The shadow of Hamlet's father is a character in William Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The shadow of Hamlet's father, she is also called a ghost - one of the key characters in Shakespeare's tragedy "Hamlet". As many researchers and literary critics note, without it, the 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 forms at once. This is both an otherworldly mysterious ghost that some heroes see, and an image in the memories 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 time such a character was taken for granted. Ghosts often became the 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 life.

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. She is portrayed using various special effects, such as a movie projector or laser beams.

At the same time, Shakespeare himself is verydescribes in 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 approached the enemy fearlessly, raising his visor. Many heroes of the work note his regal posture.

The relationship of the characters to the ghost of Hamlet's father

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

He begins to view what is happening around him from the point of view of a believing Protestant. 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 Hamlet in this case is considered a victim tempted by the devil.

How to perceive the ghost of his father, even Prince Hamlet himself does not know. He ponders whether he is the messenger of a good spirit or an angel of evil. It is noteworthy that his father's name is also Hamlet.

The relationship between father and son

Prince Hamlet himself in Shakespeare several times changes his attitude towards the ghost of his father. At first, he believes everything he hears because it matches his own guesses about how his father died.

Then he is finally convinced of its existence. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the king directly accuses Claudius of his own murder, andalso in the seduction of a widow who was left alone. At the same time, he begins to call on his son for revenge. After all, the most important thing for a prince is not to tarnish his honor. But at the same time, remain condescending to the mother, the maximum punishment for which should be only emotional experiences.

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

Why does Shakespeare have a ghost?

An answer to this question has been sought by many literary scholars for centuries. Perhaps the most accurate was given to a major specialist in Shakespeare's dramaturgy, 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 is not at all like the ghosts that have previously appeared on the English stage. In the tradition of the Elizabethan theater, the ghost was, in fact, a puppet, with little influence on the events taking place around.

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

Tragedy"Hamlet"

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

This work was written at the very beginning of the 17th century. Most likely in 1600 or 1601. The first production took place on the stage of the famous London theater "Globe". The role of Hamlet at the premiere was played by the popular British actor of those times, Richard Burbage.

It is known that Shakespeare himself played the first role of Hamlet's father. The tragedy in a matter of weeks sold out in quotes. For example, the very concept of "the shadow of Hamlet's father" has become an aphorism. A catchphrase, the meaning of which is either an emaciated and thin person, or an idle loafer.

"Hamlet" in Russian

"Hamlet" was famous not only in England, but also in Russia. The work began to be translated 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 came to Russia. Not surprisingly, the translations were inaccurate and contained a large number of errors.

Today, one of the classic translations of the tragedy "Hamlet" is considered to be the work done in the middle of the 20th century by MikhailLoznisky. This is perhaps the most accurate translation. Such a conclusion can be drawn if only because the text contains exactly the same number of lines as in the original work.

Also connoisseurs of literature appreciate the translation made by Boris Pasternak. It exists in several variations. And some of them are very different from the original.

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

"Hamlet" is still a success on the Russian theater stage. Any self-respecting theater puts it on. In Russia, the image of Hamlet was embodied by Vladimir Vysotsky and Innokenty Smoktunovsky.