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Hamlet psychological analysis
Hamlet's mental state
Hamlet psychological analysis
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After the death of old King Hamlet, Hamlet was struggling to keep himself and his feelings contained. His mind has so many thoughts running from his father’s death, to his neglected relationships, and from his outlooks on Claudius. For Hamlet, the ingredients of his mind combine together to make his madness. The delicious treat of ice cream is combined with a cluster of ingredients to make the perfect flavor. “Commercial ice cream is made by combining, under constant agitation, the liquid ingredients (milk, cream, syrups, etc.). These liquids are heated and combined with dry ingredients (sugar, stabilizers, dried eggs or milk) to form a mix…” (Britannica, 2016). From then on, recipes and techniques to make ice cream were developed throughout time. In addition to flavors, Hamlet’s heart and mind are so mixed with the thoughts of madness, hatred, or sanity alternating, resembling the three Neapolitan ice cream cone flavors chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. The ingredients of Hamlet’s madness are mixed together like the ingredients used to make ice cream the perfect flavor, ready to be made into the final product; in Hamlet’s case, it would be revenge. With all of the commotion happening in Hamlet’s thoughts and outside around him, he notices how his madness is increasing when he verbalizes, “I am …show more content…
He was acting cold towards them as well, and it was noticed how by others around that Hamlet was not acting like himself. It is noticed when he explains, “I have of late – but wherefore I know not – lost all my mirth’ (2.2.295–96)” (Ryan). Hamlet lost his sense of fun and how he feels empty and cold inside because of his father’s death. His cold emotions towards his friends and family can hurt his relationships, identical to getting a painful brain freeze from a chilly ice cream treat eaten to
As aforementioned Hamlets makes a number of references to Denmark. Preceding the death of his father and the marriage of his mother, his mental state begins to fall into demise . Although he appears to not have much courage at first, his focus remains on avenging his father whose murder is described as being "most foul." As noted in one of Hamlet's first soliloquies, his downward spiral has already began and already he is contemplating suicide; "O that this too too sullied flesh would melt, thaw, and resolve itself into a dew (I, II, 130)" and "seems to me all the uses of this world... Things rank and gross in nature posses it merely (I, II, 136)." To be degrading to be thinking of imagery including flesh melting shows that Hamlet is not in the state that he ought to be in. Furthermore Shakespeare encourages us to empathize with these emotions by using such rich descriptions.
Moreover, Hamlet is mad or so he seems to be. By looking at Hamlet and all his actions everyone is convinced he has gone mad. His mood changes a lot throughout the play, he speaks "wild and whirling words" (I.v.127-134) when he found our about his father’s death, has violet outbursts towards his mothe...
There is a great controversy amongst those who have read and studied Hamlet by Shakespeare. People argue whether or not Hamlet had gone mad or not. Many people believe that Hamlet had actually lost his mind, while others believe that it was all just an act. Since Hamlet is the most widely published book in the world, besides the Bible, this question has been asked and analyzed many times to little avail. The answer is open to whatever one wants to believe, which may intrigue some and bother others. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s personality changed after certain events. The play starts with him very upset over his father’s death. Then, after he saw his father’s ghost, he became full of vengeance. He seemed to have completely
In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, we, as readers, increasingly question the sanity of the protagonist, Hamlet, as the play continues. His seemingly psychotic banter with the other characters in the play begins to convince us that Hamlet is, indeed, insane. Hamlet, however, states, “How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself, as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on” (1.5.171). He specifically tells Horatio and Marcellus that he will be acting mad, as a front. Hamlet has an exceptional grasp on mental philosophy and the uses and effects of logic, more so than the other characters in the play.
He tells Horatio that he is going to "feign madness." and that if Horatio notices any strange behavior from Hamlet, it is because he is putting on an act. I, v. a. a. a. a. Hamlet also tells his mother that he is not mad, but mad in craft. " III, iv. - a. - a In addition to his confessions. Hamlet's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters.
Hamlet's first words are rhetorically complicated, and also challenging and puzzling. Does he pretend to be flippant or boorish in order to keep his thoughts to himself, or to contain his pain? Or does he express rational criticism in savagely sarcastic comments spoken only to himself? Or is the energy of his mind such that he thinks and speaks with instinctive ambiguity? Words are restless within his mind, changing meaning, sh...
He no longer has joy and happiness. Hamlet has reached anhedonia, or the inability to enjoy life. People who experience depression, have a change in character. They become someone they weren’t before they were infected by the mental illness. When observing patients with depression the University of Pennsylvania Press determined that, “They are not amused, do not feel like laughing, and do not get any feeling of satisfaction from jesting remark, joke, or cartoon” (22). Hamlet shows no joy throughout the play, which depicts his anhedonia. Hamlet admits himself that he has lost his job by saying, “I have of late- but wherefore I know not-lost all my mirth, forgone all customs and exercises” (Shakespeare II.ii.303). Hamlet can see himself changing but does not understand why. He knows he is no longer joyful and has stopped exercising. Hamlet notices his own depression, which indicates just how obvious it is. He has messed with his mind so much, but can still see he is no longer the person he used to be. Between all the symptoms, Hamlet has become a different person and there is no one to help him overcome this change. He is stuck on his own, propelling himself into deeper
Hamlet has always been a hard to understand character, for many reasons this is understandable, as he comes from a period in history when not many things did make sense. Throughout the story Hamlet demonstrates a broad stroke of characteristics namely those that suit his end goal, the revenge of his father’s death by the hands of his step father, Claudius. With these broad characteristics lies the demonstration of his madness, a trait that eventually takes him over. Hamlet first to begin to act insane to use as a weapon, using it to gather information against his enemies and to act without their suspicion, putting on an “antic disposition”, and even then he only acts insane towards those he sees as his enemies, and allies of his enemies. Hamlet describes himself as "mad north-north-west" (Shakespeare), saying he is mad sometimes and not others. This act of his continues for a large part of the book, until finally Hamlet can’t take it anymore and puts his plan into action. The sudden change of heart comes from his mother’s willful ignorance of the mourning and sudden onset of a new marriage leaves him stumbling at best. Hamlet “was forced to see her in action not only an astounding shallowness of feeling, but an eruption of course sensuality, ‘ rank and gross,’ speeding post-haste to its horrible delight.” (Bradley) Some authors even believe that the entire story is based around this conflict of interests Elliot says
Hamlet has had several things in his life trigger his madness. Hamlet feigns madness in order to discover the truth behind his father’s death. Upon Hamlets arrival home from Denmark he learns of his father’s death and his mother’s remarriage to Claudius, the late Kings brother. All of these things are enough to make a person mad. Later on he meets with the ghost of his father and learns that his father was murdered by his own brother, in Claudius’s attempt to take the throne and become the new King of Denmark. All of this news overwhelms ...
Logan Gaertner Mrs. Amon English IV 1 March 2014 Is Hamlet’s Insanity Real? Is Hamlet truly insane? While the play is not extremely clear on the matter and often contradicts itself, many of Hamlet’s wild ramblings and words of nonsense seem to be not the true words of a madman. Hamlet says that he is merely “putting on an antic disposition” (Act 1, Scene 5, Line 181). He admits very early on in the play that his insanity will be nothing more than a ruse to fool those around him.
His first words in the play is an aside saying "A little more than kin and less than kind" (Shakespeare. 1.2.64-65). Hamlet is already distrustful of those around him, shown in the way Shakespeare uses an aside. This displays a lack of trust and ability to speak his mind out loud. Due to the death of his father and the quick and untimely coronation of Claudius as the new king, Hamlet becomes hostile and distrustful of the people around him as people tell him to move forward and accept his father 's death, just as they have. While he believes his sorrow and mourning is genuine, Hamlet discloses to his mother that the other 's mourning is fake and only "seems"(1.2.83) real. Hamlet believes that their loyalty is fickle and unreliable, there by isolating himself and relying on his inner circle of friends and family to deal with his loss and to loss that support, would leave Hamlet
Major life changes bring about the rise of Hamlet's insanity. The play begins with Hamlet returning home to Denmark to discover that his father had died. Aside from his father's death, Hamlet also had to accept that his mother was now married to his father's brother, Claudius. In Hamlet's first soliloquy preceding his father's death, he tells the audience “O that this too, too solid flesh would melt. Or that the Everlasting had not fixed, His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!”(Act 1. Scene 2. lines 130-133) This gives us a brief preview of Hamlet's mental state in the beginning of the play. Hamlet is extremely depressed and admits that but says it would be a sin to kill himself. Hamlet goes on to describe the world as "weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable" and compares it to an "unweeded garden” (Act 1. Scene 2. lines 133-135). Hamlet shows red flags for depression; however, he seems to be reacting as a normal person would to the death of a loved one, losing a sense of understanding and love fo...
Hamlet’s insanity is an extremely odd and clever tool that the prince uses to confuse those around him, so he may complete his plan of killing King Claudius. When madness is reasonable for Hamlet's goals, he puts on an "antic disposition" (I.v.173). On the other hand, when sanity is needed, Hamlet returns to being logical. Hamlet explained that he is "mad north-north-west" (II.ii.376), meaning he is insane at times and quite normal at others. Therefore, Hamlet uses this strategy to complete his scheme, but ironically, slows down the process. To begin, Hamlet shifts into the realm of insanity to achieve his short-term goals. Hamlet uses his craziness as a tool, changing insanity into the form of being witty, with clever word choice and actions. Furthermore, Hamlet only acts insane towards his enemies or their allies. One example, Hamlet attacks Ophelia, who is with Claudius, with words: "are you honest" (III.i.104), "are you fair" (III.i.106). Hamlet "speaks daggers" (III.ii.387) to Gertrude, because she is the only thing that sep...
Shakespeare uses a variety of metaphors and descriptive words to describe Hamlet’s emotional state. Hamlet is saying here that he wishes that his flesh would melt away and dissolve. He goes on to say that he wishes that God had not made suicide wrong. Terms like weary, stale, and fl...
Old Hamlet is killed by his brother Claudius. Only two months after her husband’s death a vulnerable Gertrude marries her husband’s brother Claudius. Gertrude’s weakness opens the door for Claudius to take the throne as the king of Denmark. Hamlet is outraged by this, he loses respect for his mother as he feels that she has rejected him and has taken no time to mourn her own husband’s death. One night old Hamlets ghost appears to prince Hamlet and tells him how he was poisoned by his own brother. Up until this point the kingdom of Denmark believed that old Hamlet had died of natural causes. As it was custom, prince Hamlet sought to avenge his father’s death. This leads Hamlet, the main character into a state of internal conflict as he agonises over what action and when to take it as to avenge his father’s death. Shakespeare’s play presents the reader with various forms of conflict which plague his characters. He explores these conflicts through the use of soliloquies, recurring motifs, structure and mirror plotting.