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Essay On Insanity In Hamlet

453 Words2 Pages

Hamlet could truly be mad, he could also be putting on a show. Hamlet’s madness is pretend, and he sometimes crosses into true insanity, but also there are times where it is indifferent whether he is truly insane or just faking it. Hamlet starts out pretending his madness, and slowly transitions into true insanity. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet didn't appear to be crazy. When Hamlet saw the ghost with all his friends, he wasn't the only one who saw the ghost; everyone else did too. They all say the ghost motion for Hamlet to follow him, but his friends thought the ghost was trying to harm him, and warned him not to follow (1.4.65-68). Hamlet was pretending to be crazy when he knew his friends were going to tell Claudius everything he was saying (2.2.77-95). He didn't want Claudius to know anything that he could use against him. Towards the middle there was uncertainty between him acting like he was crazy and actually being crazy. When Hamlet saw the ghost his mother didn't see anything. “Do you see nothing there? Nothing at all, yet all that is I see. Nor did you nothing hear? No, nothing but ourselves. Why, look you there! Look how it steals away— …show more content…

Hamlet said he would jump into the grave to be with Ophelia. "Woo’t weep? Woo’t fight? Woo’t fast? Woo’t tear thyself? Woo’t drink up eisel, eat a crocodile? I’ll do ’t. Dost thou come here to whine, To outface me with leaping in her grave? Be buried quick with her?—and so will I” (5.1.53-58). It is very odd that Hamlet is acting so in love with Ophelia now, whereas, in the beginning he was saying rude things to her. Also, Hamlet was talking to the gravedigger about himself being crazy. “Cannot you tell that? Every fool can tell that. It was the very day that young Hamlet was born, he that is mad and sent into England” (5.1.128-130). Only someone who is truly insane would talk to another person about themselves being

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