Hamlet’s so called friends and family all thought that Hamlet had gone mad and was in the wrong about many things. Hamlet may have done crazy things at times, but was he truly senseless? Some things can be argued to a point, but this topic is not one. You could argue if Hamlet was truly sane or insane for a long long time. There is enough textual evidence for people to go through three times and still find new evidence from the story supporting either point. Although, I believe Hamlet was not mad. I think he was not mentally insane because his Uncle, Claudius, killed King Hamlet, he had a lot going on amid Ophelia and his friends, and he was deciding the variety of options he had to make.
Claudius, who became king after King Hamlet’s death,
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One of his main problems was his love for Ophelia. The main question was how did they feel for each other? Was he mad? But they felt an uncontrollable new love for each other. The only problem between them was that they both lacked trust. One of the most important things in the world for love to work is trust. Love was not a feeling. It is an act; an act of trust, kindness, appreciation, and so much more. Hamlet actually had a reason to not trust Ophelia at times. He was right not to trust her; but that did not stop Hamlet from loving her from afar. Hamlet figured that since his mother would do such a cowardly thing and be with his uncle, Ophelia and all other women would be the exact same; evil. Hamlet was just assuming that is how all women were. It is the only thing that he would be familiar with. Ophelia even knew that the love would not work out because Polonius and Laertes did not agree. As soon as Ophelia learned that her father and brother did not accept Hamlet and Ophelia’s love, she took her father's side and decided to help him; which in a way sort of proved Hamlet’s reasoning for not trusting, but he didn’t need to know that. Polonius was the first to declare Hamlet mad. He thought Hamlet was mad because of how strong his love was for Ophelia; she had been rejecting him and it made him depressed. But, I don’t think Polonius took all matters into account. Hamlet and Ophelia did lack a lot of things. They rarely saw each other. But that did not mean Hamlet was mad just because he couldn’t fully trust her. He had a good reason not to help her and an even better reason to be upset. Polonius also didn’t count the fact that Ophelia just dropped Hamlet like a used toy. That hurts someone emotionally and physically. She ended up using him to Polonius’s advantage, and Hamlet was betrayed. Hamlet’s friends also thought he had gone mad because of the ‘strange’ things he would talk about. Eventually, Claudius even had
Hamlet: Is He Insane? & nbsp; & nbsp ; The term insanity means a mental disorder, whether it is temporary or permanent. permanent, that is used to describe a person when they don't know the difference. between right or wrong. They don't consider the nature of their actions due to the mental defect of the person.
In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet the main character Hamlet experiences many different and puzzling emotions. He toys with the idea of killing himself and then plays with the idea of murdering others. Many people ask themselves who or what is this man and what is going on inside his head. The most common question asked about him is whether or not he is sane or insane. Although the door seems to swing both ways many see him as a sane person with one thought on his mind, and that is revenge. The first point of his sanity is while speaking with Horatio in the beginning of the play, secondly is the fact of his wittiness with the other characters and finally, his soliloquy.
Riddled with ambiguity by its very nature, the text of William Shakespeare's Hamlet has been a commonly debated subject in literary circles since its first performance. The character Hamlet undergoes intense physical and emotional hardship in his quest for revenge against his despicable uncle. This hardship, some argue, leads to an emotional breakdown and, ultimately, Hamlet's insanity. While this assessment may be suitable in some cases, it falls short in others. Since Hamlet is a play, the ultimate motivation of each of the characters borrows not only from the text, but also from the motivations of the actors playing the parts. In most respects, these motivations are more apt at discerning the emotional condition of a character than their dialogue ever could. Thus, the question is derived: In Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Hamlet, does the character Hamlet suffer from insanity? Giving halt to the response, this paper will first endeavor to establish what insanity is and will then provide sufficient examples both from the text, film, and Branagh's own musings on his motivations as proof that Hamlet's character, at least in Branagh's version of the play, is not insane.
A couple of experts say Hamlet isn’t fully insane. However, looking into act one on his first soliloquy showing his madness and some parts from The Tragedy of Hamlet’s World View by Richard A. Levine, an English Professor. Also Tenney L. Davis has some good points in his The Sanity of Hamlet. However, act three has the best proof of hamlet’s psychological state as it becomes unstable.
Hamlet's behavior throughout the play, especially towards Ophelia is inconsistent. He jumps into Ophelia's grave, and fights with Laertes in her grave. He professes I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers/Could not, with all their quantity of love,/ Make up my sum [Act V, scene I, lines 250-253], during the fight with Laertes in Ophelia's grave, but he tells her that he never loved her, when she returns his letters and gifts, while she was still alive. Hamlet subtly hints his awareness of his dissolving sanity as he tells Laertes that he killed Polonius in a fit of madness [Act V, scene II, lines 236-250]
The play centered around Hamlet and him wanting to avenge his father’s death. In a way he let go of everything and lost trust of the people that he surrounded himself with. He was socially aware of the things happening around him, but he only seemed to see what he wanted to se. He wasn’t aware of Ophelia’s conflicts she was going through because of him. His plan on vengeance only backfired when he didn’t kill his father’s murderer and instead other characters and himself ended up lying. Ophelia’s struggle, pain, and misery made up her madness that caused her to put an end to her life. If only Ophelia had been a different kind of person with a stronger attitude then she could’ve spared her life. Polonius is an example of how lies and deceit can be wicked and cause harm. Polonius, Ophelia’s father somewhat tried to protect his daughter by telling her to stay away from Hamlet but with an ulterior motive. Polonius was interested in what Hamlet was behind, but while doing that he hurt his
... Polonius tells her not to get involved with him. This duties cause Hamlet to be isolated from Ophelia. Hamlet has many duties, and responsibilities. He is the highest class compared to all people, and is treated differently. When he is addressed by Polonius he is called a lord: “Do you know me, my lord?...Not I, my lord…Honest, my lord?” (2.2 171-175) Hamlet is treated different from his friends, and all people who are not royalty. This adds to Hamlets isolation because he is treated so differently. Since Hamlet is treated so special, he feels he has more responsibilities. To kill the king, including your uncle is considered to be the most ‘unholy’ of all crimes. Hamlet wants to kill the King, which goes against his duty as a prince to protect the Kingdom. Hamlets duties as a prince cause Hamlet to isolate himself because he does not believe in the Kingdom.
First there is the killing of Polonius. When he kills Polonius, the father of his girlfriend, he shows no sign of regret. No guilt. He is so caught up in his own little world of revenge, he doesn't even think of the fact that he just killed an innocent old man and the father of Ophelia. In fact, there is no point in the entire text in which he even mentions Ophelia. This just goes to show that he doesn’t truly care about Ophelia, which as state is the necessary component of love. The second deciding scene is that of Ophelia’s funeral. Hamlet has gone the whole text since the play in act three scene two without a word about Ophelia. Then *bang* Ophelia is dead and he's seeing her funeral. He observes as a distraught Laertes, Ophelia’s brother, throws himself into her grave in grief. Hamlet’s response to this is not a of shared sorrow but of competition. He starts by saying to Laertes “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love make up my sum” (5.1.284-287). Rather than just grieve for her, he fights with her grieving brother about who loved her more. While this may seem like a loving gesture, there has been no other proof of his love for her throughout the play which make this seem a bit strange. It is as if he wants to have loved her so that he can have emotions that are more important than everyone else’s. Hamlet even accuses Laertes of just trying “to outface” him “with leaping in her grave” (5.1.295). Hamlet would actually be grieve the lose of Ophelia and not fighting over whose emotions matter more if he had truly loved
Is Hamlet truly insane? While the play is not extremely clear on the matter and often contradicts itself, many of Hamlet’s wild ramblings and words of nonsense seem to be not the true words of a madman. Hamlet says himself that he is merely “putting on an antic disposition” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 181). He admits very early on in the play that his insanity will be nothing more than a ruse to fool those around him. This is further proven by the fact that when he is around Horatio he shows no signs of mental illness. He speaks calmly and everything he says makes sense.
Is Hamlet sane or insane that is the question. There are many sections in the play which show portray him as being insane but there are such as the when he hears of his fathers death. On the other hand Shakespeare illustrates Hamlet as a sane person when ever he is with a non guilty party. Hamlet is clearly sane though because he acknowledges that he is putting on an act whenever he is acting crazy.
So is Hamlet crazy? From the very beginning Hamlet is shows characteristics of being very disturbed. In act I scene two Hamlet expresses his melancholy, “Oh that this too too sullied flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into dew! Or that thy Everlasting had not fix’d His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” (I. ii. 129- 132). Hamlet speaks on his feelings, telling us of how he wishes to die because of his sorrow. He recently lost his father, and in less than a month his mother has remarried to his uncle. Hamlet feels lost and no one understands. Confused by the incestuous behavior of his mother and hasty marriage, Hamlet thinks there was foul play in his midst. Upon hearing of the appearance of his father’s ghost, he is certain that treachery is to be found somewhere. He states,” My father’s spirit in arms! All is not well; I doubt some foul play:” (I, iii,253-254). The next night he meets with the ghost and it tells Hamlet that he was murdered and “ The serpent that did sting thy fathers life Now wears his crown,” (I, v, 37-38), then he asked Hamlet “ Let not the royal bed of Denmark be A couch for luxery and damned incest,“ (I. v. 82- 83). Hamlet agreed at once to avenge his father and country. From this point on Hamlet l...
Laertes, and Polonius would interfere with their relationship, and Ophelia would reject his love. During the play Hamlet deals with many issues to make him question who in the kingdom he can trust. Hamlet having trust issues effects his relationship with Ophelia tremendously. Feeling betrayed by his family after finding out the truth behind his father’s death, he had gone mad.
We are first introduced to the flawed relationship between Polonius and Ophelia when her brother, Laertes, is departing for Norway in Act 1 Scene 3. Here, Ophelia shows the viewer/reader her subservient behavior and her undeniable love for her family, and how that is taken for granted at the same time. Laertes tries to warn Ophelia and convince her not to get involved with Hamlet, “Fear it, Ophelia. Fear it, my dear sister, / And keep you in the rear of your affection, / Out of the shot and danger of desire.” (I.iii.33-35). Laertes is, to be blunt, telling Ophelia not to have premarital sex with Hamlet, basically scaring her away from doing so. And though she readily agrees, because he is after all her brother, it is her father Polonius that really uses and takes advantage of Ophelia’s loyalty to her family.
Polonius immediately wants to tell King Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, that Ophelia’s denial toward Hamelt has made him go crazy. He tells Ophelia “I will go seek the King. This is the very ecstasy of love, whose violent property fordoes itself and leads the will to desperate undertakings” (lines 113-116). Rather than asking how Ophelia feels about Hamlet, Polonius contends that love is self - destructive and causes people to do “desperate” things. His manner subjugates Ophelia and makes it seem that her feelings are not that important. Instead, Polonius is more concerned about how Hamlet has recently gone crazy and he believes that it is due to
It is tempting to dismiss Polonius as a fool and, as Hamlet calls him a "prating knave", because of his pomposity and his tedious pedantry, but to do so would be unwise. He is indeed irritating, but he is not stupid. Foolish, perhaps, in his stubborn belief that he knows best what is the cause of Hamlet's madness, but it is an astute guess, given what he knows about the love affair between Ophelia and the prince, and the evidence of the letter which he shows to the King. He is not, however, always likeable and it is unclear as to whether his children love him, or just accord him healthy respect. There seems to be evidence that it is Laertes to whom Ophelia feels closer than to her father, as it is he whom she tells about Hamlet's affections and there is a terse note in Polonius's dialogue with his daughter, especially after the nunnery scene, when her evident distress is curtly dismissed by her father. Polonius is clearly unscrupulous about setting spies on his children, as we see when Reynaldo is sent to Paris to check Laertes' behaviour. It is also obvious that Polonius is well aware of Ophelia's relationship with Hamlet and that he has been reported to about it, so presumably his spies are at work in the court all the time. He is quick to suggest that Ophelia is used as a decoy to observe Hamlet's "madness" and as we have seen , seems unmoved by her distress when Hamlet renounces her.