Ghost is a useful dramatic device but for a modern audience its effect is to diminish
‘Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most realistic plays and the ghost appears to represent the super – natural element more prominently than in any other of his plays. The ghost represents the basis of the play and without it the play would fall apart. The appearance of the ghost should enthral even a modern audience, especially when performed in live theatre. ... That in consideration, why do so many people fail to be thrilled by the ghost’s appearance? There are certain problems that arise for a modern audience since we are not as easily capable to take the ghost seriously. Most of the problems are related to a modern audience being unable to share the Elizabethan ideas associated with the spiritual world. Interpretation between a modern audience and Elizabethan audience would differ quite significantly I feel. In Elizabethan times the ghost would have been more frightening for a number of reasons. Religion would have been strongly regarded and fear of ghosts relating to damnation and purgatory would have been more serious issues for the audience. In a modern society the ghost is not as feared because there are more open-minded opinions and less significance based on these issues today. A modern audience may question certain aspects for example where the ghost comes from – heaven, hell or purgatory? More over if the ghost is from purgatory why does Hamlet associate the ghost with hell? Throughout the play we see Hamlet also questions the origin of the ghost. On more than one occasion he professes to have doubts about the ghost. Hamlet appears to accept the ghost as a spirit. ... When calling the ghost a spirit of health he speaks of an uncorrupted spirit with ‘charitable intents’.