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Examples Of Insanity In Hamlet

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Introduction At this point in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he uses insanity to express one’s feelings when they’re in distress. Ophelia shows the most insanity throughout the play. In this scene, she is expressing her sadness to the Queen and King after her father just died. The Queen isn’t looking forward to speaking with Ophelia after Polonius. Ophelia’s opinion is overlooked and they don’t take it into consideration. They’re talking about what Ophelia is going through after her father was accidentally murdered. Ophelia is starting to show her insanity through singing. The gentleman explains that Ophelia is going crazy and wants to talk to the Queen. He wants to listen to what Ophelia is saying because she could make the situation worse for them if they don’t let her …show more content…

It makes everyone start being against Ophelia and not believing her since they all perceive her as crazy. The King and Queen start to be envious of Ophelia. They aren’t looking at her as normal or as someone with any sanity, so they ignore her and don’t consider her feelings. The Queen uses the words ‘artless jealousy is guilt’ to talk about how she’s avoiding Ophelia and that the guilt remains ambiguous. The family starts to turn on Ophelia, so by the time Laertes comes into town he sides with the King and Queen and tries to take power. He convinces the others that he would be a good King. He hasn’t gone insane like Ophelia but is trying to take advantage of the situation by leading the followers. He tries to prove to them that he would be fit for King. He is worried about what Ophelia's mind has become and wants vengeance on Hamlet for killing Polonius. Laertes’ mindset throughout this scene is anger. He’s taking his grief out on revenge and he has no control over his own emotions. He takes his anger out on Hamlet by killing him later on in the play, but in this scene, he is still searching for

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