Do Ghosts Exist? Art and Morality in Shakespeare's Hamlet
A Surprising Interpretation Proposed by Saint Gregory of Nyssa
Christian belief in eternal life necessarily implies belief in the existence of souls in Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise. From this perspective, no literary work is truer than Dante Alighieri’s Divina Commedia. Controversy arises when addressing a difficult topic: is it possible for souls “from beyond” to manifest in our world? In short, do ghosts exist?
From Samuel to Hamlet
Great literature contains mysterious appearances of spirits in as small a proportion as the Holy Scriptures. One of these rare ghostly manifestations is recorded by Shakespeare in Hamlet. Inspired by the legend of Amleth recounted by Saxo Grammaticus (c.1150–c.1220) in Gesta Danorum,1 the British playwright demonstrated his ability to thrill us with unusual encounters with the inhabitants of the other world in scenes 4 and 5 of the first act of his play.
In the middle of the night, Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus feel the northern chill acutely. After the prince’s friends had seen the ghost of the deceased king twice, despite their terror, they accompanied their friend. With patience and trembling, they wait on the castle terrace. The cold itself enveloping them is a sign of the approach of the shadowy world of specters. Suddenly, Horatio starts: “Look, my lord, it comes.” Astonished by the quivering specter, Hamlet prays: “Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!” The words that follow clearly show that the author was familiar with the debates regarding the ghost of Samuel summoned by the witch of Endor:
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou com’st in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee.
Like any ordinary mortal, Hamlet does not understand the nature of the apparition. It could be an infernal deception or a messenger from heaven. Is it really his father? Or an evil, dark spirit? In the end, the unfolding of the disturbing encounter will convince us that we are dealing with the actual appearance of the unfortunate prince’s father. Alongside the plausibility of the apparition, one of the most interesting details of Shakespeare’s text demonstrates the author’s knowledge of the teachings concerning purgatory:
I am thy father’s spirit,
Doomed for a certain term to walk the night
And for the day confined to fast in fires
Till the foul crimes done in my days of nature
Are burnt and purged away.
Throughout the centuries, the Church has recorded such appearances of souls from Purgatory. Thus, Shakespeare did not at all surpass the limits of Christian faith to venture into the swampy territory of superstitions. Similar to the interpretation given by Saint Justin Martyr and Philosopher regarding the manifestation of Samuel before Saul, or the later opinion of Saint Augustine (who acknowledged that it was indeed the soul of Samuel), the appearance of Hamlet’s father belongs to the realm of the possible. But if it seems perfectly possible for a writer to describe ghosts and spirits, can this be reconciled with the texts of the Holy Scriptures?
Biblical testimonies
Belief in the existence of ghosts is closely associated with belief in eternal life. As we have seen in the discussions surrounding Samuel’s apparition in the First Book of Kings,2 some commentators suggest the existence of a pedagogical intention by God. Indeed, the history of religions records quite a few episodes of journeys to and from the afterlife. All those that can be considered plausible have been allowed by Divine Providence to strengthen our faith, as we easily tend to forget and neglect the true life, the true world that lies beyond our transient existence.
Therefore, it is no wonder that even the apostles believe in the existence of ghosts. When they see the Savior Jesus Christ walking on water, they cry out in fear. But this is only after they first exclaimed together, “It is an apparition!” (Matthew 14: 26). How could one not be frightened, contemplating such an overwhelming presence in the middle of the storm? In a completely different context, those to whom Rhoda says that Peter (miraculously freed from prison) is knocking at the door do not believe it can be him. After first thinking the young woman has lost her mind, they exclaim, “It is his angel!” (Acts 12: 15). So, they thought it was not a ghost, but rather something similar: a benevolent spirit.
Finally, a much more conclusive episode for our discussion is recounted in the Gospel of Luke. The death of the Savior Christ was the most terrible trial the apostles faced. Frightened and saddened by their Master’s fate, they hid in fear of imminent persecution. However, God, patiently prepared all the moments that would definitively establish the final great teaching of Christian faith: the reality of the Resurrection. First, alongside the pilgrims on the road to Emmaus, He appears, offering them the Holy Communion (Luke 24: 13-31). Hearing what their fellow disciples recounted, the apostles doubted. Then, to dispel their doubts, “Jesus stood in the midst of them, and saith to them: Peace be to you; it is I, fear not” (Luke 24: 36). And yet, they could not believe their eyes and “supposed that they saw a spirit” (Luke 24: 37). Being almighty, God did not propose a philosophical argument or a metaphysical-theological discussion. Instead, He provided something much more convincing:
See my hands and feet, that it is I myself; handle, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have. And when he had said this, he shewed them his hands and feet. But while they yet believed not, and wondered for joy, he said: Have you anything to eat? And they offered him a piece of a broiled fish, and a honeycomb. And when he had eaten before them, taking the remains, he gave to them (Luke 24: 39-43).
He will do the same when He meets the apostles on the beach while they are trying to fish: when they come ashore, they will find Him preparing food—fish grilled on coals and bread (John 21: 9 and 13). All these acts involving food have a single purpose: to assure the frightened apostles that He is not an apparition—simply put, a ghost.
As seen particularly in the text from chapter 24 of the Gospel of Luke, our risen Lord does not deny the possibility of the existence of ‘spirits.’ He does not say something like, “Be careful, stop believing in nonsense. Ghosts do not exist!” Instead, He simply says, “A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as you see me to have.” Such a statement does not seem to be a denial at all, does it? Naturally, such a topic could not be overlooked by the Holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church. One of them, in particular, discussed the matter in detail, offering us an answer from which we have something to learn.
The Moral Interpretation of Saint Gregory of Nyssa
In the era of the Church Fathers, it is difficult to find a more refined intellect than that of Saint Basil the Great’s brother, Saint Gregory of Nyssa. None of the major philosophical and theological issues were overlooked by him. In his unique manner, he proposed his own solutions to all known speculative questions. Inevitably, one of the most discussed subjects was that concerning the state of the soul after the fall and also the state of souls (and bodies) after the Final Judgment. The context of the entire discussion, provided by the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), gives Gregory an opportunity for an extended meditation on the benefits that the practice of virtues brings to souls. Here are his words from the famous text On the Soul and the Resurrection:
I think our Lord teaches us this; that those still living in the flesh must as much as ever they can separate and free themselves in a way from its attachments by virtuous conduct, in order that after death they may not need a second death to cleanse them from the remnants that are owing to this cement of the flesh, and, when once the bonds are loosed from around the soul, her soaring up to the Good may be swift and unimpeded, with no anguish of the body to distract her.3
His line of interpretation follows that of Plato in the dialogue Phaedo, which explains that philosophy is nothing other than a genuine preparation for death and the transition to the subsequent state. The practice of virtues ensures, even during one’s lifetime, the release of the soul from the chains of passions that, through bodily desires, bind the vicious and pleasure-seeking. The ascetic ideal of a pagan philosopher could not help but resonate with the moral demands of a Christian Church Father. But what happens to those who, instead of practicing virtues, allow themselves to be seduced by the sweetness of vices? Just as for Plato, for Saint Gregory, the consequences of such a life are evident even after death:
If any one becomes wholly and thoroughly carnal in thought, such an one, with every motion and energy of the soul absorbed in fleshly desires, is not parted from such attachments, even in the disembodied state; just as those who have lingered long in noisome places do not part with the unpleasantness contracted by that lengthened stay, even when they pass into a sweet atmosphere. So it is that, when the change is made into the impalpable Unseen, not even then will it be possible for the lovers of the flesh to avoid dragging away with them under any circumstances some fleshly foulness; and thereby their torment will be intensified, their soul having been materialized by such surroundings. I think too that this view of the matter harmonizes to a certain extent with the assertion made by some persons that around their graves shadowy phantoms of the departed are often seen. If this is really so, an inordinate attachment of that particular soul to the life in the flesh is proved to have existed, causing it to be unwilling, even when expelled from the flesh, to fly clean away and to admit the complete change of its form into the impalpable; it remains near the frame even after the dissolution of the frame, and though now outside it, hovers regretfully over the place where its material is and continues to haunt it.
The description of the post-mortem destiny of vicious souls is terrifying. Beyond the vivid imagery presented, we find an explanation that cautiously clarifies the existence of ghosts near the places where the bodies of the deceased were buried. Like other classical commentators, Saint Gregory leans towards accepting the existence of phantoms. Their manifestation occurs not to satisfy curiosity but to disturb those who, out of indolence and spiritual laziness, risk sliding into the path of vices, forgetting virtues. With the permission of Divine Providence, such apparitions can therefore have a distinctly pedagogical character. At this point, Shakespeare demonstrates a good knowledge of Christian tradition: for the ghost of the dead king not only reveals the identity of his murderer but also laments his own negligence in failing to properly prepare for death.
Thus was I, sleeping, by a brother’s hand
Of life, of crown, of queen at once dispatched,
Cut off, even in the blossoms of my sin,
Unhouseled, disappointed, unaneled,
No reck’ning made, but sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head.
O horrible, O horrible, most horrible!
The words of Hamlet’s father represent a very serious warning for any unrepentant sinner. At the same time, they are the best evidence that the beauty of great literary art can never be separated from true morality. Knowing how to present them in their inextricable harmony is the main challenge for any writer worthy of this name. Not only Saint Gregory of Nyssa, but even Shakespeare can be considered a true pedagogue for those who wish to understand the mysteries of this life and the life beyond.
This collection of Nordic stories was fully translated and published for the first time in English only in 2015, at Oxford University Press: Saxo Grammaticus, Gesta Danorum: The History of the Danes, 2 Vol., Karsten Friis-Jensen (ed.).
The entire text can be read online at the following address: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2915.htm [Accessed: 31 December 2024].