Hamlet’s father’s shadow is a character of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet tragedy

Hamlet’s father’s shadow, also called a ghost, is one of the key characters in Shakespeare’s Hamlet tragedy. As many scholars and literary scholars have noted, without it, tragedy would not have happened. She hovers over the pages of the work from beginning to end.

Character description

The shadow of Hamlet’s father appears in Shakespeare’s tragedy in two guises at once. This is the otherworldly mysterious ghost that some heroes see, and the image in the memoirs of the main character - Prince Hamlet.

She appears in the first, fourth and fifth scenes of the first act, as well as in the fourth scene of the third act.

About the shadow of Hamlet's father, it is known that in Shakespeare's times such a character was taken for granted. Ghosts often became heroes of dramatic works. They were played by actors in ordinary costumes that would correspond to the position and condition of the hero during his lifetime.

Today, the shadow of Hamlet’s father is perceived differently. It is believed that it is only part of fiction. Therefore, an individual actor, as a rule, does not play it. It is portrayed using various special effects, such as a movie projector or laser beams.

At the same time, Shakespeare himself describes in great detail the appearance of the deceased king. According to him, he was dressed in armor, as in the famous battle against the Norwegian monarch. He remained invariably gloomy, armed from head to toe, and always went fearlessly at the enemy, raising his visor. Many heroes of the work celebrate his royal posture.

The relationship of the characters to the ghost of father Hamlet

The attitude of the characters to the ghost depends solely on their views on the world. It is very different. For example, Horatio, a convinced materialist, at first categorically refuses to believe in the existence of a ghost. However, later he was forced to change his views.

He begins to consider what is happening around him from the point of view of a Protestant believer. It was this religion that most of the people around him adhered to. You need to know that in Protestantism, spirits are exclusively messengers of hell, and in this case Hamlet is considered a victim who is tempted by the devil.

Prince Hamlet himself does not know how to perceive the ghost of his father. He wonders if he is a messenger of good spirit or an angel of evil. It is noteworthy that the name of the father is also Hamlet.

Father and son relationship

Shakespeare's Prince Hamlet himself changes his attitude to his father’s ghost several times. At first, he believes everything he heard, because it coincides with his own guesses about how his father died.

Then he finally becomes convinced of its existence. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the king directly accuses Claudius of his own murder, as well as of seducing a widow who was left alone. At the same time, he begins to urge his son to take revenge. After all, the most important thing for a prince is not to tarnish his honor. But at the same time, remain indulgent towards the mother, for whom only emotional experiences should become the maximum punishment.

It should be noted here that the ghost, even in the afterlife, shows respect for his wife, continues to love her, showing the generosity and nobility that you can imagine.

Why is Shakespeare a ghost?

Many literary scholars have tried to find the answer to this question for centuries. Perhaps the most accurate managed to give a major drama specialist Shakespeare John Dover Wilson.

He notes that the character of William Shakespeare’s tragedy "Hamlet" is a real revolution in the history of the development of all world dramatic literature. He does not at all resemble the ghosts that previously appeared on the English scene. In the tradition of the Elizabethan theater, the ghost was, in fact, a puppet, had little effect on what was happening around the event.

In Hamlet, the ghost of the father demands revenge from his son. At the same time, this researcher considered one of the main achievements of the Shakespeare playwright that he, taking the most conventional figure, gave her human qualities and even a Christian appearance. Naturally, in the sense that Christianity was then understood. He managed to create an image that viewers perceived as a real acting character.

The tragedy "Hamlet"

It is worth noting that the tragedy of "Hamlet" is considered one of the key works of English drama. It is based on the legend of the famous ruler from Denmark. The main theme of this legend is revenge, which overtakes a person, no matter how he tries to hide from her. In both the legend and the play, the main character is looking for a way to avenge his father’s killer.

This work was written at the very beginning of the XVII century. Most likely in 1 600 or 1 601 years. The first production took place on the stage of the famous London Globus Theater. The role of Hamlet at the premiere was played by the popular British actor of those times, Richard Burbage.

It is known that the performer of the first role of Hamlet's father was Shakespeare himself. In a matter of weeks, the tragedy dispersed in quotes. For example, the very notion “shadow of Hamlet’s father” became an aphorism. A winged expression, the meaning of which is either an emaciated and thin man, or an idly staggering idler.

"Hamlet" in Russian

Hamlet was famous not only in England, but also in Russia. The work began to be translated back in the 18th century. It is noteworthy that the first translations were made not from the original language, but from French or German. In this form, the work at that time fell into Russia. It is not surprising that the translations were inaccurate and contained a large number of errors.

Today, one of the classic translations of the Hamlet tragedy is considered to be work done in the middle of the 20th century by Mikhail Loznitsky. This is perhaps the most accurate translation. Such a conclusion can be made if only because there are exactly as many lines in the text as in the original work.

Literature connoisseurs also appreciate the translation by Boris Pasternak. It exists in several variations. Moreover, some of them are very different from the original.

In the 2000s, “Hamlet” was translated by Andrey Chernov, Alexey Tsvetkov, Valery Ananyin, Anatoly Agroskin, Sergey Stepanov and Andrey Pustogarov.

“Hamlet” with success is still going on the Russian stage. It puts any self-respecting theater. In Russia, the image of Hamlet was embodied by Vladimir Vysotsky and Innokenty Smoktunovsky.