Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (also known as The Ghost of Christmas Future) is a character in English novelist Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The Ghost, being non-speaking did not identify himself by name, but, in the original book, Scrooge sometimes referred to him as spirit of Christmas future, and sometimes of Christmas yet to come.[1]
The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come is the last of the three spirits (after the visitation by Jacob Marley) that haunts the miser Ebenezer Scrooge, in order to prompt him to adopt a more caring attitude in life and avoid the horrid afterlife of Marley. Most people find it the most fearsome of the spirits — the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appeared to Scrooge as a figure entirely muffled in a black hooded robe, except for a single gaunt hand with which it pointed, and it never spoke or made any sort of vocal noise.
"The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery. It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible save one outstretched hand...It thrilled [Scrooge] with a vague uncertain horror, to know that behind the dusky shroud there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black."
When the Ghost makes its appearance, the first thing it shows Scrooge is three wealthy gentlemen making light of a recent death, remarking that it'll be a cheap funeral, and they'd only go if lunch was provided. Next, Scrooge is shown the same dead person's belongings being stolen and pawned. He also sees a shrouded corpse he implores not to unmask and a poor, debtor family rejoicing that someone to whom they owed money is dead. After pleading to the ghost to see kindness connected with death, Scrooge is shown Bob Cratchit and his family mourning the passing of Tiny Tim. Scrooge is then taken to a churchyard, where he is shown his own grave, and realizes that the dead man the others spoke ill of was him. Implied, however, is that the future does not have to be — but Scrooge must change himself if he is to change his future.
Trivia
- The Ghost has been played by Michael Carter, C Konarski, Nicholas Kaledin, Stephen D'Ambrose, Peter Sellers, Dan Tobin and Matthew Hoover.
- In the 1970 movie musical adaptation, Scrooge, starring Albert Finney, the spectre of the future reveals itself to be a skeletal figure in the churchyard scene, frightening Scrooge so as to topple backward into his grave and right into the very bowels of Hell, with torture and imprisonment to follow.
- While the novel depicts the spirit as leaving Ebenezer alone in the cemetery where his grave lies, many adaptions feature Scrooge being physically lowered into the abyss after he discovers that it is his grave (and subsequently wakes up).
- In Mickey's Christmas Carol, an animated adaptation featuring famous Disney characters in Dickens' roles, Black Pete plays the Ghost of Christmas Future. He doesn't speak or show his face until he lets Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Scrooge McDuck) see his gravestone, while lighting a match on the stone for his cigar. Then Pete sneers at Scrooge as "Richest man in the cemetery!" as he knocks him into the grave, laughing.
- While this ghost undoubtedly shows Ebenezer some of his most harrowing visions yet, he is often referred to as the kindest of the three in both the original novel and most film interpretations, possibly due to his using these images but delivering the final piece of evidence which steers Ebenezer from his fate.
- In 1988's modern adaptation titled Scrooged, the Ghost is portrayed as the Grim Reaper (or Death) with a TV screen instead of a face.
- In the 1994 animated special A Flintstones Christmas Carol, Dino plays the Ghost, though his identity is hidden for most of his appearance.
- In the 1997 TV movie Ms. Scrooge, the Ghost is played by Julian Richings. He is shown to be a silent man dressed in black, as if he's attending a funeral.
- In most film and television remakes, the Ghost is often depicted in a form similar to that of the Grim Reaper.
- In the 2004 musical titled A Christmas Carol, the Ghost is portrayed as a blind beggarwoman.
- In the 2006 CGI animated film, A Christmas Carol, the Ghost is an anthropomorphic walrus. Unlike in most adaptations, this version of the Ghost can actually speak.
See Also
External Links
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