Do Ghosts Exist?
I was very much of a fan of the idea that ghosts were real because that suggested there was hope … I think there is a very good reason we haven’t put ghosts on the same pile of redundant superstitions as unicorns and elves … They are the buffer zone between us and death.
British playwright Danny Robins.
William Shakespeare knew a lot about ghosts and primarily used them as a plot device. The Elizabethans were highly superstitious and despite the dogma of religion they continued to believe in demons, omens, astrology and witches.
The Bard’s ghosts appear rarely but when they do they provide melodrama, tragedy and illumination of the plot. One of Shakespeare’s most famous ghosts is Banquo in the play Macbeth. Banquo’s ghost remains silent and is only visible to Macbeth. This unnerves Macbeth who employed assassins to murder him.
Macbeth is not a play known for its levity. For after murdering King Duncan to steal his throne Macbeth is destroyed by his own vaunting ambition, guilt and paranoia. Subsequently Lady Macbeth states her husband has become ‘quite unmann’d in folly.’
So strong is the rising aura of guilt and fear that Lady Macbeth becomes unhinged by the ghostly events. Her descent into madness is revealed in her obsessive attempts to wash her hands free of blood.
British playwright Danny Robins continues the ghostly tradition with his play ‘2:22: A Ghost Story’. However, his play is a comedy about the power of ghosts.
Robin’s play is essentially about two couples socializing at a suburban dinner party. One of the hosts confesses to her guests she’s been hearing footsteps in her baby’s nursery at the same time each night. Her husband snorts with derision and contempt.
Pretty soon there’s bickering and conflict between husband and wife. But they all decide to stay up late and see if the ghosts appear.
Ghosts are enormously popular and Robin’s play was performed in the West End in London followed by a successful season in Los Angeles. It’s now about to open in Australia.
Contemporary Western tales of ghosts tend to focus on the horror and bizarre aspects of ghosts. But many other cultures link ghosts to their ancestors and venerate them. Ghosts are accepted as benign and are not feared.
Mexico’s Day of the Dead is a celebration of the dead. Families dress up in brightly coloured costumes and face paint to share a feast at the graveyard, sing songs and talk to their ancestors. Babies who were born after their grandparents had died might be introduced to the ghosts of the dead.
Ghosts aren’t going away anytime soon. For despite many centuries of skepticism, scientific theories and dedicated ghost hunting, nobody has conclusively proved ghosts do not exist. The existence of ghosts cannot be proven as true or false – for they are outside all credible knowledge.
image: Caspar the Friendly Ghost 1945 cartoon. Caspar is a ghost who is friendly and personable but frequently criticized by his three wicked uncles.