In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, many see Hamlet as mad, or even at times distraught. However, insanity is in the eye of the beholder and although those around him claim he’s insane, Hamlet is actually sane throughout the play. Over time, Hamlet crosses over between the realms of insanity and his true sanity. Although throughout the play the others are convinced Hamlet is mad, through brilliant planning and scheming, Hamlet proves his own sanity.
Hamlet perfectly portrays the actions of a deranged young man, which he had to appear to be in order to get revenge on Claudius. As the play unfolds we meet Hamlet’s scholarly friend, Horatio. Hamlet begins to confide in Horatio when he says, “(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet/To put an antic disposition
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She is aware something is not right with Hamlet, but completely oblivious to the fact that it’s mainly her recent marriage to Claudius. Mother’s tend to turn a blind eye to any bad acts their child could be apart of, and perhaps that was exactly what Gertrude was doing for Hamlet when she tells him, “This bodiless creation ecstasy/Is very cunning in” (Shakespeare 179). Insanity is much more tolerable to face than hearing that Gertrude’s child is seeking revenge, or murder, on her husband. This is why Gertude quickly assumes Hamlet’s madness and overlooks his wise plans. Gertrude is told upon multiple occasions of her son’s deceiving fits of lunacy, a few times she is told this by Hamlet himself, “That I essentially am not in madness/But mad in craft” (Shakespeare 183). Hamlet’s wise plans throughout the play are what prove his perfectly crafted madness. The Prince’s true sanity was the backbone of the whole play.
There need he no doubt, then, that Hamlet's madness was really feigned. He saw much to be gained by it, and to this end he did many things that the persons of the drama must construe as madness. His avowed intention was to throw them off the track. (Crawford