Throughout the play, Hamlet claims to be feigning madness, but his portrayal of a madman is so intense and so convincing that many readers believe that Hamlet actually slips into insanity at certain moments in the play. Do you think this is true, or is Hamlet merely playacting insanity? What evidence can you cite for either claim? In William Shakespeare’s classic, Hamlet, the question concerning Hamlet’s underlying sanity is a major element in the interpretation of the text. In the play, Shakespeare portrays Hamlet as a dynamic character to cause a mental state conundrum among the audience and explore the themes of suicide, spying, friendship, madness, providence, love, hate and humour.
Hamlet states, “ The spirit that I have seen, may be the devil, and the devil hath power, T’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, out of my weakness and my melancholy, as he is very potent with such spirits, abuses me to damn me” (II.ii.627-632). The ghost resembles his father and leaves Hamlet confused and concerned. From the quote in the play, Hamlet believes that the ghost could possibly be the devil trying to persuade him into evil to continue his suffering. He also believes the ghost is targeting him because of his suffering; making him more vulnerable to evil. After numerous interactions between Hamlet and the ghost, the ghost reveals that he is Hamlet’s father.
Hamlet is clearly distressed about his father’s death, but what brings about his suspicions is a visit from his father’s supposed ghost, who tells him that Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, poisoned him. From that point on, Hamlet plots and plots how to reveal his uncle’s guilt and get his revenge. But Hamlet is not a violent, murderous person. He is a scholar. And thus he decides to feign craziness -- or so he believes.
To add on to his burdens, Hamlet has to get revenge on his uncle for murdering his father. In order to disguise his true intentions and deceive his enemies, he pretends to be insane.
Throughout the play Hamlet uncovers horrible deeds his uncle has committed, which were “Remorseless, Treacherous, lecherous”. Hamlet wished to punish Gertrude but was prevented by his father’s ghost. In Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act 3 scene 2, Hamlet will “speak daggers to her but use none” representing his future interactions with Gertrude. Shakespeare uses this metaphor to show Hamlet’s hatred towards his mother and to create tension. In Act 3 Scene 4, Hamlet reveals Claudius’ involvement in his father’s death to his mother, but she thinks Hamlet has turned into a madman.
And so he goes to heaven, And so am I revenged. That would be scanned: A villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send To heaven” (3.3.78-83). In this quote, Hamlet mistakenly thinks that Claudius is praying since he on his knees and this shows the true anger that Hamlet has. Just killing Claudius isn 't enough, Hamlet must make sure that Claudius is being sent directly to Hell where he will suffer for eternity. One of the most prominent times we see Hamlet’s anger is when he murders Polonius, the father to Ophelia, his lover, thinking that it was Claudius.
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.
He acted strange when he was around the king and his attendants and this is evident when he tells his friend Guildenstem that "his uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived" (Shakespeare). In addition, when they enter the court party, Hamlet tells Horatio that "I must be idle," meaning he is trying to feign his madness. He also confesses to his mother that "I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft" (Shakespeare). For Hamlet, he had to pretend to be mad in order to plan and execute his revenge against Claudia. Hamlet’s madness played an important role in the play because he later on became insane after he had feigned his insanity.
King Hamlet’s ghost informs Hamlet that he must, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murther.” (Murder.) He says that it was a “…Murther most foul.” These words cause Hamlet to feel the desire to seek revenge. He wants to know the true story of his father’s death and then he will speedily exact the revenge his father’s ghost
In the play, Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, the main character, Hamlet, and his family are all driven by evil ambitions. Hamlet was driven mad by a desperate need to avenge his father’s murder. His step-father, Claudius, killed his own brother over jealousy and lust for the throne. Hamlet’s mother assisted her brother-in-law in killing her husband and persisted in up the crime so that she could remain queen as she lived in a virtually incestuous relationship with him. The cruel, bizarre, and unethical behaviors exhibited by Hamlet and his family stem from the severe depravity of mind from which they all suffer.