Madness In Hamlet Essay

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.

Since the early times, people have discussed whether those among them are truly sane or not. During the Shakespearian Era, nobody actually understood who was insane and those who were merely more eccentric than most. One of the most debated plays of all time is Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Many professors and scholars have analyzed and questioned Hamlet’s sanity. Hamlet displays the characteristics of sanity throughout the play.

In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, it is clear that Hamlet was once sane, but the tragic events of his life led him to be insane. Grieving over the loss of a loved one, yet a parent, is extremely difficult. These hardships can cause a lot of problems in one’s life. In Hamlet, Shakespeare incorporates a theme of madness to serve a motive. In fact, Hamlet is not initially crazy, but plans to use the insanity as a trick to achieve what he wanted-- revenge. As the end of the play is reached, Hamlet's false madness becomes a reality. Hamlet converts from sane to insane in a matter of time due to plotting revenge on Claudius, losing Ophelia, and living with the new, quick marriage of his mother and Claudius.

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.

In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet assumes the disguise of a man that has lost his mind. Hamlet uses this madness to masquerade around in such a way as to not draw attention to his true plan, to avenge his murdered father. Many readers debate as to whether Hamlet is truly mad, or whether he is fully aware of his actions and what he is doing. However, both sides of the debate can agree that Hamlet’s apparent madness is a key element of the play, Hamlet.

What would one expect the personality of a man whose father was murdered by his uncle, who becomes his step-father? The personality in question points to Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark—who William Shakespeare depicts in his play “Hamlet.” A character analysis of Hamlet reveals that through his internal dialogue, his interpretation of his father 's murder, and his actions, his traits—bitterness, depression, and anger—emerge. Scholars have studied Hamlet for decades, and most have concluded that Hamlet 's personality indicated insanity. However, after observing Hamlet 's actions, his actions throughout the play do not resemble those of an insane person. An overwhelming amount of evidence shows that Hamlet faked his insanity to confuse the king and his accomplices.

William Shakespeare tells the tale of a troubled man in his masterpiece, Hamlet. Imagine your beloved father dying and your mother marrying his brother shortly after. You’re left to grieve on your own. Instead of consoling you, your mother and uncle have a wedding and begin to share the same bed. This is what Hamlet suffers through in the play. He is depressed and suicidal as indicated in his infamous quote, “To be, or not to be: that is the question.” (3.1.57). However, while many may choose to carry on after the death of a loved one, Hamlet chose to hold on to his sorrow and pretended to be mad so he can know the truth behind his father’s death. Hamlet’s tragic life is not the cause for his madness. Hamlet drives himself to the brink of insanity

We can tell from other Greek play writers, one famous one being Sophocles, that the mind and madness has been a central theme. However, the way it was portrayed back in that era differs now. Greek tragedy focusses on the supernatural aspect of this madness, blaming it either on the gods or an evil possessing them . This could mainly be down to a lack of understanding of psychology in this time but also as it certainly makes for a good tragedy. However, Freudian theories such as the Electra and Oedipus complex show us that from these themes of madness in Greek tragedy, we have derived a more psychological viewpoint which we now use to help diagnose and treat people with similar traits as the characters in these plays. Psychoanalysis, founded by Sigmund Freud, is a type of therapy which aims to make the unconscious mind conscious by releasing repressed emotions . In this type of therapy, they believe the patient’s condition can be determined by any repressed memories of childhood as well as any conflict between their conscious and subconscious which can result in these mental illnesses. We also now know of the Oedipus and Electra complex, both based on two great Greek plays (one of which this essay is about). The Oedipus complex concerns a son’s desire for his mother and his competition with his father for her attention whereas the Electra complex is the female version of this and involves a daughter’s competition with her mother for her father’s attention and love . The themes of madness in The Bough Breaks are thought to be caused by the gods as well as Agamemnon’s ghost, but now we can analyse these symptoms of madness using psychoanalysis but also show that the Electra complex is

William Shakespeare was, and remains to be, one of the most famous playwrights (or Writer in general). His work inspired many new writing techniques and established the most basic of jokes-the knock joke of Macbeth. His life was strenuous and had many hardships which influenced his work process and the story of his

Insanity in medical terms, is described as a mental illness in such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, and is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. In the play Hamlet, many people question whether or not Hamlet is crazy or not. Hamlet is in fact, not just putting on an “antic disposition,” as he is actually mad because of his hallucinations, his depression, and showing no remorse for his actions.

Hamlet’s conditions and actions indicate that he is insane. His father dies in the beginning of the play, and such a significant loss is bound to have effects on one’s mental state. Furthermore, his mother remarries quickly and shows little grief for the death of her husband. Then, his father’s ghost visits him and tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his mother’s new husband. It is obvious, and reasonable, that these occurrences would drive Hamlet to insanity. This madness can be further supported by Hamlet’s actions throughout the play. He is known to have “contradictory moods and warring passions (Poison, Play, and Duel).” His soliloquies constantly challenge each other. For example, in his famous soliloquy “To Be Or Not To Be,” Hamlet

In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Hamlet, the minds of most characters are overcome by apparent insanity. Certain characters suffer from genuine madness, which dictate the actions the character will make. Yet, for others, it is quite simply an act and tactic necessary in order to achieve goals, as shown by the play’s witty and clever characters. The story’s astute protagonist in the end attains his goal of avenging his father’s death by murdering his own uncle, Claudius. Although Hamlet died shortly after murdering Claudius, many argue that he dies as a hero and the extermination of the royal family benefits the greater good for Denmark and its citizens. However, prior to the bloodshed, Hamlet reveals that he is the utter opposite of a hero.

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.

Psychopaths have attributes of detachment, insincere speech, selfishness, and violence. In the tragedy, Othello, the playwright William Shakespeare constructs an antagonist with such traits. This evil character, Iago, is known for being one of the most sinister villains Shakespeare has even written. Through Iago’s psychopathic manipulations and detached persona, Shakespeare shows that psychopaths are not redeemable in the play.

Is Hamlet a madman or a revenge-seeking genius? This essay is divided into three analytic sections beginning with Hamlet’s madness, and a possibility of why it occurred. Then, an analysis of Hamlet procrastination avenging his father¹s death. Then, Hamlet¹s incestuous acts with his mother are explained, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.