Using a Ghost During the Elizabethan Period. Hamlet

During the Elizabethan period, a ghost was seen as a common feature in most tragedy plays. Shakespeares Hamlet is a prime example of the physical exercise of a ghost to entice fear and apprehension amongst the Elizabethan listening. The ghost can be seen as intercommunicate several functions throughout the play, all of which are vital to the plays ultimate impact. An Elizabethan audience were highly superstitious, held romish Catholic beliefs of purgatory and were extremely fearful of afterlife and the uncertainty that surrounded it. Such views were powerful connotations that aided Shakespeare to work his audience with considerable impact.However, the implications of a ghost were seen as very different for a Elizabethan audience as compared with the perception of a ghost by a modern audience. Therefore it could be verbalise that the disparity in how the ghost is received may diminish the plays impact for a modern mean solar day audience. The audience of Shakespeares time were surrounded with highly religious concepts. During the period, whilst many were deemed protestants, there were many who challenged the idea of souls and their sins in relation to heaven and hell and continued to practise the old faith.Therefore an Elizabethan audience would extradite been familiar with the concepts of heaven and hell and the uncertainty surrounding ghosts. Whether the ghost of Old Hamlet is living in hell or purgatory is an issue which Shakespeare leaves open and unresolved. This leaves the Shakespearean audience with the question of whether there was hope of buyback for old hamlet and in relation, themselves. This can be seen as one of the various functions of the ghost in hamlet, by engaging into the religious mindset of Elizabethans, they would question its presence and would be intent on discovering its human race and nature throughout the play.