셰익스피어의 혼령들

Abstract

Ghosts of almost all sorts appear in Shakespeare's plays including IH6, 2H6, H8, R3, JC, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Cymbeline. Some return to visit their family and friends, some to appear to their murderers in dream or fancy, threatening revenge. In one case, the ghost explicitly commands his son to avenge his death upon the murderer. Some are subjective ghosts who either appear only to one person or is seen to one among many present, and some objective ones who so appear as to be seen by all the people present. All these aspects of Shakespeare's ghosts will be discussed when Macbeth, Cymbeline, R3, JC, and Hamlet, the five Shakespearian plays whose ghosts return to appear to their murderers, friends and family, are to be dealt with. Both Senecan and pre-Shakespearian ghosts will be compared with Shakespeare's to show (1) how much and well Shakespeare improved on the conventional dramatic ghosts and (2) how organically he related them to the plays involved. Banquo's ghost twice appears to Macbeth while he is hosting a banquet. His 'gory locks' and 'twenty mortal murthers' on his head are enough to scare Macbeth, his murderer, and to make him utter strange and self-revealing words to his guests. Banquo's is a subjective ghost, seen only by Macbeth, but is so dramatized that his objective validity, i.e. his reality, cannot be doubted. Moreover, his appearance contributes to the course of the dramatic action by making the hero visit the weird sisters to know what is in store for him and to act accordingly. The ghosts of Posthumus' parents and brothers whom he sees in his dream are also subjective ghosts, seen only by Posthumus and no one else. But what they speak about their son and brother and appeal to Jupiter and what Jupiter who has, in response to their appeal, just descended in thunder and lightning and on an eagle, tells them about their beloved Posthumus together with his 'tablet' are enough to give the ghosts their reality. In R3 the ghosts of Prince Edward, Henry VI, Clarence, Rivers, Grey, Vaughan, Hastings, two young princes, Lady Anne and Buckingham appear, on the eve of the decisive battle of Bosworth, to Richard, their murderer, and then to Richmond, Richard's rival. They urge the former to despair and die with all sorts of curses while they encourage the latter to live and flourish, saying that "the wronged souls/Of butchered princes fight in thy behalf". These ghosts are doubtless subjective ones, but that they appear not only to Richard but also to Richmond would not allow them to remain just subjective because it helps to contribute somewhat to the establishment of their objective validity. Moreover, their appearance brings about a very tangible result by producing from Richard and Richmond such respective responses as "Methought the souls of all that I had murther'd/Came to my tent, and every one did threat/To-morrow's vengeance on the head of Richard" and "Methought their souls whose bodies Richard murther'd/Came to my tent and cried on victory". And the battle ends with Richard's defeat and Richmond's victory as the ghosts wished and foretold them. In short, the ghosts influence the action and prove their reality.