Ghost Stories: another of the literary metaphors for multiple personality; for example, “Hamlet,” in which The Ghost is the second most important character.

The three literary metaphors for multiple personality mentioned in yesterday’s post—doubles, doppelgängers, and twins—are not the only ones. Others include the alter ego, second self, voice, shadow, and ghost.

When a story about multiple personality is not recognized as being about multiple personality, it is sometimes called a ghost story. For example, I found Henry James’s “The Private Life” in a book titled “Ghost Stories” (1).

The world’s most famous ghost story, William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” is not usually referred to as a ghost story, but its second most important character is The Ghost, without whom there would be no story.

Search “ghost story” and “Hamlet” in this blog. I have six posts on Hamlet.

1. Henry James. Ghost Stories. Introduction and Notes by Martin Scofield. Wordsworth Editions, 2008.