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Madness Ignites In Shakespeare's Hamlet

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Madness Ignites In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the theme of revenge and madness heavily relate to one another. Madness and revenge relate to one another because revenge will eventually lead a person to go mad, if a person cannot execute revenge they can go mad, and mad people will go to outrageous extents to get revenge. This relates to today because madness causes immoral actions, a victim may think an act of revenge may not be immoral (but just an act of justice), and those who seek revenge want to have those in similar situations as them fail. Revenge and madness relate because revenge can lead a person to go mad. As demonstrated in the play, Hamlet has a strong desire for revenge for Claudius murdered Hamlet’s father. At Hamlet’s turning point …show more content…

Shakespeare demonstrates this concept with his character, Ophelia. Because Ophelia is a woman, revenge is not part of her rulebook. As well, because Ophelia loves Hamlet, she cannot commit direct harm to him. Finally, Ophelia has so much built up inside of her including the fact that she cannot express her feelings properly that she went completely mad, “chanted snatches of old tunes; as one incapable of her own distress” (Hamlet 5.1), and thus, committed suicide. Ophelia committing suicide was an act of revenge. Because she could not commit revenge and live (unless she wants her reputation tarnished) she kills herself. This is her form of revenge towards Hamlet for killing her father. Because Hamlet killed her father, but she loved Hamlet, Ophelia had much built up emotion which, in her mind, could only be released in one way- suicide. Revenge can cause the innocent to go mad as demonstrated by Ophelia’s actions. Lack of revenge leads a person to madness because you are bottling up your emotions, releasing them to nothing. This bottle up leads one to a path of self destruction and wonder of self

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