The Insanity of Hamlet

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In the play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare the reader gets to see how Hamlet's life pertains to his insanity. “In life of Hamlet as represented by Shakespeare we have a full history of a case of insanity, of a peculiar kind” (Kellogg). “It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane” notes Philip K. Dick. Even though Hamlet is aware in the play there is a side to Hamlet that takes control of him. Though Hamlet often demonstrates awareness; his mind ultimately succumbs to insanity, which brings about his tragic end.
Hamlet is aware while he shows signs of insanity. Hamlet's awareness is being torn away from his body. “Hamlet’s salvation- his awareness of his human failings- comes only with his death” (Boyce 146). Boyce states that Hamlet shows awareness and that it will eventually be the death of him. His awareness drives him into madness. He shows that he is aware but, people do not know that he is crazy. He always knows what is happening and Hamlet also knows about every situation that is put together. The first major situation that Hamlet experiences in the play is where the Claudius had called Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to talk to Hamlet.
Claudius. “And can you by no drift of conference
Get from him why he puts on this confusion,
Grating so harshly all his days of quiet
With turbulent and dangerous lunacy?”
Rosencrantz. “He does confess he feels himself distracted,
But from what cause he will by no means speak.”
Guildenstern. “Nor do we find him forward to be sounded,
But with a crafty madness keeps aloof
When we would bring him on to some confession
Of his true state (Shakespeare. III.i.1-10).
Hamlet is aware of the conversation that Claudius is having with Rosencrantz and Guilde...

... middle of paper ...

...insanity does not have to affect their awareness.

Works Cited

Boyce, Charles. William Shakespeare A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York.
Facts On File, Inc. 2005. Print.
Bradley, A.C. “On Hamlet.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on file, inc. Web. 24 Mar. 2014 www.fofweb.com Greenfield, Sayre N. “Quoting Hamlet in the Early Seventeenth Century.” Bloom’s Literature.
Facts on File, Inc. Web. Mar. 2014 www.fofweb.com
Hassle, Chris. “Hamlets Too,Too Solid Flesh.” Sixteenth Century Journal. 25. 3 (Autumn 1994): 609-622 Jstor. Web. 20 March, 2014.
Kellogg, A.O. Commentary from “Insanity-Illustrated by Histories of Distinguished Men, and by
The Writings of Poets and Novelists.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc. Web. 15 Mar. 2014 www.fofweb.com
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat, et al. New York: Simon and Schuster,
1992. Print.

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