Madness William Shakespeare s Hamlet - 1323 Words

Connie Merer English 12 C Block 12/16/14 Madness in Hamlet Madness can be interpreted in many different ways, one of which being extremely foolish behavior. William Shakespeare s play, Hamlet, explores this definition within the title character’s journey after the death of his father. Throughout the play Hamlet has glimpses of sanity, but ultimately the tragedy of losing his father causes all of his idiotic behavior. He allows himself to listen to what appears to be the ghost of his father, and begins a downward spiral into a want for revenge and chaos. According to Hamlet, madness does exist and can lead to very disastrous consequences. Through the character of Hamlet, Shakespeare is proving that madness is real and can affect anyone. In the first act of the play, Hamlet is so dejected by his father s death that he starts to contemplate suicide. This is the first glimpse into the unstableness of his mind. When he is left alone he states, O, that this too too solid flesh would melt / Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix d / His canon gainst self-slaughter!† (1.2.129-132) Losing a parent and the emotions that come with it is undoubtedly an awful thing to experience, but a person behaving normally would not become suicidal because of this. He then continues his rant by saying, â€Å"But two months dead: nay, not so much, not two: / So excellent a king; that was, to this, / Hyperion to a satyr; so loving to my mother.†Show MoreRelatedMadness By William Shakespeare s Hamlet1811 Words   |  8 PagesWhat Seems Madness, Creates Madness Shakespeare’s Hamlet plays with the idea of madness throughout the story. Hamlet appears at times to be mad and at other times to be entirely sane, and then Ophelia begins sane and delves into madness by Hamlet’s actions. But Hamlet takes his actions most often through reason. He knows the ghost he saw is true because of the witnesses alongside him. He even takes precautions to confirm his uncle’s guilt by means of a play. While Hamlet may be prone to inactionRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Uncertain Madness And Insanity1401 Words   |  6 PagesUncertain Madness and Insanity Madness can drive a person to do actions that could be described as weird, strange, concerning, and disturbing. Hamlet, the main character in the play Hamlet, leads people on to believe he has gone mad and insane. There is a debate that if Hamlet is truly mad, or if he is faking being mad. Also if he Hamlet does slip into insanity in the play at any point. Well with the evidence shown in the play, Hamlet is faking going into madness for most of part. 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As in the encounter of the ghost of Hamlet s father and Hamlet, Hamlet is asked to avenge his father s death. To accomplish this task in a less apparent manner, Hamlet decides to put an antic disposition on. Consequently, his behavior thereafter is frequently baffling. William Shakespeare, the writer of the tragic play Hamlet leaves the audience to decide whether Hamlet is truly mad or not. Throughout ShakespeareRead More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - From Obsession to Insanity1006 Words   |  5 PagesFrom Obsession to Madness in Hamlet      Ã‚   In Shakespeares play Hamlet, there are several questions that come to the readers mind regarding the emotional state of Hamlet.   Was Hamlet really suffering from madness, as many of his friends and family thought?   Was he mad or just pretending to be mad?   Did Hamlet start out pretending to be mad, and his obsession drove him to madness?   The reader gets insight into Hamlets mental status through other characters and through Hamlet himself. If the characters