Shakespeare's Hamlet in the Movies

Shakespeare’s Hamlet, „the Mona Lisa of literature“, features a supernatural element that launches the tragedy: the ghost of Denmark’s murdered king. Ever since the play was staged, the Ghost’s true nature and his function in the play have been much discussed issues. Obviously, the playwright used people’s uncertainty about the ghost-lore of his time to deliver a play that remains opaque until today.

Film makers like Zeffirelli, Olivier and Kozintsev have dealt with the Ghost’s identity in different ways and show the essential position of it within the play. One created an abusive father who comes back to seek revenge. The other one presents a rather political reading of the Ghost. In the 3rd movie under investigation the Ghost conveys the message that family values must be remembered in order to maintain a society.

This paper analyses the different views, theological and philosophical ones, and provides more than 30 bibliographical sources for further reading and research.