Depression in Hamlet
In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, various mental illnesses are displayed. The mental illnesses are frequently discussed by various critics. Some believe Hamlet is simply love sick, while others argue he has no disease at all. Poet and Shakespeare contemporary, Ben Jonson says, “If you be sick, your own thoughts make you sick.” Ben connects mind with body to imply that a person’s mental state can relate directly to their physical state. This quote relates directly with Hamlet’s mentality. Hamlet has driven himself to madness and, in his own mind, has made himself sick. Hamlet shows clear signs of clinical depression, and because no one is there to help and support him it only gets worse. A person with depression needs
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He cannot decide on anything in his life and this a result of his inability to know himself. Being inconclusive about a matter is an internal battle that can only be solved by the victim. It is a sickness that is inside a person and continues to affect them. Depressed people tend to be indecisive to avoid the burden of their decision. They know that once they make a choice, they will be committed to their decision. In addition to feeling burden, depressed people don’t want to feel regret. The University of Pennsylvania Press elaborates on this thought by saying, “Depressed patients anticipate making the wrong decision: whenever they consider one of the various possibilities they tend to regard it as wrong and they will regret making that choice” (29). Hamlet struggles to make a choice on whether or not to commit suicide, on when to get revenge, or when to take action. He cannot make these decisions because he is afraid of the results. As The University of Pennsylvania Press states, he does not want to make the wrong conclusion and regret it. As Hamlet stands looking at Claudius he decides to get revenge and says, “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying” but then changes his mind and states, “And so he goes to heaven / And so am I revenged.—That would be scanned” (Shakespeare III.iii.74-76). Hamlet first thinks he should kill Claudius, but quickly changes his mind, which shows his extreme indecisiveness. He …show more content…
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
“He is far gone, far gone” (2.2.8). The play Hamlet written by William Shakespeare is the story of young Hamlet whose father was killed by his uncle, Claudius, then his uncle took the throne and married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, which ultimately caused hamlet to become melancholic or ‘mad’. In the essay ‘Madness and Melancholy in Hamlet’ written by Kate Flint she explores the idea of madness and melancholy in the Elizabethan time in reference to the actions of Hamlet. She states that Hamlet is neither mad nor melancholy but does display symptoms of each. Flint states that to categorize Hamlet as either mad or melancholy the characters would have to be viewed as real people which they cannot be. She shows that Hamlets madness is only an excuse to expose the truth and teach the audience a lesson. The essay takes the position that hamlet’s strange behaviour was neither madness nor melancholy because those are human emotions but that they were a way to break the barrier between player and audience.
In the playwright Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet often shows many signs of depression. It is argued whether he is putting on the act, or if he is actually severely depressed. I believe after the death of his father, Hamlet becomes very emotionally unstable. Three things affect Hamlet, the death of his father, the remarriage of his mother, and Ophelia. Hamlet contemplates death, and becomes prepared to die near the end of the play.
Shakespeare shows Hamlet is going through many mood changes throughout the play. At times it seems he is depressed, hyper, excited and bad-tempered. People would just come to a conclusion that Hamlet simply just went mad during the play. Although, looking closer and during an examination, it is seen to be that Hamlet is showing clear symptoms to be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder.
Including the fact his mother married her dead husbands brother, Hamlets uncle, builds Hamlet sickness. Shakespeare’s purpose of this scene is to utilize Hamlet currently is sane but his situation may drive him insane slowly.
It’s clear that the characters in Hamlet are suffering from some kind of mental illness. Some more serious than others, but given all of their backgrounds, it’s clear to see why. Having to deal with things like murder, your uncle becoming your father, and the girl you love killing herself becomes a lot to handle. The story begins with King Hamlet’s funeral where we later find out that Prince Hamlet’s uncle is marrying his mother and claiming the throne as his own. Months pass and Hamlet is still noticeably upset about his father’s passing and he’s been acting very strange. He’s then visited by the ghost of his late father, when he learns that his uncle killed his father. Prince Hamlet swears to his father that he will get revenge for his untimely
The second to last decision that Hamlet makes with regard to Claudius is to not kill him, but to allow fate and divine forces to take over his responsibility. He makes this decision mainly as a means of escaping the intense madness under which he finds himself and, instead, entering a much more psychologically peaceful state; denial. Although this reason may seem illogical, Shakespeare clearly emphasizes the importance of such a motivation to escape pain in Hamlet's decision-making. He does so in the Player's scene, which emphasizes that Hamlet is obsessed with disproving Claudius' guilt. The advantage of disproving such guilt is that it resolves Hamlet's pain, showing that the motivation to escape the pain of his obsession is prominent in Hamlet's decision-making. Escaping in denial also seems to be Hamlet's best option at this point since, having previously confronted Gertrude with the premises of Claudius' crime, she failed to respond with recognition of them and disapproval of Claudius.
Shakespeare's tragic hero, Hamlet, and his sanity can arguably be discussed. Many portions of the play supports his loss of control in his actions, while other parts uphold his ability of dramatic art. The issue can be discussed both ways and altogether provide significant support to either theory. There are indications from Hamlet throughout the play of his mind's well being.
Throughout the history of English literature, William Shakespeare delved into the mental component of humanity, and the disputed consequences that arise from this human mentality. The most famous revenge tragedy play, Hamlet, is an excellent illustration of Shakespeare’s study of human nature. In Hamlet, the arguable issue of Prince Hamlet’s mental health makes the readers to have two conflicting beliefs: one that shows support for a feigned madness, and the other one that stands up for an unfeigned madness. Madness is defined as an “Extreme anger, excitement, or foolishness.” (“Madness”), and “Ideas or actions that show a lack of good judgment and careful thought.” ("madness"). At the start of the play, Prince Hamlet’s plan is to pretend to be mentally ill, so that he is able to cover up his true intentions to inflict vengeance on his father’s killer. It seems clear from the theater piece that Prince Hamlet has indeed turned to true madness by believing in his own performance in the end.
When asked about his depressed appearance and demeanor by Gertrude, Hamlet replies, "Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems" (1037, line 76). This relates the idea that Hamlet is 'what he appears to be '. Later, he clearly makes a statement about his mental health when he commits himself to avenge his father 's murder. This quote allows the reader to follow Hamlet 's train of thought in regards to his role as student, mourning son, and Prince to the throne: "I 'll wipe away all trivial fond records, All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past That youth and observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live Within the book and volume of my brain" (1054, line 100). Hamlet is stating his commitment to nothing short of revenge of his fathers ' death. There is little doubt about his state of mind at this point of the play. He can only talk about all of these plans to himself. He gets stuck in his head and therefore starts to argue these ideals with
There are many occurrences that have caused Hamlet to fully lose his sanity. Hamlet acts very melancholic from both his father’s death and his mother’s hurried marriage to Claudius. Hamlet becomes very upset by all the tragedies that occurred within his family. Hamlet says he wants to “resolve itself into a dew,/ Or that
The way we see ourselves is often reflected in the way we act. Hamlet views himself as different to those young nobles around him such as Fortinbras and Laertes. This reality leads us to believe that over time he has become even more motivated to revenge his father's death, and find out who his true friends are. How can you be honest in a world full of deceit and hate? His seven soliloquies tell us that while the days go by he grows more cunning as he falls deeper into his madness. This fact might have lead Hamlet to believe that suicide is what he really wants for his life's course.
Hamlet gives many clues in this play that he is beyond feeling upset and anger over what is happening in his life. His soliloquies and speeches give excellent indications that he is actually depressed. People do not understand why he acts the way he does and even try to tell him to move on with his life. However, depression is a very serious disorder that cannot be easily detected or treated. Because the people do not detect that Hamlet is depressed, they obviously do not treat him for it. Hamlet's case continues to get worse and eventually aids in the cause of his death. Hamlet reveals too many obvious symptoms of depression to disclaim that he is inflicted with the disorder. Hamlet, a young prince, his heart filled with years of sadness and hardship, cannot escape his misery and develops major depression disorder.
In Hamlet, many characters are indecisive about the course of action they should take, and it ultimately leads to their death. Specifically, when Hamlet is seconds away from killing Claudius, he states, “Up sword, and know thou, a more horrid hent,/ When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage”(III.iii.88-89). Hamlet delays his revenge on his father’s murderer, and ultimately ends up missing his chance to reap the full benefit of killing Claudius. Instead of seizing the moment to get revenge, his indecisiveness causes him to lose the perfect chance to attack. Even though Hamlet ends up killing Claudius later in the play, he dies alongside him (V.ii.337). Delaying the murder ultimately causes Hamlet to die and be killed himself. If Hamlet had killed Claudius when he had an open opportunity, he would most likely still be alive, because Claudius would not have been around to plot his death. It is important that I learn this lesson, because I am very indecisive in my own life. Whether it is picking what to eat, or choosing what colleges to apply to, I am more comfortable with having another person pick for me. My indecisiveness is a flaw that Hamlet and I both share, and hopefully I will grow out of it unlike
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.
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...