Hamlet is a very intelligent young man who does not immediately believe something someone says. He asks questions until every one of his fascinations is fully understood. For example, he contemplates many difficult questions about his father’s death, the wisdom of suicide, and about what happens to bodies after they die. He tries to get proof that the ghost is of his father. Once the ghost proves himself to be his father, he does not immediately believe the ghost’s claims, despite the validity of them. In fact, he goes as far as putting on an entire play just to see his uncle’s reaction to the scene that is similar to Hamlet’s father’s murder. The standard of “beyond reasonable doubt” is simply unacceptable to him. Hamlet becomes obsessed with
Hamlet's constant skepticism highlights the deceptive nature of appearances and the struggle to discern what is genuine in a world filled with deceit and illusion. Both works invite readers to question the surface-level perceptions of reality and explore the deeper layers of truth hidden beneath the façade of
Imagine people trying to figure out if a person if indeed crazy or not crazy. How would that make the person in question feel? When they are looking for help out of their craziness, there could be people doubting they even need help. Though no one knows what is going on in Hamlet’s mind, this could be exactly what he is going through during Shakespeare ’s play Hamlet.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet struggles to cope with his late father’s death and his mother’s quick marriage. In Act 1, Scene 2, King Claudius, Queen Gertrude, and Hamlet are all introduced. Hamlet has just finished publicly speaking with his mom and the new king, and after he is interrupted by his good friend Horatio, who reveal the secret about King Hamlet’s ghost. Hamlet’s soliloquy is particularly crucial because it serves as his initial characterization, revealing the causes of his anguish. Hamlet’s grief is apparent to the audience, as he begins lamenting about the uselessness of life.
Having your father die is bad enough, but to have your mother marry your uncle, within a few weeks of your father’s death? Then to see the ghost of your dead father. That would drive anyone a little insane, but maybe not to the extent that everyone thought Hamlet was acting. Hamlet is torn between acting sane and letting everyone else see him as insane.
Hamlet is a character of contradictions; at times he is hesitant, therefore indecisive, but also acts in haste with purpose and confirmation. For instance, when Hamlet unhesitatingly states, “How now, a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead!” (Act 3, Scene 4, Line 24), he is thoughtful and philosophical to the point of obsession. Importantly, a dominating thought controls Hamlet; therefore his mind is his own worst enemy.
A few soldiers on guard report to him that his father’s ghost has been seen, and he sees the ghost when he goes with them the next night. The ghost tells him that his uncle killed him to get his crown and his wife, and makes Hamlet swear to avenge his death. Hamlet decides to pretend to be
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.
Throughout Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is faced against many situations that question his mental stability and ability to make decisions. His indecisiveness comes from the way he reacts to the situations he is put in and the way his mind presents these situations to him. The most important indecisive moments are Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, his father’s ghost, and his vengeance to Claudius. When Hamlet is told by a ghost that has a resemblance of his father that Claudius had killed him, he vows to take vengeance and revenge his father’s death.
Were Hamlets Actions Justified? Were his actions justified, that is the question. Hamlet’s father (King Hamlet) died. In less than 2 months Hamlet’s mother (Gertrude) married his uncle (Claudius). Hamlet’s friend came to him telling him that he saw the ghost of his dad.
Gradually, he will come to question if the ghost he saw was truly his father, or some other malicious apparition. “Hamlet’s mood shifts from self-loathing to a determination to subdue passion and follow reason, applying this to the testing of the Ghost and his uncle with the play,” (Allan). Ultimately, this question leads Hamlet to find the proper motivation to use the performers and play within a play to “catch the conscience of the king”. This will be his self pep talk to carry out a plan in order to determine the true guilt of his step
Shakespeare uses the indecisiveness of Hamlet to demonstrate that human life is about acting, not thinking. At the beginning of the play Hamlet encounters a ghost while out with his friends. The sight shocks him, but he decides to follow it. The ghost is his father, and they begin to have a full conversation.
By declaring that his own brother had murdered him, the Ghost indirectly shows Hamlet the dishonesty of the world. Thus, this makes Hamlet wary of those around him even his own friends such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Additionally, this discovery of his father’s murder turns Hamlet into an outcast, for he fails to trust others. Because he acts as an outcast, many people perceive him as a madman. These ideals of life introduced to Hamlet by the Ghost influence the actions and thoughts of Hamlet throughout the
Hamlet is William Shakespeare 's renowned tale of mystery, intrigue, and murder, centered on a young misguided prince who can only trust himself. Some may say that the actions of Prince Hamlet throughout the play are weak and fearful, displaying a tendency to procrastinate and showing an apathetic nature towards his family and peers. Others spin a tale of a noble young scholar, driven mad by the cold-blooded murder of his father by his uncle. In truth, I believe Hamlet is neither of these things. Hamlet is a sort of amalgamation of the two, a bundle of contradictions thrown together into one conflicting but very human mess of a character.
Hamlet’s hesitant nature is well presented in the play. For one, Hamlet cannot bring forth the strength to end his own life; his indecision of whether or not to commit suicide plagues him for more than half the play.
Hamlet is one of the most memorable Shakespearean plays due to the focus on a young prince`s struggle with obeying the ghostly figure that we witness briefly on stage. The ghost is certainly an important figure in shaping the outcome of this revenge tragedy. Thus, we must ponder what is the ghost and how it can be interpreted in a plethora of ways. It is arguably seen as the spirit of Hamlet`s father, a figment of his imagination and being Shakespeare himself. Therefore, this essay will examine these potential answers to the question.