Is Hamlet Crazy Or Insane Analysis

In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, as the play progresses Hamlet portrays himself as going insane. However, I believe that in reality Hamlet is really just acting as if he was insane to deter attention from his plot to kill Claudius, his father's murderer. For instance, at the very beginning of the play when Hamlet, Horatio, his good friend, and Marcellus see the ghost of Hamlet's father Hamlet makes them both swear that they will not tell anyone about the ghost. He also says, “How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself

(As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on),”. (I, v, 171-173)

In this quote Hamlet is telling his friends that if he starts to act weird or insane in the near future they should not be alarmed because he is merely acting. This makes

For example, when Hamlet is finalizing that Claudius killed his father by putting on a play that mimics the killing he has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius. Claudius runs out of the room clearly out of guilt, so Hamlet follows him to kill him. However, once Hamlet finds Claudius he sees that he is praying and instead of acting purely on emotion he stops to think and makes a rational decision to wait to kill him because otherwise he will go straight to heaven and that will not fully avenge Hamlet’s father. When Hamlet is contemplating whether or not to kill Claudius he says,

“Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying.

And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven.

And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned”. (III, iii, 74-76)

It is explicitly written out in the play that Hamlet stops to think about his actions which is something an actual insane person would never do. In conclusion, Hamlet is in reality sane throughout the entire play and only acts mad in order to help him follow through on his well thought out rational