Hamlet, Madness or Sanity Essay - 953 Words

Hamlet, Madness or Sanity Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is about a young prince who wants revenge when he learns about the murder of his father. As the play begins, Hamlet’s character appears to be a normal, sane person. Moving through the acts Hamlet’s personality changes from normal to depressed. There are hints of insanity that try to convince people Hamlet is â€Å"mad†. Others might say that Hamlet is faking madness to pursue his goal of revenge. First, he sees a â€Å"ghost† that tells Hamlet who killed his father and married his mother. Was this a dream or was this real? Second, Hamlet kills more than one person to avenge his father’s death. Where these accidents or intentional? â€Å"Insanity: a legal term for mental illness of such degree†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Mood disorder: although Hamlet worries a lot, he doesn’t avoid situations that cause him to worry. He confronts the ghost of his father as it appears before him. Also, he present s two symptoms namely restlessness or feeling on the edge and irability.† (Character Analysis of Hamlet, Psychological Disorders, Sept. 22, 2012). The next area that questions Hamlet’s sanity is that of deaths though out the story. Polonius, who is hiding in Queen Gertrude’s room, is stabbed through the drapes by Hamlet because he thought it was the King. This might have been an accident, but Hamlet’s irrational behavior leads us to believe he is becoming impulsive and unforgiving. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are executed in England by Hamlet’s clever idea to change the name on the death warrant. Here is where Hamlet displays signs of rational thinking to save his own life. Hamlet stabs Claudius with a poisoned sword and forces a poison drink down his throat (Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 5 Scene 2 page 1105), his ultimate revenge. Then, with the same poisoned sword that was prepared to kill him, Hamlet cuts Laertes and he dies. (Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 5 Scene 2 page 1105). Hamlet’s total change in personality makes him appear to be â€Å"mad† at this point. All forms of sanity are now gone and any plot he had to avenge his father’s death resulted on chaos and his own death. The final area that leads people to believe Hamlet mightShow MoreRelated Comparison of Madness and Sanity in Hamlet and Death of a Salesman1338 Words   |  6 PagesComparison of Madness and Sanity in Hamlet and Death of a Salesman Could anyone really determine whether or not a person is mad or sane? In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman each of their two main characters, Hamlet and Wily Loman, are put up to this question, but in each situation their so-called madness differs in the cause of them. The ways in which their madness affects their lives is proven by three actions. These actions are neglecting theirRead More Sanity, Insanity, Madness? - William Shakespeares Hamlet is Sane2156 Words   |  9 PagesSanity, Insanity, Madness? - William Shakespeares Hamlet is Sane In William Shakespeares Hamlet, the lead character, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, has been interpreted in numerous ways. Throughout the play Hamlet takes on different personas, making it hard define him as only one character type. Often when critics analyze the character of Hamlet, they question his sanity because of his ambiguity soon after he sees his fathers ghost. What does it mean to be insane? The definition of the word insaneRead MoreThe Relationship Between Ophelia and Hamlet: William Shakespeare970 Words   |  4 PagesThe play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, looks at the issue of madness and how it effects the characters of the play. Madness can be looked at from very different perspectives, such as strong and uncontrollable emotions, a person’s desires, and also a persons mental stability. Throughout the play, the audience is questioning the sanity of the main character, Hamlet, as he goes on his quest for revenge. The people around him also show signs of madness, suc h as Ophelia and Claudius, but in differentRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Sanity Vs. Insanity1742 Words   |  7 Pages2015 Honors English IV Mrs. Joyner Sanity VS. Insanity â€Å"Hamlet represents the mid period of the growth of Shakespeare s genius, when comedy and history ceased to be adequate for the expression of his deeper thoughts and sadder feelings about life, and when he was entering upon his great series of tragic writings† (The World s Best Essays from the Earliest Period to the Present Time). Hamlet’s actions are entirely too extreme for him to be faking his insanity. Hamlet is constantly on the brink of insanityRead MoreHamlet Madness In Hamlet1293 Words   |  6 Pages When reading Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a class, the first thing that most teachers or professors point out is the argument/idea of sanity, specifically Hamlets sanity. I believe that Hamlet is, in fact, feigning his madness. What I do not know is if I believe this because it is what I was taught or if I came up with the idea myself based on my own interpretation. When I was taught Hamlet there was no argument it was just fact that he was faking his madness. Because of my confusion, I came to findRead MoreEssay on Hamlet -- Is Hamlet Sane782 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet Essay: Is Hamlet Sane With the coming of Freudian theory in the first half of this century and the subsequent emergence of psychoanalytically-oriented literary criticism in the 1960s, the question of Hamlets underlying sanity has become a major issue in the interpretation of Hamlet. While related concern with the Princes inability to take action had already directed scholarly attention toward the uncertainty of Hamlets mental state, modern psychological views of the play have challengedRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1650 Words   |  7 PagesWhat is madness? Is someone considered mad or insane simply because they are different, and they, in turn, see the rest of the world as insane? William Shakespeare s play Hamlet is about a complex protagonist, Hamlet, who plays the role of a tragic hero. He encounters several misfortunes from experiencing his beloved father’s death, witnessing his mother s incestuous remarriage to his uncle, and seeing his father’s ghost. Due to all of this, Ham let falls into a deep depression. Hamlet begins hisRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare1640 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare’s play Hamlet is one of the most important works of literature ever published, evidenced by the fact that it explores several themes still relevant almost 400 years later—namely the affect insanity can have; not only on one person, but everyone involved in that person’s life. The play takes place shortly after the death of Denmark’s former king, King Hamlet, and follows his son, Prince Hamlet, as he attempts to avenge his father’s death. Although early in the play Hamlet tells his friendsRead MoreMadness And Madness In Hamlet701 Words   |  3 PagesIn the play â€Å"Hamlet†, Shakespeare portrays the series of unfortunate events that develops into tragic characters and illustrates the symptoms of madness through Prince Hamlet and Ophelia while identifying the difference between genuine madness and feigned madness. The difference in madness and sanity is subject to change depending on the circumstances and one’s actions depicted through Hamlet’s tone in the play. Hamlet confronts his mother, Queen Gertrude, on the actions and decisions that she madeRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet 1253 Words   |  6 Pages Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an intricate play where many themes are connected; themes that help develop the play. The issue of death and disease, both physical and emotional is very important throughout the play, as well as fate. The play also questions insanity, as well as dishonesty and moral issues. Of course, who could fail to remember the illustrious phrase ‘To be or not to be’, where Hamlet not only ponders about life and death, but also life’s other mysteries as well. Though these themes