Conceptions of Ghosts in Renaissance England
Abstract
Literature, treatises, and theatrical plays disclose information about the cultural concept of ghosts in Renaissance England. Shakespeare’s Hamlet provides an exemplary examination of the attributes given to ghosts. Hamlet conveys the following characteristics: ghosts can communicate, appear at night, have the form of the deceased, appear to a person known in life, died in violent manners, and were labelled as “ghosts.” Other plays, treatises, and other similar documents from the period share these characteristics, reflecting broader societal belief. By examining these sources, deeper insight can be gained into the beliefs and attitudes of people from Renaissance England regarding ghosts. Furthermore, by analyzing the beliefs of the supernatural in this group of people, insight can be gained into the societal values that the people in Renaissance England held in importance, displaying and accentuating the cultural change over time.
Start Time
16-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Time
16-4-2025 2:30 PM
Room Number
252
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
UG Orals
Presentation Category
Arts and Humanities
Faculty Mentor
Brian Maxson
Conceptions of Ghosts in Renaissance England
252
Literature, treatises, and theatrical plays disclose information about the cultural concept of ghosts in Renaissance England. Shakespeare’s Hamlet provides an exemplary examination of the attributes given to ghosts. Hamlet conveys the following characteristics: ghosts can communicate, appear at night, have the form of the deceased, appear to a person known in life, died in violent manners, and were labelled as “ghosts.” Other plays, treatises, and other similar documents from the period share these characteristics, reflecting broader societal belief. By examining these sources, deeper insight can be gained into the beliefs and attitudes of people from Renaissance England regarding ghosts. Furthermore, by analyzing the beliefs of the supernatural in this group of people, insight can be gained into the societal values that the people in Renaissance England held in importance, displaying and accentuating the cultural change over time.