Uncertainty In Friendship In Hamlet

“There are no small parts, only small actors,” as once stated by Constantin Stanislawski, illustrates that not every character has to have an abundance of stage time in order to play a substantial role. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, King Hamlet’s Ghost, although only present in a modest number of scenes, proves to be a significant presence among several of the leading roles. The ghost is trapped in purgatory, unable to repent his sins, therefore seeking revenge for his murder through his son, Hamlet. The ghost proves his significance among the cast because of the morals he inflicts upon characters as well as his initial spark of the plot’s madness. In addition, the ghost lays the foundation for the themes of uncertainty and morality.

These events, of which the ghost brings about, prompt the theme of uncertainty because of the characters’ questioning and fear for the safety of friends. Being that it is so early in the play, the fact that every character boasts questions about the ghost and the passing of the king presents elements of doubts, suspicions, and uncertainty. Robert Evans, a journalist, supports the theme of uncertainty in his article, Friendship In Hamlet, through his assertion that “Horatio (like Hamlet later) cannot know whether the ghost is a friend or foe..” Although Evans explains that friendship is prevalent throughout the play, he brings to attention that those friendships have doubts among them, such as how the ghost introduces doubts within Hamlet’s relationships with his friends. This further proves the presence of uncertainty among characters, initially caused by the ghost. Furthermore, the ghost’s cause of presenting uncertainty plants the seed of madness throughout the play. Not knowing, or being in a state of grey, can lead to a wandering mind, of which many of Hamlet’s characters portray. Whether the ghost is real, whether the ghost is that of the