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Contrast - Atmosphere (Act 1 Scene 1, 4 and 5) 

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Contrast - Atmosphere (Act 1 Scene 1, 4 and 5) 

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in the earlier scenes, in Act 1 Scene 1, 4 and 5, the atmosphere of the ghost's appearance is different in contrast to Act 3 Scene 4. In Act 1, the setting in the play suggests the it is the witching hour with descriptions such as "it is cold; and it is midnight" and constant reference of old Hamlet's ghost as "it" which implies they are expecting something inhumane to arrive at that hour. This immediately sets the eerie mood for the audience to feel tensed about what is "it" that will arrive. The fear that Barnardo or Hamlet or Horatio feels at the presence of the ghost immediately inflicts that emotion onto the audience adding onto to the tension that has gradually built due to the setting itself.

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In Act 3 Scene 4, a different kind of tension has already been built in the atmosphere. Here, Hamlet confronts his mother with her guilt, speaking daggers to her. The heated argument between the mother and the son creates a gradual climatic action. However, the sudden interruption of the ghost's entrance creates a jolting effect on the audience and significantly is a reminder that this gradual downfall of Hamlet has started ever since he met the ghost of his father. This is contrasting as in the previous scenes, the setting has already created a specific mood, an eerie mood, which raises the expectation of something unnatural and frightening is about to appear. Whereas, in Act 3 Scene 4, the sudden appearance of the ghost creates a more dramatic effect on the audience as that expectation of a supernatural appearing was not formed. A different kind of tension has been built due to Gertrude's and Hamlet's heated argument thus having a different affect.

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The impact on Hamlet by the ghost's appearance is quite effective in terms of fear. In Act 3 Scene 4, the argument between Gertrude and Hamlet, Gertrude is shown to be inferior to Hamlet's confrontation. Hamlet's use of harsh words, "speaking daggers" to her, against his own mother to generate the emotion of guilt from her for sleeping with her former husband's brother, making her vulnerable as a result. However, the sudden entrance of the ghost makes Hamlet inferior as the ghost has appeared to "sharpen" his "dull appetite for revenge". The ghost's intention of his arrival in this scene implies Hamlet's tragic flaw. in Act 1 Scene 5, the ghost said "...nor let thy soul contrive against thy mother aught"; in which Hamlet did not follow that order. In Act 3 Scene 4, Hamlet immediately conforms to fear, "Save me and hover o'er me with your wings,

You heavenly guards!—What would your gracious figure?". The sudden change of behaviour from having the upper-hand against his mother to being filled with anxiety conforms to the idea of madness. It gives an insight to Hamlet's intentions; he is shown to be unsure of his task of taking revenge and his thoughts seem to be all over the place. Even after having concrete evidence that Claudius murdered his father, he still delays his duty to take revenge and fears when he sees his father thinking his visit may be to "chide" his "tardy son". The ghost's visitation, however, being because of Hamlet speaking "daggers" to her shows that Hamlet is not really following his father's order and did not wipe away all of his memories to remember the ghost's orders (as said in Act 1 Scene 5 lines 98-104) but is carrying out actions according to his anger against his mother for committing incest (which he already was before meeting his father's spirit). This draws out questions whether Hamlet is carrying out the task for his Father's sake or for his own to fulfill his anger, at this point is he pretending to be mad or is he actually driven into madness?

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The impact on Gertrude by the ghost's appearance is what leads to the plot of the story. Gertrude cannot see the ghost, whereas Hamlet can, making her think that Hamlet is talking to air. This convinces her into thinking that Hamlet has driven into madness and results in a sequence of events that does not only lead to Hamlet's death, but her own as well. In addition, the sudden changes of behaviour of Hamlet's from "speaking daggers" to her to being vulnerable to nothing conforms to that idea of madness. This results into her siding with Claudius, the villain of the play, as she informs him of Polonius' death was because of Hamlet and of his erratic behaviour towards her. This informs Claudius that Hamlet is a huge threat to him which then leads to series of events and eventually the death of Hamlets. This links to one of the critical readings of Shakespearean Tragedy by Kastan where he states that Shakespeare does not seem to have a conception of the genre tragedy however a coherent sense of tragedy can be seen to develop through the plays. The impact on Gertrude of the ghost's appearance is an example of being one of the causes of the tragedy Hamlet and the whole kingdom itself faces. Instead of siding with Hamlet and being there for Hamlet at his vulnerable moments like a mother should, she conforms to her own vulnerability by depending on Claudius and trusting him giving an insight on women's role during the 16th century.