During act I scene v, the ghost speaks to Hamlet and informs him about his intentions. The ghost reveals that he is Hamlet’s father and has been sent to purgatory. However, the ghost gives no actual prove of this besides taking the appearance of the father. Regardless, Hamlet quickly accepts him, showing that his grief has made him desperate for his father’s return and willing to beliefs the apparition. The ghost then goes on to ask that Hamlet avenge his murder that he once again has no proof of: “Haste me know ’t, that I … May sweep to my revenge” (!.v. 29-31). Hamlet quickly agrees to do so. Within the first thirty lines of this scene, Hamlet readily accepts the spirit as his father and agrees to get revenge for a murder. Both instances lack proof, which shows that Hamlet is either very trusting of what appears to be his father or very gullible. The ghost then describes his murder, adding numerous, unnecessary details, such as “a most instant getter barked about, / Most lazar-like, with vile and loathsome crust / All my smooth body” (I.v. 71-73). He presents a long, detailed speech about his death after saying “Brief let me be” (I.v. 59). This seems somewhat suspicious since his time with Hamlet is running out and he already informed him about who committed the murder and a general description of it as well. It is as though the ghost needs to convince Hamlet, but as shown earlier, Hamlet already has complete trust in the ghost. The speech is reminiscent of a lie filled with such great detail that it seems as though it could not have been made up and is in fact true. When the ghost leaves, Hamlet says, “I’ll wipe away all trivial, fond records, / All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past … And thy commandment all alone shall live / Within the book and volume of my brain” (I.v. 99-103). Hamlet states that he will abandon all “trivial” thoughts and focus solely on the ghost’s request for revenge, which could prove to be dangerous for him since he has thus far shown that his intelligence is his greatest strength. Horatio and Marcellus then enter and request that Hamlet tell them of the exchange between him and the ghost: “No. You will reveal it” (I.v. 121). This quick yet casual refusal of a simple request from a close friend shows that Hamlet is becoming somewhat paranoid and untrusting. He then apologizes for the offense. Horatio claims there was no offense but Hamlet insists there was: “Yes, be Saint Patrick, but there is” (I.v. 138). It is significant that Hamlet references Saint Patrick because as someone who studied at Wittenberg, he is most likely Protestant, and the worship of saints and especially Saint Patrick, who guards purgatory, is a very Catholic tradition. Hamlet’s reference to a Saint that is closely associated with a very Catholic belief shows that the ghost is making him questions his previous beliefs about religion and the afterlife. Finally, Hamlet insists that Horatio and Marcellus swear to not tell anyone what happened that night. Throughout this section, the ghost continually calls out from below that they must swear. Although addressing Horatio and Marcellus, it appears that only Hamlet can hear him since he is the only one who responds. This could hint at the beginnings of a disconnection between Hamlet and reality. In conclusion, scene v shows Hamlet as trusting of the spirit, dangerously focused on revenge, questioning his beliefs, and disconnecting from reality.
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