The spirit that I have seen
May be the devil, and the devil hath power
T' assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps,
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me.
--Hamlet (Shakespeare 610-615)
Shakespeare used omens as symbols in many of his plays. Some examples of omens included thunder, lightning, and fog, were examples of omens; usually, they represented a forthcoming death. However, Shakespeare did not only rely on omens to symbolize foreboding events. Reflecting on the general beliefs of the time, Shakespeare utilized superstition in his plays. These superstitions included the use of witches and ghosts.
Witches
The witches of Macbeth were one of the most notable characters in Shakespeare's plays. Able to see into the future, these witches represented the public idea of witches at the time. In fact, when placed on trial, many accused witches were accused of the ability to see into the future.
Additionally, these Macbeth witches symbolized fate, which was another common Shakespearean theme.
Ghosts
Shakespeare also worked ghosts into his plays, most notably the ghost of Hamlet's father in Hamlet. Like witches, the public had many common beliefs about the activities and personalities of ghosts. Most of these ideas were incorporated into Shakespeare's plays. Ideas about ghosts are also referenced in Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Richard III. In Richard III alone, eleven ghosts are present and they appear and disappear at various times.
Witches
The witches of Macbeth were one of the most notable characters in Shakespeare's plays. Able to see into the future, these witches represented the public idea of witches at the time. In fact, when placed on trial, many accused witches were accused of the ability to see into the future.
Additionally, these Macbeth witches symbolized fate, which was another common Shakespearean theme.
Ghosts
Shakespeare also worked ghosts into his plays, most notably the ghost of Hamlet's father in Hamlet. Like witches, the public had many common beliefs about the activities and personalities of ghosts. Most of these ideas were incorporated into Shakespeare's plays. Ideas about ghosts are also referenced in Julius Caesar, Macbeth, and Richard III. In Richard III alone, eleven ghosts are present and they appear and disappear at various times.
Artifact 7: At the right is a scene from the play Hamlet, where Hamlet is visited by his father, who is a ghost. Following many public ideas about ghosts, the ghost of Hamlet's father can only speak when being spoken to. Additionally, the ghost eventually influences Hamlet, driving Hamlet to take risky actions against his stepfather. This was associated with the common belief that ghosts could drive people mad.
Furthermore, in the first scene, Hamlet was already despondent about his father's death, and his mother's marriage to his father's brother; this corresponded with the widespread idea that those affected by melancholy or insanity were more likely to be visited by phantasms or false imaginations. Finally, the ghost of Hamlet's father could only visit Hamlet during the night hours, which was a common idea about ghosts in the Elizabethan times. In general, the play Hamlet was one example of a Shakespearean play that was greatly influenced by ideas of ghosts at the time. |