Why should Shakespeare need a ghost to set the play in motion? Wouldn't it just be simpler to have a close friend tell Hamlet that he knows for a fact that his father was murdered and who the killer is? Is it not more realistic?
Often realism enhances drama and suspense. I believe, while its seemingly unnecessary, it actually plays a greater part in the play. By having a supernatural occurrence interest is added as well as skepticism. The doubt lies both on the part of the viewers and the players. Hamlet struggles with the idea that perhaps the spirit he saw wasn't real, or that it was an apparition sent by the devil. The fact that it spoke only to Hamlet and in private further solidifies that skepticism. It does this by not having anyone else who's able to confirm his findings. Conversely, a person could easily be found again, but to summon a spirit would be more difficult.
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