Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet - Hamlet is Truly Sane

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Hamlet is Truly Sane

In William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, we meet an interesting character named Hamlet. His father is killed and he finds out it was his uncle who murdered him. This, among other events, is believed to drive Hamlet insane. But he is not insane, he merely puts on an act because he craves attention, and is really quite sane. There are little incidents that tell the truth of his state of mind. He plans ahead, before doing something important. He acts in a calm and rational manner (most of the time) when planning, and when carrying out this plan, acts irrational. Everything he does is done for a viable reason; there is a purpose to what he does and why he does it. Also, Hamlet is aware of what is going on around him, something someone insane would not see.

Hamlet plans ahead before doing certain tasks. When the acting company comes along, Hamlet talks to himself discussing that the play will bring about the conscience of the killer. He thinks of a play where a man is killed by someone close, something that resembles Hamlet's father's murder. This was not done in a state of insanity, and it was not spurr-of-the-moment idea. Hamlet thought this through and planned it out ahead. People insane do not think to plan ahead and do not act in rational manner. When Hamlet does act irrationally, it is in front of people; it is as if Hamlet wants the world to think he is insane. But maybe his reason for acting insane is legitamite.

Many of Hamlet's actions are done for a viable reason. He does not go off and do random acts of violence or anything of the sort. When Hamlet was going to kill Claudius the first time, he stopped himself, because Claudius was in confession. If Hamlet had killed him there, all of Cladius' sins would have been wiped away, and Hamlet feared sending him to heaven, so he would wait for a better time to kill Claudius. When Hamlet was arguing with his mother and Polonius approaches, Hamlet assumes it was the King. They scuffle, and Hamlet stabs Polonius. Hamlet thought it was the King, a viable reason, just not true.

The most important reason to prove Hamlet's sanity is that he is aware of what is going on around him.

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