made that two people may win the Hunger Games as long as they are from the same District. After Katniss and Peeta Mellark, the other Tribute of District 12, are caught up with each other, Katniss helps Peeta recover from his injuries. Peeta, in this story, is the Shape Shifter. The Hero never knows the true intentions of this character as he puts doubts in her mind and is never really on one side. An example is when Peeta was once allied with Cato and his small group, who were out to get all the other tributes, including Katniss. She was surrounded by Cato’s group and the only way she managed to escape was when she let a nest of tracker jackers fall over the group while they were asleep. These genetically altered wasps cause extreme hallucinations and are so deadly that they can cause death (The Hunger Games). Many of the tributes in Cato’s group died because of the tracker jackers and Katniss managed to get away with Peeta and Rue’s help. However, Katniss was stung and suffered with hallucinations, taking her a few days to recover. When Peeta was well enough to move on, after Katniss brought him medicine, the Game Makers created mutant dogs that chased the last three survivors, Peeta, Katniss and Cato, all to the Cornucopia. Cato, Katniss, and Peeta struggled on top of the Cornucopia as the mutant dogs tried to attack them. Cato tried to use Peeta to stop Katniss from killing him but failed, fell off the cornucopia, and died. Right then, an announcement was made that only one victor is allowed to survive. Katniss outsmarted the Game Makers and decides to commit suicide with Peeta and he agrees. Before the deed was done, the Game makers changed their mind and agreed to let both tributes of District 12 become the victors (The Hunger Games). Meeting the Mentor, being Tested and making Allies and Enemies, and going through an Ordeal was how Katniss Everdeen followed the Hero’s Journey in The Hunger Games. Her Mentor, Haymitch was successful in helping Katniss gather sponsors that may as well have saved her life. Allying herself with Rue and becoming the enemy of Cato was how Katniss followed The Tests, Allies, and Enemies step of The Hero’s Journey. Finally, going through an Ordeal where the Hero confronts her most difficult challenge and defeats the enemy; these three steps are how Katniss Everdeen followed the Hero’s Journey in The Hunger Games.