Sanity in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

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Sanity in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

Hamlet is a play about a man who has had a father killed by his uncle,

after this act of treachery the uncle then marries Hamlet’s mother.

Hamlet is sane in this play because prior to going “insane” he informs

us he is going to. If Hamlet were truly insane he would not be able

to tell others that he is going to act insane as of a certain point in

time. Hamlet would try to deny insanity, not pride himself in the

fact that he is insane. Hamlet uses insanity as a way to express

himself, almost as if he thought people would think it was normal for

him to these things because he was insane. Hamlet is sane in the play

because he can think and act normally, he acts normal towards key

characters in the play, he is totally aware of what is going on around

him, he acted nothing like Ophelia, and he is able to still get what

he wants in the end.

Hamlet thinks and acts thoroughly in the play, if he were insane he

would not be able to think situations through. Hamlet thinks clearly

in thought when acting out thoughts in the play, certain factors that

would benefit him. An insane person would not think things through,

they would just act on emotions. Hamlet contemplates over killing his

uncle in a confessional, if Hamlet were insane he would not be able to

think so logically over the fact that in “forgiveness of his sins

Claudius would go to heaven” (3. 3. 74). Hamlet was still sociably

accepted, people still loved him, and usually one is taken away from

society when declared insane. Because he could act thoroughly he

could still somewhat win over an audience, he would act crazy towards

the ge...

... middle of paper ...

... do not understand ourselves (Lewis).

Hamlet understood himself so he achieved his goal and was not insane

by killing the king, he did it all for justice and even for the people

for Claudius killing off a better king, King Hamlet, he did it for the

people that could not understand themselves and in turn not able to

take down a corrupt monarchy.

Through thinking and acting normally, being sane towards certain

characters, knowing how to react in unusual situations, being

different from Ophelia, and achieving what he wanted in the end Hamlet

is truly a sane person. It was all to avenge the death of Hamlet’s

father, he may have staved off the final outcome, but only because he

thought things through when others out of being insane from these

traumatic events would not be sane enough to be capable of doing the

same.

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