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Theme Of Insanity In Shakespeare's Hamlet

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William Shakespeare is one of the most recognized playwrights of all time. Shakespeare wrote numerous poems, sonnets, and plays. One of his most famous pieces is Hamlet, which is one of the most recognized plays of today's world. Insanity is a major theme in the play, and can be found in this quotation where Claudius is describing Ophelia. “...poor Ophelia / Divided from herself and her fair judgement, / Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts” (4.5.91-93). In this quotation King Claudius is is more or less saying that Ophelia has lost her mind. When he says that she is “divided from herself and her fair judgement” he is simply saying that Ophelia’s mind is not with her body, so therefore, her body is acting irrationally as it does

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