Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Hamlet: "To Be Insane or Not To Be Insane That Tis The Question"

With in Hamlet, Shakespeare gives a psychological dimension to the

thouoghts and actions of each of his characaters, exspecially hamlet.

Shakespeare gives the reader an indepth look into the mind of Hamlet. If

shakespeare had not given the reader the complex psychological state of Hamlet,

then yes one could say Hamlet was insane, but Shakespeare did. He made sure

that there was an explanation, logical reason for all of his actions. Hamlet, at

the very least was sane. In the play Hamlet was percieved as being mad, but

there was a just cause. The symbolic meaning of Hamlet's actions are the

underlining meaning for his unconscious motivation toward his actions. This

means that Hamlet, maybe not knowing it at the time, would logically justify his

actions. For example in act III, Hamlet said to Ophelia:

You should not have believed me;

for virtue cannot so inoculate our

old stock but we shall relish of it.

I loved you not. ... Get thee

to a nunnery!...Go thy ways to a nunnery.

(Sc.I 125)

Here we can see that Hamlet had told Ophelia earlier in the scene how deeply he

loved her, but here he has changed completely, saying that he had never loved

her. With in this quote he slips in that Ophelia should go to a nunnery. This

is his just cause for his maddness. He tries to get Ophelia to forget him and

go to the nunnery so that she can be safe, and away from all his troubles that

would soon come. Here we see his justcause as well as his foreshadowing for

things to come.

Like many Princes, Hamlet has been highly educated in Whittenburg, England.

Here he has learned to think logically and not to act or think on impulse.

This is why the reader sees Hamlet talkling to himself. In act III we see

hamlet debating over ideas and problems out loud. The most obvious one is in

his "To Be" soliloquy.

To be, or not to be, that is the

question: Whether' tis nobler in

the slings and arrows of out-

rageous fortune.... to die - to

sleep No more. (Sc.I 65)

Here we can see Hamlet debating with his inner self. Should I exsist or not?

ShouldI sleep or not. Hamlet argues with his inner consious on the fact that if

he should die and leave his troubles or live and fight his troubles. this is

not to be classified as maddness, for he challenges his self for life, not an