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Insanity In Shakespeare's Hamlet Soliloquy Essay

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‘ “To be or not to be” -- “that is the...” soliloquy. “Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to...” agree, the question that no one knows. To think or know, to know perchance to understand, the truth behind all the madness. Was or was not Hamlet faking his insanity, was he really suffering, or did he perhaps even do both. Insanity; insanity is acting abnormal, but being unaware of the behavior. It is also when you are affected by a lot of stress causing you to not be able to think clearly. Hamlet wasn’t completely insane, if he was, it wouldn’t make sense. Let me get this straight, I’m not suggesting Hamlet faked this whole thing. Obviously, having your father murder is bad enough, but to have your mother within a month, marry your uncle, who …show more content…

However, there is some logic behind this quote. North being straight ahead or up, which means normal. By saying “north-by-northwest,” he means that he is only insane slightly off to the side. Hamlet acts as he seems to be somewhere along the line of southwest, meaning really crazy, (south being the opposite direction of north, hence the opposite direction of normal). Since he states this, its evidence he can’t be truly insane if he’s aware how insane he is. Also the way that he went from character to character exploiting his insanity, being very careful going to this person first then to another, and acting insane in front of them, all to make everyone think he was insane, including the most important character, Claudius. Once Claudius thought Hamlet was insane, he thought he was safe, and that he could carry out the rest of his plan. With the soliloquy, “To be...” Hamlet knew that the King was overhearing him, henceforth continuing on with his insane act. A great example is Hamlet’s “To be...” speech, when he was talking to Ophelia. He knew the King was listening to him, and that it was his chance to make an attempt to show the King that he was insane. The way he acted around Claudius, the madness of his act, how he kept insisting, “...get thee to a nunnery...” That it’s mad to say to the woman you love. The reasoning of Hamlet only acting insane around certain people, leads to another example. Hamlet’s private conversations with his true friend, Horatio. When speaks to him he sounds sane, because Horatio knew everything, and did nothing. I’m now going to contradict myself about Hamlet becoming at all crazy from seeing the ghost because it did definitely affect him but didn’t make him mad. See, if Hamlet saw the ghost, and went insane from that, don’t you think that Horatio and the guards would’ve gone insane from seeing the ghost as well? I really doubt that Hamlet

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The topic of insanity commonly arises on many occasions, particularly in the law. The term “insanity” is defined as the “unsoundness of mind sufficient in the judgment of a civil court to render a person unfit to maintain a contractual or other legal relationship or to warrant commitment to a mental health facility” (Document A). In terms of the law, there exists an insanity defense, which is a plea that defendants are not guilty because they lack the mental capacity to realize that they committed a crime (Document C). This concept arises in several of Shakespeare's plays as well. In Hamlet, many readers claim that Prince Hamlet was actually mad, his actions guided by the grief he experienced when his father was murdered by his uncle King Claudius.

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Moreover, Hamlet wasn’t insane, he changed and was only focused on Claudius because of his desire to kill him for his father. He also let out such hurtful words to his mother from building up anger that spilled out, when he would never talk to his mother like that before. Hamlet and Claudius both lost themselves in having such a desire to kill, to feel they have accomplished their

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Someone who is consumed with insanity would just impulsively act without thinking rationally or considering the consequences beforehand. Therefore, Hamlet is merely acting insane to fool those around

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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.

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There are plenty of examples of Hamlet appearing mad, but there are just as many examples of Hamlet appearing sane, even intelligent. Hamlet is even aware of his madness, which can be seen in the quote, “What I have done that might your nature, honor, and exception roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness… It ‘t be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged; His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy” (273). Hamlet is clearly aware of his own madness, but this does not necessarily invoke his sanity. Hamlet still appears insane,

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Throughout the play, Hamlet claims to be feigning madness, but his portrayal of a madman is so intense and so convincing that many readers believe that Hamlet actually slips into insanity at certain moments in the play. Do you think this is true, or is Hamlet merely playacting insanity? What evidence can you cite for either claim? In William Shakespeare’s classic, Hamlet, the question concerning Hamlet’s underlying sanity is a major element in the interpretation of the text.

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