The Ghosts of Hamlet and Hellequins Hunt
The ghosts in Shakespeare’s, “Hamlet” and in Vitalis’, “The Priest Walchelin and Hellequin’s Hunt” are presented as undead figures who are forced to serve time in purgatory . They wander the grounds they once walked on bearing arms, tormented for their past sins. They are physically recognizable by those who knew them on earth, are able to recall events of their own and others they knew from their past life, and have the ability to interact with living beings. Their purpose for being back is to take care of unfinished matters that are causing them to be punished until their sins are forgiven as well as instructing and advising their loved ones to live well and to warn them of what can happen if they…show more content… This was visible in their appearance, even though physically they resembled what they looked like in their past life; they wore armour, bared arms, and in the case of “Hellequin’s Hunt”, were gigantic figures covered in flames (Vitalis, 68). The bold, strong presence they had commanded fear and a state of awe in those who bore witness to them. In the beginning of “Hamlet” the Ghost was first seen in the armour he wore while fighting for Denmark by Horatio, Francisco, and Bernado (Shakespeare 1.1, 60). Priest Walchelin trembled in fear as he recognized many of the ghosts marching as fellow villagers who had recently died (Vitalis, 68). These sightings of the ghosts left the characters in both texts fearful and in disbelief as well as leaving both places they wandered through in a state of disruption (Shakespeare 1.1,…show more content… While they were being punished for their wrong doings in order to cleanse their souls, the living could help them by righting their wrongs and finishing their unsettled business. In the case of Hamlet, he was approached by the ghost of his father telling him he was murdered by his brother Claudius and that he wanted him to get revenge (Shakespeare 1.5, 25). Priest Wachelin was approached by two of the knights, Robert and William, along with another ghost asking him for favors (Vitalis, 71). At the time these texts were written , ghosts could be seen as spirits of the undead who had business that needed to be completed, or demons trying to lead humans astray. Both Hamlet and Wachelin struggled with trusting the ghosts that approached them. They only believed the ghosts able to prove that were family through their appearance and memories. The ghost of king Hamlet introduced himself to Hamlet as his father and the King of Denmark, and the knight Robert tells Priest Walchelin stories of their youth ( Shakespeare, 1.5, 10, Vitalis, 72 ). The other ghosts who approached Wachelin were denied their requests because they were seen as deceitful and he didn’t recognize them or the stories they told (Vitalis,