Hamlet Hallucinates?

Previous posts describe portrayals of the ghost of Hamlet's father as voice-overs and not as visual apparitions.  (See 7/28/13 and 8/3/13.)  A logical offshoot of this could be a question:  Is Hamlet actually visited by a ghost or is it merely a hallucination indicative of a sick mind?  W. W. Greg takes the latter viewpoint in his article "Hamlet's Hallucination" (Modern Language Review, XII (October 1917), 393-421).  An abridged version of Greg's hypothesis is found in Hamlet:  Enter Critic.  (See post of 7/29/13.)

Greg's hypothesis hinges "upon two considerations:  the elaborate external evidence for the reality of the Ghost, and the fact that the Ghost reveals to Hamlet true information which he could not otherwise have acquired."

Greg spends considerable time reviewing an oft overlooked portion of the "play within a play," namely the dumb-show that precedes it.  Why does the king not blanch when he sees his crime acted out in the prologue?  What is different about the main action of The Mousetrap that causes him to rise?  It is a question much ignored, but it is one that Greg finds crucial to understanding the character of Hamlet.

Greg furthers his hypothesis by analyzing the language used by the ghost.  He compares the ghost's speeches to those of Hamlet and Gertrude, and he notes also that Gertrude is unable to see the ghost when it appears to Hamlet in her chamber.  He concludes that the ghost fits better as "but a figment of Hamlet's brain" rather than as a genuine revelation.

Greg commends Shakespeare as "not only a skilful craftsman, but likewise a considerable master of innuendo."  He ends his article by offering one more observation, this one of the play's length.  He alleges that Shakespeare, a "practical dramatist," wrote the play not only to be acted but also to be read privately.  This knowledge may have influenced his treatment of the theme as well.

Greg's hypothesis is a provocative one.  It is not one that I had considered previously, but it is well presented and supported.  Certainly, it gives this blogger pause to rethink the placement of the ghost in this play and the way that it is presented by the director.