Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Theme of madness in hamlet
Madness motif in hamlet
Character analysis of hamlet in hamlet
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Theme of madness in hamlet
The theme of madness is quite prevalent in Shakespeare's Hamlet. The play begins in Denmark with the death of King Hamlet. His son, prince Hamlet, is suspicious of the mysterious and unsolved murder and investigates the alleged murderer the new king Claudius. Throughout the play, many characters experienced some form of insanity, each for different reasons. Hamlet for example initially seeked revenge for his father’s death and over time became mad due to his vengeful desire. Claudius, on the other hand, was mad with desire for power and killed King Hamlet as a result. Finally, Ophelia developed madness after her father was murdered by her lover which ultimately led her to drowning herself. Through the depiction of these characters, Shakespeare effectively comments on the insanity in human nature using symbolic imagery and reflective diction. Beginning with Hamlet, Shakespeare’s diction in Hamlet’s quotes reveal his …show more content…
For starters, both expressions are sad and contain violent imagery. Claudius’ soliloquy contains the phrase “What if this cursed hand/Were thicker than itself with brother's blood,/Is there not rain enough in the sweet heavens/To wash it white as snow?” (3.3.43-46) This line has lots of imagery regarding cold-blooded murder. The words “cursed hand” and “brother’s blood” brings a feeling of sinfulness to the highest degree where he used his bare hands to brutally murder his brother. The phrase “to wash it white as snow” expresses how he washed the sin away from his hands and pretended he never did it, suggesting Claudius now has guilt for his violent deed. Hamlet’s soliloquy contains the phrase “A villain kills my father; and for that,/ I, his sole son, do this same villain send/To heaven” (3.3.76-78). Using the phrase “a villain kills my father” expresses a demonizing image of Claudius with violent reference as well. He makes it seem like Claudius is a villain and deserves to
Believing that Claudius is praying for forgiveness, Hamlet knows that by killing Claudius now, he would send the King straight to heaven. Claudius would escape the eternal punishment that is his due. A literary device in the passage was when Claudius talks about the mark of Cain, it alludes to the biblical story of Cain and Abel, a tale describing the first murder ever, with Cain killing Abel. This helps clarify that their is no speculation that Claudius killed his brother, and in lines (3.3.39-44), Claudius is expressing how, although he wants to, he can't pray for forgiveness for his crime. Furthermore, when Claudius says, " What if this curse hand, Were thicker that itself with brother's blood, Is there not rain enough in the sweet heaves, To wash it white as snow?" he uses a simile to give the reader visual imagery about the murder of his brother. Another literary device in the passage was when he describes himself as being "paralyzed" with guilt and bad
Claudius and Hamlet, being related by blood are both alike in the sense that they too are filled with an eternal drive to fulfill their goals by whatever procedure necessary. While Claudius wears a mask of a loving brother who now has to take the role of father upon his nephew, Hamlet convinces even his own mother of his insanity. Claudius refers to his nephew in the sense that, "Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother's death The memory be green, and that it us befitted To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom To be contracted in one brow of woe" (I, ii, ll. 1-4) This only sets the tone for the entire play for his deceptive actions of being a doting parent, husband, and king while in reality having committed a heinous murder in order to obtain the power of the throne. His falsified feelings towards honestly and loyalty are dashed within act three, when he promotes his love for Hamlet, arranges for his death. The King plans for his stepson to be murdered while traveling to England, but is unsuccessful. He then resorts to an alternate plan, but soon the guilt of his actions takes its toll as he cries, O 'tis too true. How smart a lash that speech doth give my conscience The harlot's cheek, beautied with plast'ring art, Is not more ugly to the thing that helps it Than is my deed to my most painted word. O heavy burden! (3,I,49-53)
It is debatable whether Hamlet really attempted to kill Claudius solely to avenge his father and send him to heaven. After continuously criticizing their “incestuous sheets” (16) it seems he is trying to separate his mother from the clutches of this man. Since before their marriage they were siblings in law, “incestuous” is not a technically accurate description of Gertrude’s marriage with Claudius. This word choice on Hamlet’s part, however, shows how harshly he is judging this marriage. While it could be argued that he is simply trying to protect his mother from treacherous hands, Hamlet’s actions do not convey simple family attachment as the source of his anger.
Shakespeare’s use of a religious allusion makes the audience feel more sympathetic toward Claudius. Claudius’ offence “hath the primal eldest curse upon’t a brother’s murder” (3.3.2) a strong way of communicating his sorrow for sins. Shakespeare alludes to the first murder in history, Cain and Abel, to convey how grave his actions were toward the King. Through this reference, the reader connects a murder that divided God from humans to a murder that has divided a family. This is significant because, for the first time, Claudius views his sins in the proper light, acknowledging the intensity of his actions, making the audience feel more sympathetic toward Claudius.
“Sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me … the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown” (1.5.43-47). Hamlet being the only one to now know of the corrupt actions of Claudius, he is seeking revenge for his father and by doing so plans to murder Claudius as soon as he gets the chance to do so. Hamlet, talking to himself, exclaims how “remorseless, treacherous, lecherous,” and “kindless” of a person Claudius is along with comparing him, several times, to a “villain” (2.2.607-608). With the “rotten” aspect in mind, the novel descriptively describes how “rotten” Claudius is for not only poisoning and murdering the king, but poisoning and murdering his own brother and taking his wife from him too. Claudius’ character is known as being corrupt, evil, and “rotten” when not only does he take the life away of someone who was blood, but when he takes his own brother’s wife away as well.
At first, Hamlet is successful, and society is convinced Ophelia is the reason for his madness, thus granting Hamlet more time to plot Claudius’s murder. This is achieved in Hamlet’s “to be or not to be speech” [3,1,57] when Claudius and Polonius spy on the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia. During the Act, Ophelia displays traits of dishonesty and Hamlet uses this to his benefit and appears to go insane to convince Ophelia, Claudius and Polonius that Ophelia is responsible for his madness. Hamlet insists his madness is an “antic disposition” [1,5,179] and that “Thou this be madness, yet there is method in it”. [2,2,204] In the play, Hamlet uses his “antic disposition” [1,5,179] to refuse Ophelia’s affections, which is powerfully portrayed when he exclaims to her “get thee to a nunnery.” [3,1,138] By denying Ophelia’s love, Hamlet’s power in the relationship is effectively demonstrated, and it is shown he is in control of their relationship. In addition, this is reflected in Ophelia’s self-destruction, as she has no purpose to live a life without Hamlet or a man. Overall, Hamlet is successful in using his power over Ophelia for the sake of his
Shakespeare opens the scene with “O my offence is rank, it smells to heaven.” This ties in with the inner corruption where in the first three lines of the soliloquy, Claudius admits to the murdering his brother and figures that he cannot bring himself to pray about it because he has limited regret and enjoyed the outcome of his sins. Shakespeare uses a biblical Allusion about Cain and Abel to reveal that the king really did kill his own brother out of jealousy. “Pray can I not.” With Shakespeare’s use of transposition, Claudius admits to not being able to pray even though he so desperately wants to. The line “…Though inclination be as sharp as will” (line 43) follows right after where he is faced with two contrasting decisions. With the use of alliteration and excessive emphasis on the line, Shakespeare stresses Claudius’ commitment to two courses of action. Like many characters in Hamlet, Claudius struggles with finding a balance between emotion and reason. He admits this to himself in lines 46 and 47 that he simply lost control of the situation and cannot figure out what to do. With the question on whether to follow his desires or give it all up for forgiveness and possible peace of mind. In line 50, he wonders whether there’s enough forgiveness to cleanse his soul and make it “white as snow” wanting
Shakespeare's Hamlet is a master of deception. Hamlet decides to make Claudius believe that he is insane, but the scheme backfires when everyone, except Claudius, falls for it. Ophelia is one of those who believes Hamlet lost his mind, and when he does not return her love, she is so brokenhearted that she commits suicide. Near the end of the tragedy, Hamlet plays the part so well, that he convinces himself he is insane. Clearly, Hamlet's plan to put on an antic disposition is a tragic error.
Claudius is seen in Hamlets eyes as a horrible person because he convicted murder and incest. Claudius had killed the king of Denmark, Old Hamlet, to obtain the position of the throne. He had been jealous of Old Hamlet’s wife Gertrude and wanted to marry her for her power. Although, such an act would be called incest and considered unnatural he did not care, all he had cared about was the power that he would be stealing from Hamlet and Old Hamlet, Gertrude’s son and husband (R). When Hamlet had talked to his f...
After the ghost of his father returned to ask him to kill Claudius, Hamlet says “O cursed spite, that ever I was born to set it right!” (I.v.???). That line shows the disdain Hamlet has towards the responsibility placed upon him. Hamlet understands that he is a moral obligation that rests upon his completion of this task. In the Elizabethan era, Denmark was a strong Catholic state.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince Hamlet serves as one of the most multi-faceted characters in the entire play with critics deeming his personality “paradoxical”. Ultimately, Hamlet provides the audience with the epitome of internal contrast and instability by rapidly transitioning between periods of caution and rash action, introversion and extroversion and calculation and spontaneity. Throughout the play, Hamlet’s character is characterized both by periods of extreme caution and moments of impulsivity. One of the best examples of Hamlet’s heed can be found in Act 2, Scene 2 where he decides to have his theatre troupe perform his play, The Mousetrap.
“O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt,Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,Or that the Everlasting had not fixed His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God,How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable Seem to me all the uses of this world!”-Hamlet uses these words as madness still depressed about his father's death and his mother's marriage with His uncle Claudius. Madness is one of Shakespeare's most honored themes through literature proving this with one of shakespeare’s main characters hamlet because of all the scenarios that had happened to him before becoming a king. I think that madness is something we know because most of us have to deal with loneliness, abuse and trauma in our lives.
“‘Forgive me my foul murder’! That cannot be; since I am still possess’d of those effects for which I did murder-.” (III.ii.52-6) The hypocritical Claudius proclaims the aforementioned prayer, but is Claudius’ prayer superficial? Shakespeare’s Hamlet is teeming with deceit, incest, and hypocrisy; all of which are clearly portrayed through Claudius. Shakespeare obscures Claudius’ sinister characteristics through hypocrisy, but as the play develops, Claudius’ Mephistophelian nature becomes evident.
The tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is about Hamlet going insane and reveals his madness through his actions and dialogue. Hamlet remains one of the most discussed literary characters of all time. This is most likely due to the complex nature of Hamlet as a character. In one scene, Hamlet appears happy, and then he is angry in another and melancholy in the next. Hamlet’s madness is a result of his father’s death which was supposedly by the hands of his uncle, Claudius. He has also discovered that this same uncle is marrying his mom. It is expected that Hamlet would be suffering from some emotional issues as result of these catastrophes. Shakespeare uses vivid language, metaphors, and imagery to highlight how Hamlet’s madness influences several important aspects of his life including his relationships and the way he presents himself.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one of the most evident and important themes is the theme of madness. The theme is apparent throughout the play, mainly through the actions and thoughts of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes. Madness is defined as the quality or condition of mental illness or derangement (being insane). Madness is at the center of the conflicts and problems of the play and is conveyed through Shakespeare’s elaborate use of manipulation and parallels between Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes to contribute to Hamlet’s tragic character. All examples of madness begin and end with death.