ipl-logo

Mental Health In Hamlet Essay

1336 Words6 Pages

Mental health is an essential component of overall well-being, and its importance cannot be overstated. If left unchecked, trauma and emotions can be overwhelming, which can devastate individuals and those around them. This can be seen in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet. The tragic hero and other characters' suddenly acquire stress and it affects their lives drastically. Each character in the play responds to stress and trauma in their own unique way; some can overcome it well, others make it their downfall. William Shakespeare's Hamlet explores the theme of mental health through Hamlet senior, Hamlet's theatrics, and Ophelia, ultimately showcasing Hamlet's journey through madness and his eventual return to sanity by the play's end. Former King …show more content…

The new king, his uncle Claudius, has just married Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, yet he mentions “Hamlet our dear brother's death”. (Shakespeare 1.2.1). The situation sets the stage by starting with an absence of a father figure for Hamlet as well as his uncle marrying Hamlet's mother who was recently widowed. Shortly after this introduction, Hamlet is given word from his friends that a ghost that resembles his father has appeared which prompts the sorrowful character to seek answers. Outside the castle, Hamlet finds the apparition, who speaks about how Claudius is the one who murders him, and wants Hamlet to get revenge. This ordeal confuses and enrages Hamlet where he beckons, “O all you host of heaven! O Earth! what else?/ and shall I couple hell?” (1.5.92-93). This confrontation between father and son has Hamlet questioning the heavens, the earth, hell, and even his own mind due to the fact he saw a ghost, let alone his father as an apparition. After the first act is when Hamlet’s madness starts to set in, he doesn't know what to believe anymore and has to deal with the mental consequences of acting on vengeance. When Hamlet decides to confront his mother, the occurrence of this ghost appearing before him is repeated. While he conveys his anger towards his …show more content…

Through their stories, the play portrays Hamlet's descent into madness and his eventual restoration to sanity by the end of the play. Hamlet is haunted by his father and the task he is given by him, his ghostly presence and vengeance serve as a catalyst for the play's exploration of the tragic hero’s mental health and its effects on individuals and their families. Hamlet's erratic behavior and feigned madness are his attempts to cope with the trauma of his father's murder and the events that follow while confusing his enemies. Through his speeches and actions, the play highlights the thin line between sanity and madness, and the toll that emotional turmoil can take on the human psyche. Ophelia's descent into madness after the death of her father showcases the devastating effects of trauma and the lack of support for those struggling with mental health. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of neglecting one's emotional well-being. In conclusion, William Shakespeare's play Hamlet offers a powerful exploration of mental health and its effects on individuals and their families. The characters of Hamlet senior, Hamlet, and Ophelia all grapple with trauma and the thin line between sanity and

Show More
Related
1552 Words | 7 Pages

The play begins by having Hamlet's uncle marry Hamlet's recently-widowed mother in order to become the new King of Denmark. Hamlet, while mourning the death of this father, is disappointed at his mothers lack of loyalty at the same time. The guards of Denmark's Elsinore castle see a ghost that resembles Hamlet's deceased father and decide to tell Hamlet. In act 1 scene 5 the ghost appears to Hamlet, stating that he is the ghost of his father, and that Hamlet's uncle murdered him. This is a huge turning point in the play as Hamlet swears vengeance for his father.

Read More
719 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet's emotions are just continually fluctuating which is another side effect of depression. So in conclusion Hamlet definitely has a lot of mental disorders but the most important one in my opinion is depression. I think this because all of the traumatic events that he has went through in his life. Hamlet has had to deal with death and betrayal at such a young age. Throughout this paper I have learned that mental disorders are a very serious thing.

Read More
1343 Words | 6 Pages

Demetri Bichara Ap Literature and Composition Mrs. Heppard 23 January 2023 Ap Exam 2023: Hamlet’s inability The theme of royalty in literature explores what many readers may wonder about, the mortality and ability of kings to properly govern their nations. However, the prominence of mental illness in people of royal status is something that is often overlooked. While heavy, this angle is important for examining ability and discussing mortality. People with mental illness deserve help and should not be neglected and subjected to the responsibility of major positions of power, even if they want it.

Read More
645 Words | 3 Pages

By verbally harassing Ophelia and estranging himself from her, Hamlet provides the apparent image of losing his prior care without a great amount of consideration. Additionally, Hamlet further displays his anger for his father’s death through this display. By dissolving his relationship with Ophelia, Hamlet furthers his image of insanity to further illustrate himself as incapable within Claudius’s eyes while still communicating distaste for his loss of his father. With Hamlet’s intentionally swift change of heart for Ophelia, Hamlet’s procedure warrants a certain level of sanity. Regardless of the sudden nature, Hamlet’s continual barring from Ophelia possesses procedure which causes further doubt of Hamlet’s mental instability from the audience of the

Read More
687 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet is the main character in Shakespeare's play who endures various emotional states and is often analyzed for his interesting psychological attitudes. Throughout the play, Hamlet goes through the complex mental states of passive-aggressive personality and bipolar disorder. Hamlet’s bipolar disorder is quickly revealed because of the situations and personal issues he faces. He experiences extreme mood swings and is often in states of mind where he is low and depressed, while other times he is energetic and full of excitement. For example, in Act II, Scene II, Hamlet explains, “What a piece of work is a man…Man delights not me, nor woman neither.”

Read More
696 Words | 3 Pages

Mental health is rarely portrayed in a positive light in o=modern media let alone in literature produced four centuries ago. That being said, many of Shakespeare’s plays can be analyzed for its depiction of various social issues, including the treatment of those with mental health exceptionalities. Shakespeare’s Hamlet explores mental health and the perception of mental health through characters such as the protagonist, Hamlet, and his love interest, Ophelia. Not surprisingly, Hamlet creates a damaging image of those with mental health exceptionalities and either portrays them as props for another character’s development, going through a “phase,” or as violent villains.

Read More
564 Words | 3 Pages

A few soldiers on guard report to him that his father’s ghost has been seen, and he sees the ghost when he goes with them the next night. The ghost tells him that his uncle killed him to get his crown and his wife, and makes Hamlet swear to avenge his death. Hamlet decides to pretend to be

Read More
1040 Words | 5 Pages

It is often thought that the most accurate reference for the ideology of a time period lies in the literature produced at the time, rather than the factual history. However, Elaine Showalter argues that the most significant tell of an era’s views on mental illness and women is the time’s most famous adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, or, more specifically, the representation of the character Ophelia in the performance. The play itself revolves around Hamlet, who in his own internal struggle mistreats the young woman he had been courting, Ophelia. At one point, Hamlet accidentally murders Ophelia’s father, Polonius, and in the wake of this horrible event, Ophelia becomes mad and eventually commits suicide. Showalter discusses the different

Read More
1581 Words | 7 Pages

There are moments in this world where someone can be so depressed that they do not want to live any longer. Many teenagers experience the same stress as Hamlet did in the play from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The character Hamlet is under stressed due to the death of his father who he loved a lot, and the early remarriage of his mother with his uncle. In addition, Hamlet is even more stressed out when the ghost presented itself as Hamlet’s father and wanted Hamlet to revenge for his father’s death. Even though Hamlet is under stress he remained between the state of sane or temporarily insane throughout the play.

Read More
1140 Words | 5 Pages

It was hard for Hamlet to act crazy because he was still grieving over his father 's death and his mother not showing that she cares. Hamlet also lost Ophelia which makes his situation even worse than it was because he has no one in his. No family, no girlfriend, no one. Hamlet feels betrayed by his mother and feels like he can 't trust anyone. Shakespeare gives Hamlet these struggles in the play to amplify the mental and psychological events that make the reader feel bad about what all happened to Hamlet.

Read More
1018 Words | 5 Pages

“Hamlet”: the development of insanity of the main character Hamlet is the protagonist of the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (or simply Hamlet) written by William Shakespeare. The man finds out his father was killed by own brother, who wanted to take the throne. Hamlet decided to take vengeance on for the former king. His actions led to the death of all main characters, including the prince himself. During the play readers can see changes in Hamlet’s behavior.

Read More
1749 Words | 7 Pages

The Tragedy of Mental Illness in Hamlet Hamlet is not only renowned as one of the greatest plays in the literary world, but as one of the most tragic ones as well. Although the play does fall under the classical definition of a tragedy, such as having a tragic hero with a fatal flaw, the portrayal of mental illness is what makes Hamlet even more tragic. From Hamlet’s depression to its effects on the women in his life, Shakespeare explores a subject that forms and drives the other tragedies within the play. Furthermore, the tragedy of mental illness is not lost on the 2009 film adaptation for the most part. Instead, this motif is heightened due to the acting and characterization changes from the original text.

Read More
1678 Words | 7 Pages

King Hamlet’s ghost in Hamlet plays a very significant role in Shakespeare’s play even though he only appears briefly in the very beginning and two other times throughout the play. King Hamlet’s ghost furthers the play in many ways. He affects action by setting the play in motion, he affects the theme of revenge, and he helps develop other characters, specifically his son, Hamlet. He sets the play in motion by causing the wheels to spin inside of Prince Hamlet’s head, the ghost is the whole reason for Hamlet trying to extract revenge upon his murderous Uncle Claudius who is now the King of Denmark. The ghost affects the theme of revenge by causing Young Hamlet to be seized by vengeance, the whole play turns into a story of Prince Hamlet trying to avenge his father’s wrongful death.

Read More
810 Words | 4 Pages

By declaring that his own brother had murdered him, the Ghost indirectly shows Hamlet the dishonesty of the world. Thus, this makes Hamlet wary of those around him even his own friends such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Additionally, this discovery of his father’s murder turns Hamlet into an outcast, for he fails to trust others. Because he acts as an outcast, many people perceive him as a madman. These ideals of life introduced to Hamlet by the Ghost influence the actions and thoughts of Hamlet throughout the

Read More
1675 Words | 7 Pages

The ghost’s appearance has a significant impact on Hamlet’s behaviors and forms his decisions through the play. Hamlet, who is suffering from depression since he is dealing with his father’s death and the hasty marriage of his mother with Claudius, his uncle, became obsessed with the concept of life and death after seeing his father’s ghost. In the first appearance of the ghost, he reveals the truth about the how the king has been murdered, which drives Hamlet to seek revenge, and by revenge killing his uncle. The ghost establishes a dilemma and gives Hamlet time to think about his father’s request. But Hamlet has an uncertainty about the existence of the ghost as he notes “the spirit that I have seen may be the devil, and the devil hath power T ' assume a pleasing shape” (2.2.561–563) here, Hamlet is concerned that the ghost may be the devil and questions the motivation of the ghost for killing Claudius.

Read More

More about Mental Health In Hamlet Essay

Related Topics

Open Document