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Madness in hamlet
how is madness portrayed in hamlet
Critically examine the role of ghost in hamlet
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The Ghost in Hamlet is a widely controversial topic with arguments determining whether the Ghost is a “goblin damn’d” or a “spirit of health.” (1.4.40) “‘A spirit of health’ is one, which comes from heaven with charitable intentions, and ‘a goblin damn’d’ is one, which comes from Hell with wicked intentions.” The Ghost only has two appearances in the play and is a symbol for uncertainty, yet it is important as it catalyses the play into action and also Hamlet into madness. The Ghost in Hamlet is an evil spirit returning to revenge his killer Claudius; which is a questionable action for a Catholic person leading the audience to believe that the Ghost is evil. He pressures Hamlet into revenging Claudius while destroying Hamlet’s reputation in the kingdom. The readers can contrast the madness of Ophelia and Hamlet to create the truth behind the Ghost allowing the reader to create their own decisions on the Ghost’s motives in returning to visit his son.
The Ghost first appears in act 1 scene 1 when Horatio and Marcellus and Barnardo are outside the castle swapping the guard. Once Hamlet discovers that perhaps the Ghost is his father. After the encounter and reveal of secrets in act 1 scene 5 Hamlet announces he will become a madman,
“As I perchance hereafter shall think meet
To put an antic disposition on,” (1.5.171-172) It is obvious that Hamlet’s behaviour has varied immediately after his encounter with the Ghost when Hamlet decides that is it better if they part their separate ways and Horatio comments that Hamlets words are “wild and whirling.” (1.5.133) Perhaps Horatio was right to be wary of the Ghost. He warned Hamlet that it could be an evil spirit here to lure Hamlet into ma...
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...sion that the spirit could have had good intentions as a “spirit of health” (1.4.40) would have. Therefore the Ghost in Hamlet is a “goblin damn’d” (1.4.40) from Hell with wicked intentions.
Works Cited
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Signet Classic, Newly revised edition, 1998
Salami, Ismail. 2011. “The Contradictory Nature of the Ghost in Hamlet” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 2.2.2039-2117. Assessed April 21, 2014. http://www.mcser.org/images/stories/2_journal/mjssmay2011/4.pdf
Shmoop Editorial Team. "Hamlet Religion Quotes Page 1"Shmoop University, Inc. 11 November 2008. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/religion-quotes.html (accessed April 21, 2014).
"Definition of madness in English:." madness: definition of madness in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/madness (accessed April 21, 2014).
Hamlet grants himself the opportunity to momentarily direct himself, yet it remains unknown as to whether he directs a representation of truth or a falsity. He exemplifies madness so well, as the sight of "a damned ghost" (77) insanely induces his imagination and comfortably transforms his identity to one of lunacy. This role he acquires is one he portrays so explicitly well as an actor that he easily utilizes it as the foundation for his players. He instructs the players:
Hamlet is extremely proud of Old King and respects him.“He was a great human being. He was perfect in everything. I’ll never see the likes of him again” (I.ii.185-188). Hamlet loves his father and gives the greatest praise at the funeral. Grief driven by love tempts Hamlet to think his father’s goodness, and more, the loss of such a favorable figure. Hamlet believes that the ghost that is said to look like the dead king is indeed his father.”He waxes desperate with imagination”(I.ii.92). The Prince, who is deep in sadness and does not think sufficiently, is convinced that the spirit is the Old Hamlet, he is the only person that can physically communicate with the ghost. Hamlet for the second time talks to the apparition in his mother’s chamber, where Gertrude does not see any. What Horatio and other witnesses encounter at the gate at night proves the possibility of the existence of the ghost, Hamlet later in the play is considered to be truly mad on the account of his unusual ability to see and talk to the spirit, which is obviously conjured up by his mind. Rising actions in both the book and the play are implied at the beginning of the stories: Amir’s memory of 1975 and Old Hamlet’s death. The journey of redemption or revenge takes actions of concealing their true emotions and implementing devised
In Act 1 scene I, several guards and Horatio, a well educated close friend of Hamlet, see a ghost dressed in full armor. The ghost being in full armor resembles the tense mood of the scene, because many people are scared Denmark will go to war with Norway. The soldiers tell Horatio to question the ghost. He says: “What art thou that usurp’st this time of night, together with that fair and war-like form in which the majesty of buried Denmark did sometimes March? By heaven I charge thee, speak!” (pg. 33, l. 46). The ghost does not reply to his request and the guards think he has offended it. Later in the scene the ghost disappears into the mist. In a later scene Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing the ghost in the middle of the night. This leads to Hamlet meeting with in ghost in Act I, scene iiiii.
Ahlman, Marti. "Hamlet Study Guide." AP English. Calvary Christian School. Georgia, Columbus. 08 Mar 2014. Reading.
There are many topics deeply hidden in the works of William Shakespeare. One of his greatest pieces of works is the story of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Not only are the words of Shakespeare meaningful, but there are also many follow up pieces of literature that contain important interpretations of the events in this play. These works about Hamlet are extremely beneficial to the reader. I have found four of these works and will use them as sources throughout this essay. The first source is “The Case of Hamlet’s Conscience,” by Catherine Belsey, and it focuses on the topic of Hamlet’s revenge in the play. The second source is “’Never Doubt I Love’: Misreading Hamlet,” by Imtiaz Habib, and it explains a lot of information about Hamlet’s “love” for Ophelia. The third source is “Shakespeare’s Hamlet, III.i.56—88,” by Horst Breuer, and it talks in depth about the issue of suicide in Hamlet. The fourth and final source is “Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2.35-38,” by Kathryn Walls, and it describes the significance of the role the Ghost plays throughout Hamlet. There are many different confusing parts in Hamlet and the best way to fully understand the play is to understand all of these parts. By understanding every miniscule detail in the play, it creates a different outlook on the play for the reader. In this essay, I will explain these confusing topics, as well as explain why the sources are helpful and what insight they can bring. At the end is this essay, the reader will have a complete understanding and appreciation of the play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.
Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Eds. Alison Booth, and Kelly J. Mays. Tenth. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011. 1024-1129. Print.
Hamlet starts with the King dead and Hamlet is already in a miserable mood. The first step that pushes him over the border into madness is his meeting with the ghost and even Horatio can see it as
Although many different positions could be taken on writing an essay for this Shakespearian play, the author took it upon himself to write about Hamlet’s grief. His grief is obvious from the beginning of the play and he continues to grieve althroughout the play. Within his twenty-one-page essay, I chose this line to represent that I agree with his outlook on the play. “…his focus is on his grief and the profound impact in which the ghost has upon it. (Hamlet pg.18 paragraph 3)
Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is a complex and ambiguous public exploration of key human experiences surrounding the aspects of revenge, betrayal and corruption. The Elizabethan play is focused centrally on the ghost’s reoccurring appearance as a symbol of death and disruption to the chain of being in the state of Denmark. The imagery of death and uncertainty has a direct impact on Hamlet’s state of mind as he struggles to search for the truth on his quest for revenge as he switches between his two incompatible values of his Christian codes of honour and humanist beliefs which come into direct conflict. The deterioration of the diseased state is aligned with his detached relationship with all women as a result of Gertrude’s betrayal to King Hamlet which makes Hamlet question his very existence and the need to restore the natural order of kings. Hamlet has endured the test of time as it still identifies with a modern audience through the dramatized issues concerning every human’s critical self and is a representation of their own experience of the bewildering human condition, as Hamlet struggles to pursuit justice as a result of an unwise desire for revenge.
In the first act the ghost appears to two soldiers Marcellus, and Barnardo, as well as to Hamlet’s friend Horatio, who is a very credible and intelligent person. The same ghost appeared to Hamlet several times through out the play also. These facts eliminate the chance of this ghost being a figment of people’s imagination because too many people saw the same thing. In act 1 scene 1 it is revealed that the ghost appeared twice wearing the same armor King Hamlet wore when he fought the ambitious old Fortinbras, King of Norway, and also when he defeated the Poles. Young Fortinbras is determined to get back the land his father lost. This fact brings more in depth evidence to the ghost being real. The reason the guards are there on watch is a direct relationship to an attack from Fortinbras and the ghost is wearing the armor of the event that started this whole thing.When the ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death, he reveals a true fact involving the death of King Hamlet:Ghost. I find thee apt; and duller shouldst thou the fat weed that roots itself in ease on lethe wharf wouldst thou not stir in this. Now, Hamlet, hear. ‘tis given out that, sleeping in my orchard, a serpent stung me. So the whole ear of Denmark in by a forged process of my death rankly abused. But know, thou noble youth, the serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.Hamlet. O, my prophetic soul! My uncle! (1.3. 38-48) Later in the play is revealed that Claudius murdered King Hamlet in order to achieve the crown himself. This fact proves the reality of the ghost. Claudius admits to killing King Hamlet in a prayer: "…since I am still possessed of those effects for which I did the murder: My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen…"(3.3 57-59) The ghost told Hamlet about that fact before Claudias ever admits it.
illuminates on the mystery surrounding the death of Hamlet’s father, the King of Denmark. Often in literature the presence of a ghost indicates something left unresolved. In this case, the death of Hamlets father is the unresolved event as well the revenge necessary to give the tormented soul repose. The ghost created mystery for the audience, spawns the chain of death and treachery in Denmark, causes characters to question the death of their former king, and
William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, is a ghost story, a detective story and a revenge story all within one plot. Throughout the play, qualities of all three types of stories are displayed. The ghost story consists of Hamlet Senior and the circumstances surrounding his untimely demise at the hands of the present King, Claudius. He is being tortured in hell until his death is properly avenged. The detective aspect of Hamlet is brought about by Hamlet trying to figure out whether or not his fathers ghost was real and also to what, if any extent, his mother the "virtuous" Queen Gertrude was involved with the murder of his Father. Both Hamlet and Laertes, bring yet another aspect to this most versatile play, by seeking revenge for their fathers death, each in their own way. By viewing the play as either one or all of these different aspects we learn to have different perspectives on the play.
We see that the ghost is a driving force for Hamlet on his way to conscious maturity. There is something rotten in the State of Denmark but the something rotten exists in all places and in all people. Anyone with intellect and a conscience would not tolerate it, as Hamlet does not by willfully going into a battle at the end of the play wherein he knows he will be killed. Further, the ghost is just one more thing Hamlet must escape on the way to his mature self. As Harold Bloom, noted Shakespearian critic, notes about this sea-change in Hamlet's character and its relation to the ghost, "In Act V, Hamlet is barely still in the play; like Whitman's 'real me' or 'me myself' the final Hamlet is both in and out of the game while watching and wondering at it. We feel that if the Ghos...
Hamlet lead his life in circles, never comfortable enough with his current conditions to settle down. The crisis’ placed upon him were never resolved, because he couldn’t handle decisions, leading to a severe downfall in his family’s life. Such demise began in a terrace of the palace Hamlet called home, with a sighting of a ghost that foreshadowed troubles in the near future.
A common motif in Shakespeare’s many plays is the supernatural element, to which Hamlet , with the presence of a ghost, is no exception. The story of Hamlet, the young prince of Denmark, is one of tragedy, revenge, deception, and ghosts. Shakespeare’s use of the supernatural element helps give a definition to the play by being the catalyst of the tragedy that brings upon Hamlet’s untimely demise. The ghost that appears at the beginning of the play could possibly be a satanic figure that causes Hamlet to engage in the terrible acts and endanger his soul. The supernatural element incorporated into the play is used as an instigator, a mentor, as well as mediation for the actions of the protagonist that ultimately end in tragedy, with the loss of multiple lives, as well as suscept Hamlet’s soul to hell. Shakespeare’s portrayal of the ghostly apparition causes a reader to question whether the ghost is a demonic force on the basis of its diction, conduct towards others as well as Hamlet, and it’s motive to kill.