Hamlet Unmasked

Hamlet, a dispirited victim of unfortunate family circumstance, or a man plagued by a serious and debilitating mental illness? This is a topic that has intrigued literary and psychological critics alike for many years and has produced many interesting theories about Hamlet’s less than stable behavior throughout the length of the Shakespeare’s play. While the question of Hamlet’s sanity is debatable, his inability to act on his decisions and his constant depressed and agitated mood do inspire some curious questions about his methods and behavior towards other characters in the play. While it is true that the death of a loved one can propel any being into a state of grief and depression, Hamlet seems to exaggerate the situation of his father’s death by constantly bruiting and wearing “the trappings and suits of woe” (Shakespeare, 1.2. 89), and makes no real effort to move on as he seems content to wallow in his grief. What is even more fascinating is the way in which he treats the people who clearly care about him and want nothing more but the best for him. He constantly badgers the ones who are closest to him, and while he meticulously analyzes his every thought, his actions towards others are still rash and sometimes needlessly harsh. These complex characteristics of the man Hamlet, have baffled and mesmerized literary scholars and the general public alike for decades, sometimes making the play hard to comprehend and even frustrating for the audience at times. The frustration of relating to such a complex character however can be easily alleviated by perceiving Hamlet not just as a man weakened by a complicated domestic situation, but as a man tormented by what we know today to be Major depressive disorder.

When one views Hamlet...

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... throughout the play, including his mother and Ophelia, the woman in which he supposedly loved. While it is true that Hamlet did a lot of damage to his friends and family it is important to remember that it was not Hamlets true self who caused such horrible pain and consequences in the play, but the man who fell victim to a debilitating illness was truly the cause of this plays tragic ending.

Works Cited

"Major Depressive Disorder." The Gale Encyclopedia of Mental Health. Ed. Laurie J. Fundukian and Jeffrey Wilson. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2008. 678-685. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 6 Mar. 2011.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 2002. Print.

Shaw, A.B. "Depressive Illness Delayed Hamlets Revenge." Medical Humanities 28.2 (2002): 92+. Academic Onefile. Web. 28 Feb. 2011.