Is Hamlet Insane Or Is He Sane?

383 Words1 Page

The big question is, Is hamlet insane or is he sane?. Throughout the book there are several red flags the support that he is insane or that he is not himself. But then you are not so dure because there are times where he seems perfectly fine. This is why it is so hard to distinguish what is going on with Hamlet. Let's discuss if Hamlet really is insane or is he sane.
We can all agree that Hamlet goes through a great deal of trauma throughout the play.
If you were to put yourself in his shoes you would probably go insane too. One piece of evidence that Hamlet is completely in sane is his famous “To be or not to be” speech where he contemplates suicide(3.2.57). This is a for sure sign that he is losing his mind. This shows that that the depression

Show More
Related

  • Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Has Hamlet Gone Mad?

    691 Words  | 2 Pages

    that they had seen a ghost during the night watch.  Hamlet was shocked at the

    Read More

  • 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

  • Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Is He Insane?

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Insane or Sane

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Insanity

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Hamlet Insanity Essay

    738 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's Sanity

    1524 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet can be considered no worse than an eccentric, determined, and possibly single-minded man, who was made so by his father?s murder and his request for revenge. His feigned madness is maintained because it allows him to continue with his plans. This madness is not, however, sustained when guard is unnecessary. Maybe Hamlet thought too much, but he thought as a sane man would. He commits no actions without reason, and he is far too astute and organized to be proclaimed mentally unstable. Hamlet?s portrayal of a madman is also very complex because it allows not only his points to be made, but in a believably insane way, which contrasts greatly with the expected ramblings of a truly insane person.

    Read More

  • Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Both a Sane and Insane Hamlet

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare's tragic hero, Hamlet, and his sanity can arguably be discussed. Many portions of the play supports his loss of control in his actions, while other parts uphold his ability of dramatic art. The issue can be discussed both ways and altogether provide significant support to either theory. There are indications from Hamlet throughout the play of his mind's well being.

    Read More

  • Was Hamlet Faking His Insanity?

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Hamlet, he seems to be mad, but there is a question that everyone asks when reading or watching this play “was it, or was it not true that Hamlet was faking his insanity, really suffering, or maybe even both.” First, this is what insanity is: insanity is acting crazy, but not knowing that they’re acting crazy. Also, it’s going through a lot of stress at the same time causing you to act stranger then a normal person. Hamlet was not totally insane. It doesn’t fit.

    Read More

  • Is Hamlet Really Crazy?

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    The question is has Hamlet gone crazy from the mourning of his father’s death, thoughts about suicide, and wanting to kill someone? Furthermore, insanity can be the theme driven for this novel. All this acting insane can maybe come back and bite Hamlet in the butt. By the end of the novel Hamlet the Prince of Denmark elicits how someone can end up spiraling out of control and become

    Read More

  • hamlet

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people question the psychological condition of the character Hamlet in the sixteenth century play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare. One of the reasons that the mental health of hamlet is in question by many people is the result of hamlet's actions as well as his reactions to events that occur during the play. Some people argue that the character Hamlet is insane, while others may argue that his insanity can be justified by several means such as his need for justice of his father's murder. However, Hamlet's need for justice or revenge does not necessarily justify Hamlet's behavior in the play. In addition, Hamlet's behavior falls into several categories of insanity such as shizophrenia. Therefore, there are many ways in which it can be proven that hamlet may truly be insane.

    Read More

  • Stress And Craziness In Hamlet

    1867 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet does have depression and bi-polar disorder which is evident by his spontaneous actions and odd off-key behavior. But one must evaluate what he was dealing with before labeling him as crazy. Hamlet may not have been a perfect man, but he tried to do right for his father. If anyone was put into a mirrored situation, one would most likely act as combatively and oddly as Hamlet did. It is hard to make an exact medical diagnosis since Shakespeare only gave the audience a small glimpse into the life of Hamlet, but it was a big enough glimpse to see what was blatantly obvious and glowing in oddness. Hamlet may be one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters, and it is without a doubt he still intrigues audiences today. Hamlet has many issues which were examined closely throughout the ages. Hamlet was not insane given his circumstances, he was just ready for revenge, vengeance, and to make peace over a sticky

    Read More

  • The Validity of Hamlet's Insanity in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    840 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many people have questioned whether Hamlet was actually insane or merely acting that way during the play. But it is obvious that from the very beginning of the play until the final scene Hamlet displays unmistakable characteristics of sanity, such as the ability to reason and knowledge of the difference between right and wrong. Such evidence proves beyond a doubt that Hamlet was merely acting insane.

    Read More

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

    1594 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...sane because he is fully aware of his surroundings and before acting he always rationalizes everything. He fakes madness so he can say and do things that a mad man would do, but internally he is aware of what he is doing and we know he is not insane but he acts crazy in front of certain people. His way of thinking is like a normal individual's, if an individual was crazy they would not be thinking everything through and if someone were crazy they would definitely not have the capabilities of outsmarting someone, like how Hamlet outsmarted Claudius. All these reasons and much more are why Hamlet is not insane, he is as sane of an individual as any other, but unlike others he had to go through a lot of emotional pain and a sense of abandonment to reach a successful point in his life.

    Read More

  • Antic Disposition In Hamlet Speech Analysis

    832 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s madness is questionable through his actions and the reactions from others. Shakespeare seems to leave it up to us to decide whether his madness is feigned or real. In conclusion we can see that he acts different from Ophelia who we know is truly mad. Hamlet played his antic deposition very well, not only did he fool King Claudius, it seems he fools a lot of people who are reading it. The theme we can see in Hamlet is sometimes you have to act insane to achieve the goals you

    Read More

More about Is Hamlet Insane Or Is He Sane?

Open Document