Is Hamlet Really Mad Essay

472 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Madness of hamlet

Is Hamlet Mad? “There is a fine line between genius and insanity”. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, prince Hamlet plays jump rope with this line, sometimes appearing utterly mad and yet other times carrying out an ingenious plan to avenge his father. So is Hamlet’s madness merely part of his cunning plot or is he truly out of his mind? It really depends on how one looks at the situation. Throughout the play it can be hard to believe Hamlet is truly mad because he always seems to be in control, with an overarching scheme in mind. Then again, how sane can he be if he is conversing with a ghost that is telling him to murder his uncle? At first glance it appears that Hamlet truly is mad, and Polonius even states to the king, “Your noble son is mad”. Polonius believes Hamlet went mad because of unrequited love for his daughter, and judging by the letter he wrote Ophelia it seems quite plausible. It’s also possible that the death of his father is all it took to drive him mad. Hamlet cared for his father, as is evident by his willingness to commit murder to avenge his death, and it is possible that his death broke his will and drove him mad. However; lots of the evidence of Hamlets madness seems fabricated, specifically his love for Ophelia. If he was so madly in love with Ophelia, why …show more content…

Even Polonius, who is entirely convinced of his madness, admits "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't". While Hamlet rambles like a mad man, he continuously makes clever comments and crude jokes at the listeners expense that go unnoticed. While talking to Polonius Hamlet calls him a fishmonger, and Polonius assumes he is just confusing him with a seller of fish, although “fishmonger” can also be interpreted as meaning “pimp”, making Ophelia a whore. It is subtle little hints like these that show that Hamlet is only feigning his madness. But if Hamlet is not mad, why does he act like

Show More
Related

  • The Ear and Eye Motif in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    788 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moreover, Hamlet is mad or so he seems to be. By looking at Hamlet and all his actions everyone is convinced he has gone mad. His mood changes a lot throughout the play, he speaks "wild and whirling words" (I.v.127-134) when he found our about his father’s death, has violet outbursts towards his mothe...

    Read More

  • Hamlet: Hamlet's Sanity

    676 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet: Hamlet's Sanity & nbsp; & nbsp;          “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do. their bounds divide.” Though John Dryden's quote was not made in regard to William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it relates very well to the argument of whether or not Hamlet went insane. When a character such as Hamlet is under scrutiny, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what state he is in at. particular moments in the play.

    Read More

  • Hamlet- Truly Mad, for Freigned Madness?

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet decides to portray an act of insanity, as part of his plan to seek revenge for his father's murder. As the play progresses, the reader may start to believe Hamlet’s “insane” act, but throughout the scenes, Hamlet shows that he knows right from wrong, good from bad, and his friends from his enemies. Hamlet shows that he still has power and control over his actions. As Elliot says “Hamlet madness is less than madness and more feigned”. Hamlet portrays a mad man, in order to be free from questioning, thus allowing him to have an easier path towards revenge.

    Read More

  • How Does Shakespeare Present Ophelia's Trauma Of Revenge

    1494 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the start of the play, Hamlet is depressed and feels lost over the death of his father. He no longer has trust or respect for his mother and contemplates suicide. Through Claudius killing Hamlet’s father, Hamlet is already affected negatively. It is arguable that Hamlet already began to go crazy as soon as the death of his father occurred. When Hamlet finally meets his father’s ghost he discovers the truth and immediately decides to seek vengeance on his uncle. While the ghost tells Hamlet “Taint not thy mind” (Hamlet: I.v.92). It is arguable that Hamlet’s antic disposition is actually a reflection on is lunacy. While Hamlet pretends to be mentally unstable he harrasses Ophelia in her private closet with “...his knees knocking each other;/ And with a look so piteous in purport/ As if he had been loosèd out of hell/ To speak of horrors” (Hamlet: II.i.81). Hamlet’s father’s murder has sent him into shock, and he is realizing that he must take action and seek revenge on his poisonous and evil uncle. The poison of revenge starts to plague its royalty, and Hamlet’s attitude is changed from being depressed and suicidal, to angry and insane “Oh, from this/ time forth,/ My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!” (Hamlet: IV.iv.65). Hamlet decides to only

    Read More

  • Hamlet Essay: Hamlet's Gone Mad

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet is without a doubt one of the most complex pieces to interpret for many different scholars and people. The question of the truth behind his madness has become a debate among anyone who lays eyes on the play. In fact, madness becomes a large role within the play that will cause many situations as well as effect them. I believe Hamlet unintentionally went mad attempting to act as a mad man.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Insanity Essay

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even Polonius catches on to his act and mentions “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” (Act 2, Scene 2, Line 205-6). Polonius feels as though Hamlet’s insanity is nothing more than possibly rudeness and sarcasm, instead of genuine loss of mind. Perhaps Hamlet truly is sane and has little fits of hysteria as the world seems to stack up against him. His anger and feelings of betrayal overload with explosive outbursts that can be interpreted as real madness.

    Read More

  • Justification of Hamlet's Sanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1594 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet throughout the play seems insane but in reality it is only an act to achieve his goal of killing his father's murderer. Hamlet chooses to go mad so he has an advantage over his opponent and since he is the Prince of Denmark certain behavior is unacceptable, so by faking madness he is able to get away with inappropriate sayings and actions. We can see this when he talks to Claudius, Polonius, Ophelia and his mother. When Hamlet talks to Horatio in the first act he says how he is going to "feign madness" and that:

    Read More

  • Is Hamlet Sane or Insane...

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet is depicted as insane in many scenes during the play. One instance in I, v Hamlet appears to act mad when he hears of his father’s murder. At that time he speaks "wild and whirling words." He also behaves very erratically throughout the play, especially when he is around his love, Ophelia. On one hand he professes to be the only one who truly loves her, during the fight. However when Ophelia returns his letters and gifts he tells her that he never loved her and that she should "get thy self to a nunnery." This is just one example of how his mood changes abruptly throughout the play. One shroud example of his insanity is when he is in his mothers bedroom only he can see the ghost of Old Hamlet. However in the beginning of the play everyone can see the ghost including Hortio, Barnardo, and Marcellus. He is also has many violent outbursts towards his mother. One dialogue where Hamlet admits that he is mad is when he talks to Laertes before the duel. He say!

    Read More

  • Hamlet - Intelligent , NOT Insane

    1345 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, the main character is given the overwhelming responsibility of avenging his father’s "foul and most unnatural murder" (I.iv.36). Such a burden can slowly drive a man off the deep end psychologically. Because of this, Hamlet’s disposition is extremely inconsistent and erratic throughout the play. At times he shows signs of uncontrollable insanity. Whenever he interacts with the characters he is wild, crazy, and plays a fool. At other times, he exemplifies intelligence and method in his madness. In instances when he is alone or with Horatio, he is civilized and sane. Hamlet goes through different stages of insanity throughout the story, but his neurotic and skeptical personality amplifies his persona of seeming insane to the other characters. Hamlet comes up with the idea to fake madness in the beginning of the play in order to confuse his enemies. However, for Hamlet to fulfill his duty of getting revenge, he must be totally sane. Hamlet’s intellectual brilliance make it seem too impossible for him to actually be mad, for to be insane means that one is irrational and without any sense. When one is irrational, one is not governed by or according to reason. So, Hamlet is only acting mad in order to plan his revenge on Claudius.

    Read More

  • Hamlet: The Theme Of Surveillance In Hamlet

    1158 Words  | 3 Pages

    Only a few acts later, he murders Polonius in cold blood, and has no reaction, saying ‘I took thee for thy better’ (L.34) suggesting how he mistook Polonius for the King. In contrast Hamlet spends most of the time, thinking and not acting; it could be considered strange behaviour that he should suddenly react in this way. It can be argued that these, are not the actions of a sane person, and the question of to what extent is Hamlet’s madness is feigned. The OED defines ‘Mad’ as when ones actions are ‘uncontrolled by reason or judgement; foolish, unwise’ which can be argued to encompass Hamlets behaviour, and it might be thought that from Polonius’s murder,

    Read More

  • Is Hamlet Crazy Essay

    811 Words  | 2 Pages

    (2.2.205-208) Polonius is surprised when Hamlet does not recognize him but thinks he is a fishmonger instead. He believes Hamlet is crazy in love. Polonius says to himself, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t- will you walk out of the air, my Lord?” (2.2.223-224) Polonius tells himself that Hamlet talks a good talk, but many crazy people do. Many have a way with words.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Soliloquy To Be Or Not To Be

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    By which I didn’t see it as a possible reason for Hamlet to be acting crazy, but when you take into account the things that Hamlet is going through like accepting his father's death, it’s a possibility. Additionally, when you take into account his father's death, the most reasonable person that Hamlet would consult to talk to about his problems with them is his mother. Likewise, it wouldn’t be a viable option for Hamlet to consult his mother because he himself holds a grudge with his mother for marrying his uncle in such a short time period. Likewise, as a result Hamlet really doesn’t have anyone to talk to about his problems, so as a result Hamlet doesn’t know what to do, but later on Hamlet takes everything to his own hands, which can be reflected by his change in personality which Polonius would classify as being

    Read More

  • Psychoanalytic Analysis of Shakespeare?s Hamlet

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the actual play, one of the principle argument is whether Hamlet is truly mad or not. To analyze this for validity, one would have to look at the linguistics of the play and the situations that play out within it. There is concrete evidence, as well as implied detail, which leads one to believe that Hamlet is only acting as if he were mad in order to carry out his plan to avenge the death of the late King Hamlet.

    Read More

  • Madness In Hamlet Analysis

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    He appears to vary in how mad he is, sometimes appearing completely sane, and sometimes more insane. His madness is mostly portrayed through his ramblings at the other characters, or through soliloquies. Originally Hamlet was only feining madness in order to reach his goals and discover if Claudius was really the one who killed father. He decides this after meeting the ghost of his dead father: “As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on-...”(Hamlet: 1.5.171-172).The other characters pick up on his “madness” as the play progresses further. They were all curious as to the cause of Hamlet’s madness. Polonius and Claudius believe it may be caused by the lack of contact with Ophelia that they had caused, whereas Gertrude’s first thought was that it was to do with his father’s death. Hamlet keeps up his act throughout the whole play, calling Polonius a fishmonger at one point, and also when he berated his ex-girlfriend Ophelia, even stating that she should go to a nunnery. She comments on Hamlet after his rant: “Oh what noble mind is overthrown…”(Ophelia 3.1.144). She starts to believe he has really gone mad, and that he truly does not care about her anymore. This also becomes a problem for the kingdom, as Hamlet is a royal and the heir to the throne, so having madness could be potentially calamitous for all of them. Shortly after

    Read More

  • Hamlet As A Madman

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    All of these things amass a great deal of stress on Hamlet. Even if Hamlet is truly only pretending to be mad after his first encounter with the ghost he is most truly insane by the end of the play. The death of his father and loss of contact with his lover begin driving him to insanity. We can say with some certainty that the ghost is real on its visit to Hamlet because others witness it, but after the death of Polonius, Hamlet is its only witness. By this point Hamlet must surely be insane. He has been brooding for so l...

    Read More

More about Is Hamlet Really Mad Essay

Open Document