ipl-logo

Why Is Hamlet Unstable

685 Words3 Pages

Someone who is unstable has no emotional control as well is known for acting very irrationally. Hamlet's character is ultimately the opposite of this. He portrays a very clear mindset throughout the majority of the play. He has meaningful thoughts, will power, as well is fully aware of everything that is and has happened around him. In the very early stages, Hamlet appears to be phased by the sight of the ghost. In act I, Ophelia describes him as “ Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced; No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled, Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle; Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other; And with a look so piteous in purport As if he had been loosèd out of hell To speak of horrors.” (2.1.87-94) Here Ophelia …show more content…

Little does she know, he had just seen the ghost of his deceased father. He was in a state of shock, he was unsure what he had just seen. In his mind, he debates whether or not he actually saw the ghost or if it is simply his melancholy. Since it is known that he is grieving the loss of his father very much so. If he were unstable, he would be flush, nor seek comfort from Ophelia. He would be highly reactive to what he had just seen, as well as have a lack of emotional control. This shows a clear mind set because he is trying to rationalize what has happened, instead of immediately acting upon it. Hamlets clear mind is also shown during his soliloquy in act 2. He says “May be the devil, and the devil hath power T' assume a pleasing shape. Yea, and perhaps Out of my weakness and my melancholy, As he is very potent with such spirits, Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds More relative than this. The play’s the thing Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.” (2.2.28-34) In this quote Hamlet is fabricating a plan that will hopefully give him the justification he needs to kill the …show more content…

This proves that Hamlet still has a very clear mind. In addition, Hamlet receives the justification he required to kill the king after his master plan of holding a play worked. Even when he has the reassurance he desired, he still can't bring himself to murder Claudius. He has many opportunities to pursue the deed however, he lets them slip by. For instance, in act 3 he says “Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do ’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned.” (3.3.)))))) This quote is a perfect example of his procrastination. He says he has the perfect opportunity to finish him off, but then changes his mind saying he should think about it more carefully. His hesitation to fulfill his order, shows he has a clear mind because he constantly contemplates whether or not it is the right thing to do. He also shows this during his to be or not to be soliloquy. He contemplates doing the deed, or ending his life to free himself from any

Show More
Related

Hamlet Protecting Ophelia Analysis

728 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet repeatedly acknowledges his faults, most precisely to her. In conversation, he tells Ophelia how he is guilty of such terrible things that he shouldn’t have been born, and that he proud, revengeful, and ambitious (3.1.132-135). Hamlet is fully telling her his faults and that, while being scathing towards her, he is no better. Even after her death, he continues to express his flaws around her presence. This is seen at her funeral, for which he says to her brother, Laertes, “For though I am splenitive and rash, I have in me something dangerous, which let thy wisdom fear,” (5.1.275-276).

Read More

Examples Of Insanity In Hamlet

1154 Words | 5 Pages

When Ophelia returns all his letters and gifts he tells her that he has never loved her and that she should “get thyself to a nunnery.” This is one example how his mood changes throughout the play. Then after all this her father, Polinous, is murdered by Hamlet. The Hamlet is sent away to England All of these actions result in her feeling such stress that she becomes insane in the end.

Read More

Was Hamlet Truly Insane?

1457 Words | 6 Pages

Contrasting his attitudes with the moments that the king walks in, his behavior towards Polonius while the play is preparing, and his actions to Ophelia during the play, Hamlet is sporadic, when alone with Horatio, he is calm and collected, then again the sudden resumption to his “antic disposition” when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter. There is a long break in which we don’t sense any insanity from Hamlet, this is due to the fact that he has no need to assume his disguise. When we find Hamlet with the players, he is giving them directions for the play. With the players, Hamlet acts normal and of sound mind because the players are not likely to betray him, they don’t have the opportunity or the wish to do so.

Read More

Examples Of Obedience To Children In Hamlet

551 Words | 3 Pages

Because Hamlet can see reality so clearly, the growing obsession forces Hamlet to act irrationally when he is confronting other individuals. For example, when talking to Gertrude in the castle bedroom, Hamlet can no longer control his actions, which spur from his emotions, while he refers to Gertrude’s association with Claudius as a matter of “kill[ing] a king” and while he slays Polonius, who is hiding behind a curtain (Scene 4, pg 86-87). Hamlet’s obsession with murdering his father’s killer coincides with the confirmed revelation of Claudius’ actions and Polonius’ death by demonstrating that the prince can no longer remain objective in his goal, which ironically, was his father’s advice. Despite Polonius consistently acting as the “rat” (pg. 87) that Hamlet refers to, and has been aware of, the prince cannot help but allow his irrationality to grip him tightly. As a result, Hamlet can only think in black and white, rather than consider future possibilities.

Read More

Examples Of Personality Disorder In Hamlet

1598 Words | 7 Pages

The main character of William Shakespeare’s tragedy is actually a confused person that’s stuck between two choices. Some may argue that he feels guilty for his father’s death and so it’s his duty to avenge it. While others may disagree and conclude that he is just a maniac who is both violent and dangerous. Hamlet passes through the lane of hesitancy, where he hesitates to kill King Claudius. As a matter of fact, the main conflict of Hamlet is that he feels both the need to solve the crime and punish the responsible.

Read More

Hamlet Self Control Analysis

864 Words | 4 Pages

Having control over a situation gives Hamlet the self control he needs to plan rationally and regain some level of control over the formerly puzzling situation. When Hamlet knows that he has no control, he loses his own control and plunges into an irrational frenzy of attempts to recover his already limited control. The concept of outside influence on inner control, especially mental state, was not a new one; Shakespeare gave even his less insightful characters the notion that Hamlet’s madness was based on grief and rejection. This is important because it means he expected the audience of Hamlet to understand that any person’s sanity is affected by

Read More

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

727 Words | 3 Pages

In Hamlet, Hamlet put his guard up tricking many into his insanity. However, Hamlet is turning insane over death and

Read More

Example Of Betrayal In Hamlet

1327 Words | 6 Pages

Hamlet’s intelligence is shown when he does not blindly listen to what the ghost said “Hamlet is aware of the unreliability of otherworldly apparitions and consequently reluctant to heed the ghost’s injunction to perform an action that to him seems objectively evil.” [Foster 2], and instead makes his own plan to see if Claudius is truly guilty of murder because. Hamlet plans to “...have these players / Play something like the murder of my father / Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks” [Shakespeare II, ii, 596-598], and see how his uncle reacts to the play , which is like the murder of King Hamlet because “Hamlet believes that he must have greater certitude of Claudius’s guilt if he is to take action.” [Foster 2] he does not rush into anything without analyzing the facts that he has, and checking to see if they are true.

Read More

Madness Of Insanity In Hamlet

1153 Words | 5 Pages

In the midst of Hamlet’s confrontation with his mother, the ghost appears and stares at him. Hamlet breaks down and tells the ghost not to look at him that way unless he wants him to cry instead of being powerful enough to get his revenge. While this happens, Gertrude holds to the belief that her son has gone mad as she watches him talk to himself. Gertrude can not see or hear the

Read More

Theme Of Sanity And Insanity In Hamlet

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

Flaws In Hamlet

799 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet's overthinking and inaction led to several unnecessary murders. Hamlet knew that Claudius is guilty, yet he still wants to make sure, therefore Hamlet made a play that played out the exact way that Claudius had killed King Hamlet. Hamlet had done this in order to watch how Claudius reacts to make sure that Claudius is the one who murdered his father, “I’ll observe his looks, if he do blench, I know my course” (Ham.2.2.583-585) “Now might I do it pat, now’a is a-praying. And now I’ll do’t” ( Ham.

Read More

How Is Hamlet Intelligent

575 Words | 3 Pages

When he learns Claudius is responsible for the death of his father, he intends to reveal this newfound information to not only Gertrude, but the rest of the characters. He is smart enough to know that she will not believe him based solely on his encounter with the ghost, and must create a trap where Claudius will reveal his guilt on his own. When the players arrive at the castle, he alters their script to mimic the king’s murder and “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.567). During the performance, Claudius shows signs of guilt and worry, making Hamlet’s plan a success and proving his

Read More

Conscience In Hamlet

504 Words | 3 Pages

He drove claudius into paranoidness because claudius was scared that he was going to kill him and hamlet did succeed but he also died too, an eye for an eye. Hamlet should have been placed in a mental hospital in todays day and age but that did not happen, he ended up hurting all of his peers. Hamlet is wrong because he thinks killing people will solve the issue which it will not so that is why he

Read More

Hamlet Insanity In Hamlet

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

Essay On Conscience In Hamlet

710 Words | 3 Pages

His conscience was aligned with his religious beliefs which got in the way of allowing him to act on his thoughts. This sparked an inner conflict in Hamlet about what to do. When Hamlet was first told by the ghost to kill King Claudius, Hamlet overthinks the decision on throughout the book. Hamlet knows his conscience driven mind will prevent him from acting on his instincs to kill Claudius. “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” (3.1.87) Hamlet is angry with himself that he has let his conscience come in the way.

Read More

More about Why Is Hamlet Unstable

Related Topics

Open Document