Revenge tragedy is, as the notion implies, primarily concerned with revenge and consequently also with death. One naturally raises the question what may happen to all those dead bodies when sudden death has terminated life on earth. Is the physical death coercively accompanied by the soul’s death?
The belief in an afterlife – not only concerning religious conceivabilities – has been popular ever since the beginning of human life. This paper focuses on a very special form of afterlife – the one of being a ghost. Between 1580 and 1590 those “spooky” creatures have been assigned a definite role among the dramatis personae of English (revenge) tragedies: Twenty-six plays written between 1560 and 1610 include fifty-one ghosts (cf. Prosser, 259, Moorman¹, 90), being highly different concerning their outward appearances, the inner life and motifs and their general functions in the play. Aeschylus was the first author using revenge ghosts (named Darius and Clytemnestra) in his plays. Euripides introduced the very first prologue ghost named Polydorus, whose function was to summarize the plot and to connect the chain of events. Seneca, finally, was the first author to combine the Euripidean prologue ghost with the Aeschylean revenge ghost (cf. Moorman¹, 85/86).
This paper focuses on the ghosts in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Kyd’s “Spanish Tragedy”. While Don Andrea and Revenge primary function as prologue ghost and as a commenting and judgemental chorus, dead King Hamlet’s ghost is the “lynchpin” of the play, initiating and pursuing his very own vengeance.
In order to point out the ghosts´ different dramatic functions, they will be compared in terms of the outward appearance (chapter 2.1) and their personal motifs and values (chapter 2.2). Besides, the frequency and manner of occurrences will be analyzed (chapter 3) in order to point out the ghosts´ overall functions in the tragedies (chapter 4).
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction.
- Who are the Ghosts?
- The Outward Appearance.
- Ghost of Don Andrea
- Ghost of King Hamlet.
- The Ghosts' Personal Motifs and Values
- Ghost of Don Andrea and Revenge
- Ghost of King Hamlet ……..
- Appearances in the Play
- Ghost of Don Andrea and Revenge.
- Ghost of King Hamlet ...........
- The Ghost's Overall Function.
- Ghost of Don Andrea and Revenge.
- Ghost of King Hamlet.…....
- Conclusion....
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper investigates the role of ghosts in revenge tragedies of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, focusing on Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Kyd's "Spanish Tragedy." The paper aims to compare the different functions of the ghosts in these two plays, analyzing their outward appearances, personal motifs, and overall functions in the tragedies.
- The significance of ghosts in revenge tragedy
- The outward appearance and personality of the ghosts in "Hamlet" and "Spanish Tragedy"
- The motivations and values of the ghosts
- The role of the ghosts in the development of the plot
- The overall dramatic function of the ghosts in the tragedies
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the concept of revenge tragedy and the relevance of ghosts in this dramatic form. It highlights the historical development of ghosts in dramatic literature, from their early appearances in Aeschylus and Euripides to Seneca's combination of prologue ghosts with revenge ghosts. The chapter also introduces the two main ghosts of this paper: Don Andrea in "Spanish Tragedy" and King Hamlet in "Hamlet."
The second chapter delves into the outward appearances of Don Andrea and King Hamlet, contrasting their differing levels of physical detail. It explores how the appearance of King Hamlet, with its human-like characteristics and specific details, contributes to his personality and the audience's belief in his existence. The chapter also discusses the possible implications of the ghost's changing clothing in "Hamlet."
Chapter three analyzes the personal motivations and values of the ghosts. It explores the relationship between Don Andrea and Revenge, highlighting Revenge's supernatural power and Don Andrea's passive, emotional role. The chapter also delves into the ambiguity surrounding King Hamlet's motives, questioning his intentions and the veracity of his claims.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
Revenge tragedy, ghost, Shakespeare, Hamlet, Kyd, Spanish Tragedy, outward appearance, motifs, values, dramatic function, prologue ghost, revenge ghost, supernatural, personality, authenticity, motivation.
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- Katharina Unkelbach (Autor:in), 2013, A Comparative Analysis of the Ghosts´ Appearances, Motifs and Functions in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" and Kyd´s "The Spanish Tragedy", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/231899
