The Ghost, Purgatory, and Repentance

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that religion and spirituality are the factors that influenced Hamlet's irresoluteness at the start of the play. Three elements that depict religion and spirituality in Hamlet are the presence of Old Hamlet's ghost, belief in repentance, and the existence of Purgatory. This paper discusses how these three elements contribute to irresolution in the character of Hamlet.

From the Paper:

"The presence of the ghost in Hamlet illustrates the presence of the metaphysical being in the play. Old Hamlet's ghost serves as an intermediary between the temporal and eternal life, delineating the division between life on Earth and Heaven. The ghost's symbolic presence in the play also mirrors Shakespeare's belief in Christianity, suggesting that Old Hamlet has not received a peaceful death. The presence of the ghost represents injustice with the sudden death of the King of Denmark. This is revealed in Act 1, Scene 5, where the ghost narrates the events surrounding his death. He also identifies the culprit who committed his murder: Claudius, Old Hamlet's brother, now King of Denmark. Expressing his grievances to his son, Old Hamlet is like Christ, who became a metaphysical being in order to achieve justice and closure in the unsolved mystery of his death. The presence of the ghost in the play also mirrors the presence and belief in Purgatory, which is manifested in Old Hamlet's metaphysical presence in the temporal world. Inevitably, repentance and the Purgatory are linked with each other, since repentance before an individual's death leads to everlasting life in heaven. However, because Old Hamlet died without repentance, he is now suffering in Purgatory. His suffering during life and death is perpetuated through the Purgatory."

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