The Ghost Scene

In Shakespeare’s play, the ghost scene happens in the very beginning and follows up in the subsequent scenes. The continuous appearances of the ghost imply its

importance to the whole play and its influence on Hamlet. Of course the authenticity of the ghost is in doubt, so he keeps appearing in the play and reminds Hamlet that he should not forget his father’s death.

Similarly, in Vieceli’s Hamlet, the opening scene starts with the soldiers holding the lights to take turns for the observant watch, pointing out the technological

background of the story. Such introduction provides two effects toward the

supernatural appearance of the ghost. One is the unacceptable statement of the illusion which is not correctly proved by science and technology. The other is the belief and awe in the power of supernatural phenomenon which science and technology cannot explain. These two effects toward the illusion can be perceived in Horatio’s encounter with the ghost.

At first, Horatio does not believe in the ghost and considers it only soldiers’

fantasy. However, when Horatio sees the ghost appearing in a big cloak and military armor with his beaver up, he is totally stunned, especially when he sees the

appearance of the ghost looks like the late King Hamlet. The ghost has a stern face

with long hair and beard blowing violently in the sky. The picture of the ghost is set in the middle across two pages, while Horatio and other soldiers only appear within small panels, highlighting the importance and overwhelming power of the

supernatural illusion.

In the original text, when Horatio speaks to the ghost for the first time, he questions if the ghost is old King Hamlet:

What art thou that usurp’st this time of night, Together with that fair and warlike form In which the majesty of buried Denmark

Did sometimes march? By heaven, I charge thee speak. (1.1.44-47) Nevertheless, in Emma Vieceli’s manga version, instead of questioning the ghost from its resemblance and authenticity, the way Horatio questions the ghost seems to believe that the ghost is the late King who has something to convey: “If thou hast any sound, or use of voice, / Speak to me. / If thou art privy to thy country’s fate […]”

(1.1.109-14; Vieceli 6). Even if Horatio tries hard to ask the ghost to speak to him, the ghost disappears like a mist dissipating into the air.

Before Hamlet sees the ghost of his late father, there are several pages to

delineate his sadness toward his father’s death under strict surveillance of monitors in the palace. For instance, after Hamlet finishes the conversation between Claudius and Gertrude, he walks along the hallway accompanied with a monitor moving around him. Simultaneously, the images of Hamlet are instantly projected on the screens as Hamlet is monitored. When Hamlet sees his images on the screens, he can no longer curb his rage. He shouts uncontrollably with fists and knees down: “Frailty, thy name is woman” (1.2.146).

Basically, what Hamlet assumes in the above quote can be related to his mother,

Gertrude’s overhasty marriage to his uncle after his father’s death. Here, I suggest that the word “frality” both refers to Gertrude and Hamlet himself. On the one hand, Hamlet blames his mother’s overhasty marriage and betrayal to his father. On the other hand, he resents his lack of power to challenge his uncle, like a weak woman who has no authority to strike back. Interestingly, Hamlet is portrayed as a bishōnen⁵ (a beautiful boy) with feminine appearance and emotions, and this depiction makes Hamlet look less masculine but more feminine in the manga, like a woman rather than a man.

Later on, when Horatio tells Hamlet that he sees the ghost of his late father, at first, Hamlet considers it a joke, and becomes furious at Horatio because he thinks that Horatio is teasing him for his sorrow and love for his dead father. After Horatio’s explanation, Hamlet believes him and wants to see the ghost himself. When Hamlet begins his monologue after Horatio leaves, the drawing of Hamlet’s half face with one determined eye is filled within one page without frames, and the lines are posited randomly in proper order. He says: “My father’s spirit? / All is not well [. . .] / Foul deeds will rise [. . .] / Though all the earth o’erwhelm them to men’s eyes”

(1.2.254-57; Vieceli 25).

Peculiarly, the shape of the words “foul deeds” are in bold and larger than other words, indicating something evil is about to come. If we go back to the original text in Act 1 Scene 2, we can notice that even if some lines are omitted in the manga, the picture still echoes to those missing lines. The original lines are as below:

5 Catering to young Japanese women’s interest in male homosexuality, representations of gay men are quite common in Japanese manga, anime, and other media products. The trend of male-male love, particularly the love between beautiful boys, began in the early 1970s. Generally speaking, these gay men are usually portrayed as bishōnen (beautiful boys) with feminine appearance and emotions and form a romantic relationship with another handsome man (boy-love, the so-called shōnen-ai). Also, these beautiful boys share something in common: “they are always beautiful, slender, depicted with the big eyes and flowing hair that often characterizes female figures” of ambiguous gender (McLelland 82).

Most beautiful boys are portrayed with “caring and enduring” characteristics that usually create struggling atmosphere or climax in the manga, enabling the readers (most are female readers) to identify with them.

HAMLET. My father’s spirit in arms! All is not well.

I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come.

Till then, sit still, my soul. Foul deeds will rise,

Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s eyes. (1.2.254-57) In manga, Hamlet’s determined eyes reveal his calmness and resolution to disclose the so-called foul deeds, and he believes that he will see the truth through his eyes, too.

At almost the same time in the midnight, the ghost suddenly appears in front of them, beckoning Hamlet. Even though Hamlet is starkly astonished, he jumps down from the tower and follows the ghost into the gloomy woods without hesitation.

In preference to start from his recent suffering, the ghost directly reveals its identity to Hamlet and narrates how he was murdered by Claudius⁶: “I am thy father’s spirit. If thou didst ever thy dear father love. . . Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. Now, Hamlet, hear. It’s given out that, sleeping in mine orchard, a serpent stung me. . . But know. . . The serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown. . . Won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen”

(Vieceli 37).

When the ghost delivers his speech, the picture of a wicked serpent moves closely to the old King’s ear with its tongue widely opening. Besides, at the bottom of the same page, there are two panels. One is Hamlet’s shocked face with curved word balloon written with “mine uncle?” in bold shape (1.5.41). The curved word balloon not only shows Hamlet’s surprising astonishment but also prompts the readers to imagine how Hamlet articulates the words “mine uncle” from his trembling voice.

The other is an unknown black paper-cut silhouette of the murderer who smiles widely.

6 The ghost’s statements are abridged and summarized from the Ghost’s lines in Act 1 Scene 4, lines 9-28 and lines 34-46.

Then, turning to the next page, the panel shifts from the late king’s back to his front, and thus enabling the readers to investigate more clearly how the old King is murdered. The old King sleeps peacefully in the orchard when the black paper-cut silhouette of the murderer drops the poisoned fluid from a syringe. Beneath this picture shows the pale face of the ghost who seems to talk painfully with Hamlet.

Finally, delineated in two small panels, as the ghost’s figure becomes obscure, like smoke circumpassing Hamlet, he reaches out one of his hands to touch Hamlet’s cheek and says goodbye to him, revealing the intimate relationship between father and son. At the same page next to the two small panels, with the thundering background to accentuate his fury and his determination to seek revenge, Hamlet holds his fists tightly with tears rolling down from his face. He roars: “So, uncle, there you are [. . .]

/ I have sworn it!” (1.5.111-13; Vieceli 39).

From these two pages, we can observe that even if Hamlet firmly believes in the ghost’s story, the illustrator does not directly draw the picture of Claudius’s face, while the ghost says the murderer is Claudius. Instead, what the readers can see is only a black paper-cut silhouette of the murderer. In other words, the identity of the murderer is still in doubt. Rather than leading the readers to consider Claudius as the murderer like Hamlet does, the illustrator gives the readers more chances to question the authenticity of the ghost and guess who the real murderer is.

The last time the ghost shows up in Queen Gertrude’s bedchamber. After Hamlet slays Polonius, he looks indifferently at the dead and kneels down in front of Gertrude.

He projects the images of the old King and Claudius, trying to invoke Gertrude’s conscience and faithfulness for his father. As Hamlet becomes more and more agitated, the ghost suddenly appears and inquires Hamlet to speak to Gertrude and comfort her.

Even though the ghost is only presented in two small panels, we can notice that it is

the first time that the ghost does not wear his armors and his eyes are gentler and softer. From the ghost’s lines, we learn that it loves Gertrude dearly, for it does not want her to be blamed or hurt.

In Act 1 Scene 1, the old King wears complete armors and roars powerfully with the background of several black lines to strengthen his actions and to foreground his confidence in winning the battle. Moreover, the old King grabs the head of the old Fortinbras to portray his invincibility in the combat. However, when we compare this image of the old King with the one in Gertrude’s bedchamber, it explicates that the ghost is brutal and cruel in the battlefield; yet, he is gentle and intimate to Gertrude.