Visitors from the realm of death

Ghosts play a very important role in Seneca's tragedies. They either appear on stage and deliver the prologue, or influence events from backstage. Sometimes they suddenly come to haunt living relatives as phantoms or hallucinations. Their influence on the actions of the dramatis personae is considerable and, in most cases, negative or even destructive. Thanks to the fact that Seneca chose to unleash his imagination rather than cling to the technical requirements of the ancient theatre, he could permit himself the luxury of filling his plays with supernatural beings who contribute to the atmosphere of metaphysical awe that makes Seneca's tragedies so unique and that has become their hallmark