Today, I will analyze the reason behind hamlet’s murder of Polonius. There are three possible explanations for his actions. We can say that Hamlet murders Polonius because he is simply deranged, because he tries to feign his madness, or maybe he is just so self absorbed that he does not know himself anymore.
We can clearly see that Hamlet is deranged based on what he says to his mother. Before the murder of Polonius, Hamlet and Gertrude were having an argument, Hamlet says he will set a mirror up in front of her, then slice her open so that she can see her own internal organs. It is hard to believe a person who talks like this is sane. Another example is that he does not tell anyone where he hid Polonius' body. The reasons behind this action
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Hamlet is using this false madness as a cover from Claudius. This is so Claudius does not suspect him of his real intentions, which is to murder him. Proof of his false insanity is seen when he talks with Polonius. He manages to convince Polonius of his madness by pretending that he did not know who Polonius was, and by calling him a fish monger. Hamlet knew that Polonius was spying on him on behalf of Claudius, so he faked his insanity so that Claudius would not see him as a threat and therefore be oblivious to his real intentions. Secondly, Hamlet hides the body and does not tell anyone where it is initially, but he intended to reveal the whereabouts of the body anyway. This action does not make sense, why would Hamlet hide a body he intended to reveal? This lacks logic, and common sense is the basis of insanity. He succussfully portrays madness with lack of logic to his actions in order to keep Claudius from suspecting that he knew of Claudius' guilt for the murder. Therefore, his action keeps him away from others so his real intentions are not easily visible. The fact that Hamlet has committed murder is supported because of the following reason; Hamlet is so distracted and consumed with avenging his father’s death that he is not in touch with his own feelings. Furthermore, this proves that what he has done to achieve his purpose is irational. Hamlet explains god punished him for not avenging
In the Elizabethan life, this act by Hamlet who is supposed to become the new king as he is next in line since his father had been murdered, would pass over and no one would believe that he did it without any physical proof of him doing it. It could just be sign of jealousy from king Claudius and would backfire on him if he were to try and presume legal action for the death of Polonius. The motivation of King Claudius is to try and get Hamlet sent away so he can cover up the fact that he had murdered his own brother so he could marry his wife. The motivation of Hamlet is to get revenge on King Claudius for his father, but if he was sent away then thee would be no one to get revenge on him for his sins. I think Shakespeare portrayed King
Again, Hamlet admits his insanity is all an act. A true crazy man would kill Claudius because a ghost told him too. Hamlet has a conscience and morals that force him to ensure that Claudius is truly guilty before he takes
It is or is it not true that Hamlet was faking his insanity? I’m not saying Hamlet was faking the whole thing. The meaning for insanity on Dictionary.com is “a permanent disorder of the mind.” I don 't think Hamlet had a permanent disorder of the mind he knew what he was doing and even planned the majority of the events that happened. Most of the time anyway.
Madness is often a symptom, and in the case of Hamlet this may be the reason behind his actions. The death of Hamlet’s father is the catalyst for Hamlet, causing him to see the ghost and ultimately become obsessed with the idea of revenge. A common theme for shakespeare is to explore a character’s mind and reasonings, and Hamlet’s character being mad was a perfect opportunity to continue this theme. Hamlet’s debatable madness, Ophelia being truly mad and the death of every character involved with Hamlet or his father is a prime example of tragedy, which Shakespeare is known for. While Hamlet’s madness is not certain, it is indisputable that the play Hamlet was built off of the idea of what is madness, and how does it affect one’s
In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many references to sanity and insanity. Throughout the play, Hamlet goes back and forth between sanity and insanity, whether pretending to be insane just to mess with those he does not like or to save himself from getting in trouble. Hamlet is actually one of the smartest characters in the play, which is why he can pull off acting crazy so well. Shakespeare uses this idea of sanity and insanity to help the plot change and take a different directions. One of the most discussed topics of the Hamlet is whether Hamlet is insane or if he was just pretending the whole time.
It is seen both fake and real. Hamlet uses “madness” as a disguise, allowing him to get the information he needs about Claudius’ actions. He also uses it as an excuse for his actions, mainly Polonius’ murder. Claudius also uses it as an excuse to have him exiled instead of executed since Hamlet is very popular with the Danish people. In addition, though, you can see his genuine grief over the death of his father, and at one point says, “I know of late-
The question of whether or not Hamlet was insane is of a never-ending debate. Was he always crazy? Was he always faking it? Or was he somewhere in between? In this paper I will share three different views and provide my own interpretation of Hamlet’s sanity.
An insane person would not be able to think about the consequences of their actions or do not even know that they are insane themselves. At the end of the play when Hamlet murdered Claudius it is justified as an action of a sane person. The first reason is when his own mother, Gertrude, pointed out that “the drink” is “poisoned” and Claudius was the only person that told her to not drink it, which shows that Claudius knew something about the drink. Another strong piece of evidence to justify Hamlet’s action to murder Claudius is when Laertes points out that Hamlet’s “mother’s poisoned” and that “the king’s to blame”(V.ii.315-316). At the end of the play Hamlet had every reasons to kill Claudius and avenge his father’s death because Hamlet found a letter by Claudius to the king of England to execute Hamlet when he steps in England, and the most crucial evidence is from Gertrude and Laertes
Insanity is an idea that has been examined for a long time in numerous mediums such as films, music, plays, and even works of literature. William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is no exception to that rule. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters, and many scholars have been debating for centuries whether or not Hamlet is truly insane, or whether there is a particular reason for his odd behavior. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet merely pretends to be mad but in reality is sane.
Were Hamlets Actions Justified? Were his actions justified, that is the question. Hamlet’s father (King Hamlet) died. In less than 2 months Hamlet’s mother (Gertrude) married his uncle (Claudius). Hamlet’s friend came to him telling him that he saw the ghost of his dad.
An overwhelming amount of evidence shows that Hamlet faked his insanity to confuse the king and his accomplices. Often revered for their emotional complexities, William Shakespeare’s tragic characters display various signs of mental illness. Sylvia Morris notes “Hamlet contains Shakespeare’s most fully-developed study of mental illness, and has always intrigued commentators on the play.” (“Shakespeare’s Minds Diseased: Mental Illness and its Treatment”). When looking at the play, one can infer that Shakespeare makes the relationship between sanity and insanity undistinguishable from one another.
He uses his deception of madness to make this sound like mad ramblings to everyone else, but he is truly asking these questions and wondering about the ins and outs of how life truly works, and what it all means. So Hamlet basically acts insane to cover up the seriousness of these questions he is seeking the answers to. “But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,/Could force his soul so to his own conceit,/That from her working all his visage wann’d,/ Tears in his eyes, distraction in’s aspect,/ A broken voice, and his
3.3.72-73), Hamlet says, as he is debating whether or not to kill the king as he prays and thinks to himself if he kills him now then the king will just go to heaven because he is praying. Because of him overthinking the murder of Claudius and not taking action at the time he was able to, he had created a domino effect of events. Hamlet finally followed through with his plan after a long time of thinking, but he had killed Polonius. Polonius’ murder led to Ophelia committing suicide and Laertes getting involved and wanting to venge on Hamlet for killing his
Although, later Polonius questions Hamlet’s true insanity. “Though this be madness, yet there is method / in’t.” (II.ii.216-217) He begins to think about it and realizes that it could be madness but there is some kind of a pattern involved in
Many characters show signs of intelligence throughout William Shakespeare’s Hamlet as they conjure plans to achieve their goals. However, Hamlet’s intelligence is far superior to that of all the other characters. He is capable of altering the kingdom’s perception of him to his advantage by adjusting his behaviours. The schemes he devises outsmart everyone and leave him to appear innocent. Most importantly, Hamlet miraculously escapes his own death and instead brings an end to those involved in his execution.