Free Hamlet Essays: The Great Actor in Hamlet

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The Great Actor in Hamlet

Hamlet is sane, not insane. He is putting on an act making people think that he is really insane when he is really just acting. Hamlet was ordered to avenge his fathers death by his father's spirit. The spirit told Hamlet that how he died. The spirit said that he was sleepong in his garden when the uncle came and poured poison into his ear. The spirit told Hamlet to avenge his death by killing his uncle. Hamlet wanted to prove that his uncle really killed his father. His uncle married his mother shortly after the murder of Hamlets father. I think Hamlet is crying inside beacuse he suspects what really happened.

People think Hamlet is insane but he is really only acting. After Hamlet has spoken to the ghost, and Horatio and Marcellus find him, emotionally disturbed he says, "As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on... to note that you know aught of me--this do swear". (Act 1, scene 5, line 191-192, 201) This means if I (Hamlet) act crazy in the future, don't take it seriously, I am just acting. Hamlet acting crazy will help him prove that his uncle indeed killed his father.

Hamlet wanted to know if what his father's spirit told him about his uncle killing his father was true, so he got the best actors he could find and reenacted what he though the death of his father was like, to see what his uncle's reaction would be. When he saw his uncle storm out of the room he knew it was true. If he were insane he could not have thought of such a good plan to "catch the conscience of the King" (Act 2, scene 2, line 634).

Hamlet wanted the king to think he was insane. The king did think Hamlet was insane. The King talking to Rosencranz and Guildenstern says, "something have you heard of Hamlet's transformation, so call it, sith nor th'exterior nor the inward man resembles that it was." (Act 2, scene 2, lines 4-7). Hamlet wanted the king to think he was insane because he didn't want the king to interfere with his plan to find out if he really killed his father. He acted insane because he knew if he did the king would stay out of his way and he would have time to put his plan into operation.

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