THE GHOST:
Character Analysis (Traits, Key Scenes and Quotes)
Overview
Armoured apparition resembling the late King Hamlet. First seen by the watch on the battlements of Elsinore, then by Prince Hamlet whom it leads apart and charges with remember and revenge. It describes murder by poison at Claudius’s hand, commands secrecy, forbids harm to Queen Gertrude and later appears in the closet scene to spur Hamlet and refocus him on purpose.
For context, read Hamlet Act 1 Scene 1 analysis (the watchmen and the Ghost).
Core Traits and Motives
Authoritative and martial – appears in war-gear, signalling state and duty.
Selective in speech – silent to the watch, speaking only to Hamlet.
Moral framing – defines revenge as memory, justice and restraint towards Gertrude.
Ambiguous nature – called spirit, goblin, honest or questionable, raising doctrine and doubt.
Catalyst – shifts the play from suspicion to charge, then corrects course in 3.4.
Arc in Five Beats (With Outcomes)
Public Omen (1.1)
Seen by Barnardo, Marcellus and Horatio; refuses speech and vanishes at cock-crow.
Private Charge (1.4–1.5)
Beckons Hamlet, names Claudius as murderer, demands revenge, enjoins secrecy and warns against harming Gertrude.
Echo nn Absence (2.x–3.1)
Unseen yet active in memory and method as Hamlet tests the court.
Correction and Spur (3.4)
Appears in Gertrude’s chamber, visible only to Hamlet, urging pity for his mother and purpose against the usurper.
Mission Completed (after 3.4)
No further appearance; its charge drives events to the final reckoning.
Key Scenes to Study
1.1 – The watch: silent sign, political omen, proof through multiple witnesses.
1.5 – The charge: poison in the ear, oath of secrecy, ethics of revenge and restraint.
3.4 – The closet scene: “Do not forget” – re-aims Hamlet from Gertrude to Claudius.
Essential Quotes (With One-Line Gloss)
“I am thy father’s spirit.” – identity claimed to bind filial duty (1.5).
“Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” – revenge framed as justice, not licence (1.5).
“Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand…” – the ear-poison account that makes theatre possible later (1.5).
“Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive / Against thy mother aught.” – revenge with restraint (1.5).
“Do not forget. This visitation / Is but to whet thy almost blunted purpose.” – correction and spur in the closet (3.4).
Performance And Essay Angles
Nature of the spirit – purgatorial soul, devilish tempter or honest ghost; how doctrine shapes staging.
State and memory – armour links the supernatural to Denmark’s past victories and present crisis.
Visibility on stage – seen by many in 1.1, only by Hamlet in 3.4 – what that means for truth and psychology.
Language of charge – imperatives, vows and the bond of secrecy as dramatic engine.
Sound and light – trumpet, cock-crow, dawn as counters to the spirit’s time.
Study Prompts
Why does Shakespeare make the ghost public first, private later – what does each mode achieve.
Compare Horatio’s political reading with Hamlet’s filial response – how do they interpret the sign.
How does the ear-poison detail enable Hamlet’s later play-within-the-play.
Debate the ethics of the charge – what limits does the ghost set and why.
If the closet ghost is visible only to Hamlet, how should we read that moment.
Short FAQ
Is the Ghost real or a projection?
In 1.1 multiple witnesses see it, which supports reality; in 3.4 only Hamlet sees it, inviting debate about perception and purpose.
Is the Ghost good or evil?
It seeks justice yet calls for restraint and memory. The text leaves room for doctrinal doubt while framing the charge as moral.
Why does the Ghost wear armour?
To connect private murder to public state – the past king returns as Denmark’s defender and accuser.
Why forbid harm to Gertrude?
It separates sin from punishment, leaving judgement to heaven and conscience, keeping the revenge aimed at the murderer.
Further Reading On Site
Key scenes – 1.1, 1.5, 3.4 with line-by-line modern English.
Related characters – Hamlet (charged son), Claudius (accused usurper), Horatio (witness and proof).
For Students And Teachers
Designed for GCSE, A Level, IB, AP (US) and Canadian provincial curricula. Use the line-by-line modern English beside the original for close reading, rehearsal choices and essay planning.
