Methinks I've Seen a Ghost

If you’ve ever seen a ghost—or an older looking bloke with baby powder on his face to make him look like one—it isn’t a pleasant sight. Whereas most of us wouldn’t think to pursue a ghost, Hamlet is persistent when he says, “Speak, I’ll go no further.” He maintains a child-like curiosity in his tone and body language and wants nothing more than to know the truth when he says, “Speak, I am bound to hear.” Hamlet’s father, on the other hand, retains a stoic posture and tone that one would expect from a ghost. His voice quavers as the scene goes on, but is nonetheless restrained by his supernatural physicality.

When the ghost reads his lines from around lines 50-100 in the play, he does so in a manner that captures the emotion and meaning of every word, something that is not readily apparent when reading the text bare. As usual, seeing the lines performed rather than merely read aloud provides a necessary and proper lens through which to capture the cornucopia of emotion and emphasis somewhat implicit in the text. At the end of his final monologue, the ghost walks into the darkness that is no longer visible to the audience and says, “remember me.” Here, the director captures the essence of the scene through having the actor playing the ghost recede into the darkness, as it not only bolsters the illusion of a ghost, but also bolsters the transgression committed by Hamlet’s uncle against his father. He recedes into the darkness where he will remain until his death is revenged, as is said when he first appears.

When Hamlet learns that his father’s death was a “foul and most unnatural murder,” he is physically and emotionally distraught in a manner consistent with what he has just learned. Once again, the director accurately conveys the emotion, which is immediate disbelief followed by an overwhelming anger. When the ghost exits, Hamlet gives an emotionally charged soliloquy that Shakespeare is famous for, in which he vows his allegiance to his dead father and swears to seek revenge upon his uncle.

The director wasn’t entirely conservative with regard to the original script, with the occasional omission of a few lines, but did so in a manner that didn’t undermine the flow of the play. His/her strength came across in the emotions displayed by the actors to capture the human rendition of the play which can only be brought alive when acted out. The use of props in this scene was minimal, the only one of significance being Hamlet’s notebook. All in all, this rendition of the ghost scene in Act I Scene IV augmented the text and indeed brought out further clarity in the play.