Why Is Hamlet Mad

The play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark was written by William Shakespeare in 1601. The play follows the story of the protagonist Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, whose father has recently died. Very shortly after the death of his father Hamlet's mother marries his uncle, this makes his uncle the new king. It becomes known to Hamlet that his father was murdered by his uncle, he tries to avenge his father's death and expose his uncle's actions through the means of a play. Hamlet's plan is to kill his uncle after the play, but things don't go according to the plan. In the end Hamlet is killed along with his uncle and many other characters. Throughout the play it is brought to the reader's attention that the words and actions of

Both Polonius and Claudius doubt that Hamlet has gone mad. When Ophelia tells her father Polonius that Hamlet had intruded her private quarters, Polonius assumes that Hamlet's madness is out of his love for Ophelia. Polonius goes to tell the king what he has found out, he says "Your noble son is mad. Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad?". But later on when Polonius is talking to Hamlet he begins to doubt Hamlet's madness, he says to himself “though this be madness, yet there is method in't” (II.ii.203-4.). Polonius realizes then that Hamlet's unusual behavior is in fact not madness and he believes that there is a reason behind Hamlet's actions and that they are logical in nature. Claudius reaches his epiphany when he is speaking with Gertrude and states that Hamlet is feigning his madness, he says "Love? His affections do not that way tend Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little, Was not like madness. There's something in his soul O'er which his melancholy sits on brood And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose"(III,i,176-180). In this quote Claudius states Hamlet's emotions are not from love as he was told by Polonius, but his actions are of a higher purpose. Claudius says that Hamlet knows something is wrong and wants to right it, he is most likely referring to his murder of Hamlet's father and his brother. Finally he

When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern he acts completely irrational, but when he is around Horatio and the players he acts completely sane. Hamlet acts made around anyone who could blow his cover and reveal his plans to the king. When Hamlet first comes into contact with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern he realizes that they were there to spy on him for his uncle the king, he says “you were sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your looks which your modesties have not craft enough to colour:I know the good king and queen have sent for you.”(). Because of this Hamlet knows to act mad around them so his act is not found out by the king. Horatio is Hamlet's one and only true friend in the play, so he acts normal around him. An example of this is when Hamlet asks Horatio to watch Claudius for signs of guilt during the play, he says "Give him heedful note, for I mine eyes will rivet his face, and, after, we will both our judgments join in censure of his seeming” (III,ii,87). A madman would not have had the foresight, reason, or possibly even care, to think in this very organized fashion. When talking to the players in the play Hamlet gives them simple and clear instructions, they seem comfortable around him and do not doubt his