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The Insanity Of Hamlet's Madness In Hamlet By William Shakespeare

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In Hamlet by William Shakespeare he uses Hamlet’s madness to cause conflict between Hamlet and the other characters. Shakespeare has Hamlet fake madness throughout the whole play to find out who killed his father, and to trick the new king into thinking that he is really mad. Before Hamlet goes mad he tells Horatio, “How strange or odd some’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on)” (1.5.176-177). Allen states, “Either Hamlet was “not himself” at this time, or else he was beginning to play the part of a madman” (435). Hamlet reveals to Horatio know from the start that he is going to fake his madness. Hamlet then goes on in Act Three with faking his madness states that, “I must be idle” (3.2.92). …show more content…

Before Hamlet speaks to Polonius, he has already spoken with the King and told him that he is mad, “Your noble son is mad” (2.2.92). When Hamlet is speaking with Polonius in Act Two Scene Two, he is making Polonius believe that he does not know him, and that he does not know anything about Ophelia. Polonius then says toward the end of their conversation in an aside that, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in't” (2.2.207-208). Polonius’ use of irony in this line makes the reader believe that he thinks Hamlet really is mad, but he does not know …show more content…

Hamlet says in an aside, “These tedious old fools” (2.2.221). Hamlet uses sarcasm to emphasize that he is just faking his madness. Hamlet also has his mother fooled into thinking that he is mad. In Act Three Hamlet is in his mother’s private room when she accuses him of being mad. “Alas, he’s mad” (3.4.110). Hamlet then goes on to say later in that scene that, “I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft” (3.4.193-194). Hamlet reveals to only his mother that he is faking his madness. In the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have no idea about Hamlet faking his madness. Bevington stated that, “Not knowing the true cause can only interpret Hamlet’s behavior as dangerous madness” (299). Guildenstern says that Hamlet is at a, “Crafty Madness” (3.1.8). Hamlet’s madness lasted throughout the whole play. Hamlet said this quote, “I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw” (2.2.384-385). Hamlet is trying to tell Guildenstern that he is only mad sometimes, but other times he is faking. Crawford believes that Hamlet is faking his

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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

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Have you ever wondered if the noble Hamlet from The Tragedy of Hamlet play written by William Shakespeare was insane? There are many instances in that the heroic Hamlet pretends to be legally insane, but there are many more occasions when the young Hamlet just pretends to go insane. There are three main reasons why gentle Hamlet is not insane. The reasons are that if he went insane he would fail his smart mission, there are some cases that he does seem insane, and no one that is insane can come up with the brilliant plans the classy Hamlet comes up with. Above all, he seems the most sane.

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It is or is it not true that Hamlet was faking his insanity? I’m not saying Hamlet was faking the whole thing. The meaning for insanity on Dictionary.com is “a permanent disorder of the mind.” I don 't think Hamlet had a permanent disorder of the mind he knew what he was doing and even planned the majority of the events that happened. Most of the time anyway.

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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

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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.

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Firstly, Hamlet employs madness to avenge his father's death by constructing a facade to prove Claudius’ guilt. Ophelia describes Hamlet’s madness as, “Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; / And with a look so piteous in purport / As if he had been loosed out of hell” (II. i. 79-81). This introduces Hamlet’s act to conceal his knowledge of his father’s death from Claudius and Polonius.

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Hamlet is using this false madness as a cover from Claudius. This is so Claudius does not suspect him of his real intentions, which is to murder him. Proof of his false insanity is seen when he talks with Polonius. He manages to convince Polonius of his madness by pretending that he did not know who Polonius was, and by calling him a fish monger. Hamlet knew that Polonius was spying on him on behalf of Claudius, so he faked his insanity so that Claudius would not see him as a threat and therefore be oblivious to his real intentions.

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Hamlet says that he “essentially [is] not in madness, but mad in craft” in order to deceive everyone and draw attention away from his suspicious activities as he tries to gather evidence against Claudius (3.4.191-2). In this passage, Hamlet tells Horatio that he will be acting mad in the near future. Indeed Hamlet begins to act mad and this is obvious to others by his responses. This shows that Hamlet is not truly mad he is just trying to deceive everyone so that he can eventually kill claudius without others being suspicious of the murder, he wants them to simply blame the murder on the madness. Hamlet stages the Murder of Gonzago which is an elaborate attempt to

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He did not want anyone knowing about his encounter with his father’s ghost. This shows that Hamlet can not be acting mad. Consequently, he believes that one should not perform a role, but actually become the person they 're pretending to be. This shows in his stunt when instead of pretending to be mad, he becomes mad in all

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When the play first began Hamlet did not seem crazy but more depressed and suicidal after his father’s death, he did not begin to act crazy until learning about his father’s murder. ”How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself, to put an antic disposition on...”, here Hamlet tells Horatio that he will start to act crazy but for them to just ignore it. After this when Hamlet only acts mad around thoses who he does not trust but when

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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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When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw. (II.ii.376-377) Hamlet explains to them that he is only mad when he needs to be, but when the time is right, he can pull it together and be sane. Not only is he faking his madness but he also tells people that it isn’t real. When Hamlet’s father died, he met a Ghost that told him to get revenge for what happened to his father.

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And that if Horatio notices any strange behavior from him, it is because he is outing on an act. (Act I, Scene v, lines 166-180). Also Hamlet’s madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. In reference, his encounter with Polonius after he tells the king and Hamlet’s mother that he believes he has gone mad because of his daughter, he goes and talks to Hamlet. Throughout the whole conversation Hamlet acts quite strange, which Polonius notices.

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A select few scholars believe that Hamlet is not pretending to be mad, but in reality is insane. Hamlet reveals his insanity through his strange behavior toward others. Dr. Simon A. Blackmore claims, “The Real or Assumed Madness of Hamlet” in Shakespearean Online that Hamlet is insane because of the fact that he is able to see a ghost while others cannot (215). Dr. Blackmore in The Real or Assumed... also asserts that in Act III, scene IV, the instance when Hamlet is in Gertrude chamber and Hamlet states to Gertrude that he see a ghost.

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He felt betrayed by his mother who married his uncle, shortly after King Hamlet’s death. Prince Hamlet promised revenge to avenge his death thus he looked for a plan. He decided to feign madness as he spoke with Polonius so that Claudius questions him. The rest of the play questions Hamlet’s motives and whether he is, indeed, mad or acting. He’s convinced Claudius of his madness, although he knows not of his fate he delays the King’s murder.

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