ipl-logo

Is Hamlet Really Mad Essay

1302 Words6 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Language and imagery hamlet

Is Hamlet mad or not? That is the question. “Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.” (Act 2 Scene 2 ) .Showcasing a method to one’s madness is a technique used to urge someone to have faith in you until the end becomes clearer. Despite the fact that Hamlet shows madness in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he still claims that he is not mad. The play tells the story of Prince Hamlet of Denmark, who, after learning that his uncle is responsible for the death of his father, decides to get vengeance. Along the way, he grapples with philosophical questions about life, death, and the meaning of existence. He also utilizes madness as a clever method to toy with others’ emotions as he presents a play within a play to “catch the conscious of the …show more content…

Like if you want it this way , if a person is insane he would lose all his friends because of the ridiculous things he is going to say to them and that will probably freak them out, for example ,Hamlet manages to retain tight bonds with persons like his friend Horatio and his love interest Ophelia despite what appears to be his insanity. He demonstrates a tremendous degree of wisdom and understanding,in Act II Scene 2, Hamlet speaks with Horatio about the nature of death and the afterlife.Hamlet goes on to speak with Horatio about the ghost of his father, and the burden that has been placed upon him to seek revenge for his father's murder. This conversation demonstrates Hamlet's philosophical nature, as he examines the mysteries of life and death and the motivations behind human actions. This shows that Hamlet is capable of having smart and important dialogues and is not entirely detached from …show more content…

I can distinguish a hawk from a handsaw when there is a southerly wind." This action implies that Hamlet is conscious of his own actions and has some degree of self-control. As one might anticipate if he were actually insane, he is neither utterly out of control or unable to tell the difference between fact and illusion. Another incident is when Hamlet was talking to horatio and marcellus it was the most obvious evidence that Hamlet himself says he is going to pretend to be mad, suggesting he is at least sane enough to be able to tell the difference between disordered and logical behavior. Hamlet tells Horatio and Marcellus that he plans to “put an antic disposition on” Act 1 scene 5

Show More
Related
733 Words | 3 Pages

A thing a lot of psychologist people forget that hamlet is a character acting inside the play. During the entire play it is very easily noticed when he is acting as an insane person. The way he speaks and the words he chooses is evidence towards the idea of Hamlet being sane. Most modern day men act like Hamlet when he is insane but the modern men are not always seen

Read More
645 Words | 3 Pages

One definition of madness is “mental delusion of the eccentric behavior arising from it.” However, as Emily Dickinson once wrote, “Much madness is divinest Sense/ To a discerning Eye.” In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the main character, Prince Hamlet, shows apparent madness which proves to serve an important role throughout the story. This erratic behavior consists of his seemingly senseless dialogues, his loss of care for Ophelia, and his increasingly aggressive nature. Such behavior often proves justified by the play’s audience due to its convincing nature despite Hamlet’s predisposition towards insanity.

Read More
687 Words | 3 Pages

AT times, he behaves in a way where it is difficult for others to decipher, and other times, he is his authentic self. He knows when to act as himself, and other times he will act as someone no one can read. For instance, in Act II, Scene II, Hamlet explains to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, “I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.” In this instance, Hamlet pretends to act insane but subtly reveals his motives when he alludes to the fact that he knows when to act sane and insane.

Read More
932 Words | 4 Pages

The differences in their madness strongly support the assertion that Hamlet is, in fact, not truly mad. "The mad role that Hamlet plays to perfection is certainly a proof of Shakespeare's genius, but by no means a surety of the insanity of the prince, unless we be prepared to maintain that no one saves a madman can simulate dementia" (Blackmore). As Blackmore points out, his crazy behavior is such that only someone who is not mad could play the part so well. Again, a truly mad person would not have so much control over his actions and

Read More
709 Words | 3 Pages

In the play “Hamlet” the main character, Hamlet, is portrayed as a madman. However, in the play, Hamlet believes he is faking his madness. This prompts the question of whether or not he is faking his madness. This decision is left up to the reader to interpret. In the play Hamlet starts his downward spiral by pretending to be crazy, however pretending to be crazy eventually drove him to real madness as by the end of the play he had lost his mind.

Read More
636 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet spent a lot of time convincing those around him that he was mad, but he may have convinced himself in the process.

Read More
1457 Words | 6 Pages

The question of whether or not Hamlet was insane is of a never-ending debate. Was he always crazy? Was he always faking it? Or was he somewhere in between? In this paper I will share three different views and provide my own interpretation of Hamlet’s sanity.

Read More
542 Words | 3 Pages

In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses many references to sanity and insanity. Throughout the play, Hamlet goes back and forth between sanity and insanity, whether pretending to be insane just to mess with those he does not like or to save himself from getting in trouble. Hamlet is actually one of the smartest characters in the play, which is why he can pull off acting crazy so well. Shakespeare uses this idea of sanity and insanity to help the plot change and take a different directions. One of the most discussed topics of the Hamlet is whether Hamlet is insane or if he was just pretending the whole time.

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

In Act 2 Scene 2; the library scene, after Polonius and Hamlet have their talk; Polonius says, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t.” He suspects that there’s a major goal behind his actions, and he’s right. Even King Claudius doesn’t believe, later on, that Hamlet is genuinely mad. During Act 3 Scene 1, Claudius and Polonius conspire to plot a plan to spy on Hamlet while Ophelia returns a gift she received from him. Hamlet is aware that they’re spying and appears insane; starting an argument and making a big scene, but in reality, he has a sound reason why he’s acting like this, and it’s to confuse Claudius and Polonius.

Read More
401 Words | 2 Pages

“Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave I am!”(Act II Scene ii).Hamlet is having a war with his conscious. This is when I believe Hamlet madness becomes real. From the moment he found out his father was murder the goal was to get revenge, but he planned on faking his madness. This clearly did not work. Lastly when Hamlet finds out Ophelia is dead, and he is to blame.

Read More
801 Words | 4 Pages

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,

Read More
575 Words | 3 Pages

His detailed plans and keen mental ability make him the most intelligent character in the entirety of the play. Hamlet is a very clever and motivated individual who creates extravagant plans to achieve success. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet creates a false persona to divert the kingdom’s attention away from his intention to kill Claudius. He tells Horatio that he will “put an antic disposition on,” (I.v.172) to create a sense of madness. This falsehood is created to ensure Hamlet will not be taken seriously and can follow through with his plans without being suspected.

Read More
451 Words | 2 Pages

In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, there are a series of events that causes Hamlet to act abnormally. He has to deal with his father’s death, mother’s remarriage, and his lover Ophelia. However, it is often argued whether Hamlet’s madness is real or fake. Throughout the tragedy, he is over-exaggerating his madness for his plan of revenge.

Read More
1004 Words | 5 Pages

Insanity is an idea that has been examined for a long time in numerous mediums such as films, music, plays, and even works of literature. William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is no exception to that rule. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters, and many scholars have been debating for centuries whether or not Hamlet is truly insane, or whether there is a particular reason for his odd behavior. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet merely pretends to be mad but in reality is sane.

Read More
767 Words | 4 Pages

He acted strange when he was around the king and his attendants and this is evident when he tells his friend Guildenstem that "his uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived" (Shakespeare). In addition, when they enter the court party, Hamlet tells Horatio that "I must be idle," meaning he is trying to feign his madness. He also confesses to his mother that "I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft" (Shakespeare). For Hamlet, he had to pretend to be mad in order to plan and execute his revenge against Claudia. Hamlet’s madness played an important role in the play because he later on became insane after he had feigned his insanity.

Read More

More about Is Hamlet Really Mad Essay

Related Topics

Open Document