Should insanity be considered a curse or a blessing in disguise? In the play, Hamlet, by Shakespeare, there are many characters whose intentions were all masked by lies and deception. The character, King Claudius, often comes to mind since he was the one to spark the future sequence of events filled with violence and death that would occur in the play by killing King Hamlet; however, Prince Hamlet’s questionable character and sanity are often over-looked. Hamlet portrays his mental stability as rapidly faltering in order to seek the revenge of his father’s death. The need for revenge led to Hamlet’s idea to deceive those around him by seeming insane.
The story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story of betrayal, revenge, and intrigue. Hamlet, the title character discovers that his uncle killed his father and married his mother effectively stealing the throne. Hamlet decides he must kill his uncle Claudius as revenge for what he had done. However, as the new king, Hamlet isn't sure how to get to him, so he decides to fake madness, but his plan backfires as Claudius doesn't trust him and makes sure he is always watched. In his fumbled plan for revenge, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, forces Polonius's son Laertes to seek revenge against him, and drives Ophelia crazy causing her to kill herself.
In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the author claims that revenge and madness are related because the need for revenge can cause one to go insane trying to get their revenge. This comparison comes up when Hamlet kills Polonius, Ophelia goes insane, and when Laertes attempts to do anything to avenge his father and Ophelia. Shakespeare’s claims that madness and revenge are related are not true today because people generally get revenge through the legal system, and rarely have issues as large as those in Hamlet where they would feel such a strong need for revenge. These modern comparisons show up in workplace revenge, the people who generally seek revenge, and the effect revenge has on people. The first way Shakespeare expresses the
Murder and death are the driving forces to one character’s motives. In The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare, a play about a young prince, Hamlet, whose father is murdered prior and the trials of confirming who the killer is, go wary after a play sparks the new King’s attention. Hamlet is in and out of a grievous time trying to understand his father’s death while not a single soul mourns the loss. Power is what consumes King Claudius as he plots for Hamlet’s death with unexpected deaths to follow. Hamlet is consistently perceived as insane for trying to grief his father and avenge him.
In other words he is not polite in the remarks that he makes. His acting backfires during his speech to Gertrude, Hamlet criticizes her for what she has done because he thinks he is insane. As the play goes on he makes sexual remarks to Ophelia such as “That’s a fair thought to lie between maids’ legs (3.2.125).” His insanity is so convincing it allows him to bring out his anger towards Ophelia. Just like in another seen he is able to tell polonius how he really feels. Hamlet uses his craziness as an excuse and part of an apology towards Laertes for killing Polonius.
Throughout the rest of the play, we see his relationship with the other characters crumble as he becomes increasingly overcome by his rage and suspicion. By the very end, Hamlet gets his revenge, but not without losing his own life. Many ponder whether Hamlet’s craziness really is an act or whether it is real. I believe Hamlet was mad, but not in the way many seem to believe. Hamlet’s craziness is not craziness in that he has gone insane like Ophelia, but is instead a suspicious and emotional behaviour displayed by a man who no longer knows how to trust.
The tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare gives a look into madness and deception. Describing Hamlet as insane, depressed, and unbalanced to the discerning eye. He shows his irrational behaviour and apparent madness as he is either going mad with revenge for the death of his father, or that he is only playing his part. Determining whether his actions are reasonable or unreasonable in his act. In the beginning Hamlet starts out as mellow, sad and depressed, this is all due to his father’s death.
At the beginning of the play, Hamlet’s depression is because of the loss of his father and Gertrude’s marriage. But we can see after he finds out about the truth, he is forced to act because of his morality beliefs. The battle in Hamlet’s tragedy occurs in a dynamic society that is created by opposing forces that contradict with each other and Hamlet is a philosophical prince who blames the court for impunity, injustice, and murder; and all of these problems prevents him from being a part of court’s social life and he becomes depressed. Hamlet’s deep depression effects on his behaviors until he even doesn’t act like prince and becomes mad. His madness effect on his judgment and makes him to become obsessed with the death; even he sees death as the only way to take revenge.
Hamlet is a play that is largely about a prince, Hamlet trying to get revenge on the man who commited his father 's murder. A question is raised however, which is that of whether or not he is sane or crazy. There are many scenes throughout the play in which he displays an almost crazed state of mind which cause many to question his sanity throughout the play. And so the question becomes was he faking it to see if his uncle truly murdered his father, or was he truly insane? It is my firm belief that he is faking it and is only using his facade to ensnare his uncle into a trap so that he can kill him.
Subsequently, he equips an artificial mask of madness at the beginning of the play in order to fulfill his father 's wishes. However, as the plot continues Hamlet is overcome by the grief sparked by the heinous events that allow Claudius hold the throne, the bloodthirsty task that faces him, and the reemergence of his Oedipal desires. Thus, Hamlet succumbs to a mental state of decay spearheaded by his artificial madness as he embodies the essence of insanity. Don Nardo delves into two critical layers of “truths” with regards to the title character Hamlet: the corrupted world, and solitude. These layers symbolize the walls that must be breached in order to invoke madness.