Insanity In Hamlet Research Paper

Unfortunately, people who suffer from a mental disorder are often considered crazy or insane. Too many people know too little about why these people act the way they do. If people were more educated about the brain, their loved ones could be helped. Instead, they are considered outcasts and sent away. Although most people don’t agree with this, it is possible that this is what happened to Hamlet in The Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare.

The first time that Hamlet shows signs of insanity is in act I scene 2, when he is first speaking to himself and then to Horatio about the death of his father and the marriage of his mother. In his soliloquy, he says “…but two months dead—nay, not so much, not two…” (I, 2, 11) This leads people to believe that his King Hamlet’s death was just under two months ago. Then, just a few minutes later, he tells Horatio that “The funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables” (1,2, 12) In other words, the funeral and wedding were so close together that the same food was served. That food would not have stayed fresh for two months. It would have lasted from a few days to a week. Hamlet is very inconsistent when telling of

However, only Hamlet can see it. This is unlike the first time, when it was visible to everybody who was present. This time, he is alone with his mother when the ghost makes an appearance. Hamlet sees it and hears it, but the queen doesn’t and calls Hamlet mad. As Hamlet speaks to the ghost, Gertrude says, “to whom do you speak this?” (III, 4, 76) which makes Hamlet realize that he alone can see the ghost. Is Hamlet only imagining that the ghost is there? Did something in his mind shift and cause him to remember his promise to not harm Gertrude? He believes what he sees and hears, and he has no reason not to. Hallucinations have the power to seem very real, and it can be hard for a hallucinating person to distinguish reality from