ipl-logo

Is Hamlet Rational Or Foolish

1060 Words5 Pages

Proctor 1
Andrew Proctor
English 12/ Mrs. Hogan
Hamlet Analysis
November 28, 2016
Rational or Foolish?
The world is filled with ups and downs, and with a great deal of time to think about them, can lead to thoughts blown way out of proportion and ultimately, insanity. Hamlet's to be or not to be soliloquy from the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, portrays something that crosses every human's mind, even for the slightest of moments; to keep pushing forward or to give up on life. Suicide is then a choice when situations become rough, but a cowardly act. Life is valuable and the only approach to thrive must is to live it. Suicide does not solve the problem, but hide it. That person will be judged in the long run by the …show more content…

I will bestow him, and will answer well
The death I gave him” (Hamlet Act 3, Scene 4, 173-179).
Although his sanity is questionable in earlier scenes, the impulsive murder of Polonius is the first act that unquestionably proves Hamlet’s insanity. Hamlet tells is mother Gertrude that he has killed Polonious, and that it was well deserved. Yet, he does understand that these will come with great consequences from the heavens.
He is currently talking to his mother and just after killing Polonious, Hamlet cries, “Save me, and hover o'er me with your wings, You heavenly guards! What would your gracious figure” (Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 106-110). While Polonious lay dead in the closet, the spirit ghost appears and Hamlet is crying for help since he had just killed, which is sin. What portrays him as mad is that although numerous witnesses of the ghost in the Act I allow the audience to reasonably conclude that the ghost is real, Hamlet is the only one to see the ghost in the closet scene. There are several accepted explanations for Gertrude’s inability to see the ghost. Certain arguments say that the reason lies in Gertrude herself; Gertrude’s innocence protects her from seeing the ghost Proctor …show more content…

He rages alone on how they have just told him that he should stay in Denmark since he would be next in line for reign. Also, Hamlet is triggered by the sheer thought of his Uncle and Mother being together. They are getting married is father, King Hamlet had only past away two months ago. Is feels distraught on ow his mother could do such an act and contemplates committing suicide. He states that he wish his “flesh would melt” since his religion declares that suicide is a sin and he does not want to commit this action for the heavens. In a society that judged suicide, Shakespeare seemed to incorporate suicide into his plays frequently. For example, in Hamlet, Shakespeare has several characters toy with the idea of suicide and even have some of those same characters commit suicide. Throughout the play, Hamlet continuously thinks about suicide and his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy is about whether or not he should kill himself. The opening to this soliloquy,
“To be, or not to be--that is the

Show More
Related
665 Words | 3 Pages

Your father has just passed away and your best friend is off to college. To make matters worse your mother remarries extremely fast to your uncle. In the midst of all this, you find yourself lost and and confused. Just like Hamlet was in his soliloquy to be or not to be. Hamlet’s father's ghost appears and ask to avenge his death.

Read More
1154 Words | 5 Pages

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.

Read More
948 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet the Necrophile Hamlet's soliloquy "To be, or not to be", is arguably the most famous in the history of English literature and theater. The first line is the source of everyday expressions, ornate speeches and newspaper editorials, but without accordance to the rest of the monologue or the play. In this speech, Hamlet’s contemplates suicide and its consequences, either to suffer the hardships of life or to trust the ambiguity of the afterlife. This develops the play’s and Hamlet’s fascination with death as an intrinsic theme and his uncertainty of the afterlife. Shakespeare captures the reader’s attention regarding death in the initial scene when the ghost of his dead father visits Hamlet.

Read More
605 Words | 3 Pages

In Shakespeare’s play, “Hamlet,” he writes a long passage that is known as the “to be or not to be” soliloquy. It is famous for many reasons, beginning with the story Shakespeare tells in it. At this part in the play, Hamlet knows that Claudius has killed his uncle. Where many people believe that this soliloquy focuses on Hamlet deciding whether to commit suicide, I believe that he is rather just contemplating his existence. Hamlet is second guessing himself and his actions.

Read More
1105 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the play, Hamlet has various points where he is confronted with suicidal thoughts or attempts. Throughout Hamlet’s first soliloquy “Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw resolve itself into a dew, / Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/ His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! Oh God, God!”

Read More
1071 Words | 5 Pages

His depression is so great that he has thought of suicide, a huge cultural sin, as he knows. Hamlet’s thoughtfulness is also conveyed, taking six lines to delve into his emotions.

Read More
746 Words | 3 Pages

He claims that heaven has “Punished me with this, and this with me” (III. iv.158). This shows that Hamlet has nearly no remorse for his actions. This is a stark contrast to what would be expected. Polonius was a close ally to Claudius and presumably his father, as well as the father of his lover and friend. The audience would expect Hamlet would regret and feel guilty, but he instead acts as if the consequences are a burden to him.

Read More
1879 Words | 8 Pages

Hamlet, after being left alone in the hall, begins to argue with himself about whether “To be or not to be?”(III.i.57). Hamlet discusses the topic on whether he should end his life or keep on living. Throughout Hamlet’s soliloquy he comes up with reasons to support each side of his argument. Hamlet’s sanity is still intact at the moment because if someone who had lost their sanity began to contemplate killing themselves they would commit the act right away without even thinking. In addition, Hamlet manages to list reasons on whether he should go through with killing himself or not which an insane person would not do.

Read More
175 Words | 1 Pages

Hamlet’s Irrationalities In William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, irrational behaviors are all over the place. In Dan Ariely’s book Irrational Behaviors, he speaks about how we might think we're making rational or reasonable decisions. Instead were questioning the decisions that were just made.

Read More
1153 Words | 5 Pages

William Shakespeare tells the tale of a troubled man in his masterpiece, Hamlet. Imagine your beloved father dying and your mother marrying his brother shortly after. You’re left to grieve on your own. Instead of consoling you, your mother and uncle have a wedding and begin to share the same bed. This is what Hamlet suffers through in the play.

Read More
799 Words | 4 Pages

3.3.72-73), Hamlet says, as he is debating whether or not to kill the king as he prays and thinks to himself if he kills him now then the king will just go to heaven because he is praying. Because of him overthinking the murder of Claudius and not taking action at the time he was able to, he had created a domino effect of events. Hamlet finally followed through with his plan after a long time of thinking, but he had killed Polonius. Polonius’ murder led to Ophelia committing suicide and Laertes getting involved and wanting to venge on Hamlet for killing his

Read More
575 Words | 3 Pages

When he learns Claudius is responsible for the death of his father, he intends to reveal this newfound information to not only Gertrude, but the rest of the characters. He is smart enough to know that she will not believe him based solely on his encounter with the ghost, and must create a trap where Claudius will reveal his guilt on his own. When the players arrive at the castle, he alters their script to mimic the king’s murder and “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.567). During the performance, Claudius shows signs of guilt and worry, making Hamlet’s plan a success and proving his

Read More
261 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout Hamlet, Prince Hamlet is faced against many situations that question his mental stability and ability to make decisions. His indecisiveness comes from the way he reacts to the situations he is put in and the way his mind presents these situations to him. The most important indecisive moments are Hamlet’s suicidal thoughts, his father’s ghost, and his vengeance to Claudius. When Hamlet is told by a ghost that has a resemblance of his father that Claudius had killed him, he vows to take vengeance and revenge his father’s death.

Read More
880 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet’s ability to overthink situations or decisions makes him conclude that committing suicide might be the easy way out of his indecisiveness. Hamlet overthinks every problem that is happening. He overthinks so much that he cannot make up his decision about what to do with the problem. The cluelessness that is going on within his mind makes him lose his mental status, life and the love of his life. Hamlets actions are hypnotized by his thoughts: “Thus Conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment, With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action” (3.1.85-90).

Read More
711 Words | 3 Pages

Suicide is a reoccuring theme in Hamlet. Since this is a theme that affects all characters to a certain degree, it is interesting to see how the idea of suicide is treated both morally, religiously and aesthetically. This essay will mostly be based on Hamlet´s own soliloquies, considering their relevance to the theme, but Queen Gertrude´s treatment of Ophelia´s death is also worth a mention. The story of Hamlet takes place in medieval Denmark, but a precise date is not mentioned.

Read More

More about Is Hamlet Rational Or Foolish

Related Topics

Open Document