Hamlet Bipolar Disorder Analysis

1124 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Bipolar disorder essay

Bipolar disorder can make everyday up and downs seem as severe as flying up Mount Everest and then falling into the Grand Canyon. Hamlet, of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet demonstrates several symptoms of bipolar disorder throughout the course of the play. His irritable mood is evident immediately, his obsession with completing impossible goals and excessive involvement in dangerous behaviors ultimately lead to his death, and his shift from manic to depressive phases are as obvious as a scene change. Throughout the Shakespearian tragedy, it is made obvious from the beginning that Hamlet is distraught about his father’s untimely death. “'Tis not alone my inky cloak… That can denote me truly.” (I.2) Hamlet is making it known that however sorrowful he appears on the outside is nowhere near as miserable as he is on the inside. Hamlet is angered easily and without any real …show more content…

states that “The mood disturbance [bipolar disorder] is sufficiently severe to cause marked impairment in occupational functioning or in usual social activities or relationships with others.” This is evident in all of Hamlet’s …show more content…

As soon as Hamlet learns, from the ghost of his dead father, that his uncle is to blame for the King’s sudden death he becomes obsessed with vengeance. He concludes that not only must he kill his King uncle but that others must also be made aware of his treacherous actions against Denmark. While on his mission to avenge his father’s death he is faced with the perfect opportunity while his uncle is in prayer. However, he decides that he must send him to Hell and not Heaven, HAMLET: Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed, At game a-swearing, or about some act That has no relish of salvation in’t- Then trip him, that his heels may kick at

Show More
Related

  • Paranoia In Hamlet

    358 Words  | 1 Pages

    With the shock of his father’s death and his mother’s neglect for his feelings, Hamlet is engulfed by feelings of depression and abandonment. Hamlet tries to express his feelings by donning a dark wardrobe, saying “Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,/ Nor customary suits of solemn black,/Nor

    Read More

  • Psychological Disorders In Hamlet And The Things They Carried

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet’s psychological condition that became relevant as the play went on was that he suffers from the Bipolar I disorder which causes very impulsive actions. The Health Reference Center describes Bipolar I as, “Classic bipolar disorder, with depressive and manic

    Read More

  • Borderline Personality Disorder In Hamlet

    1904 Words  | 4 Pages

    Seemingly, Hamlet portrays a well put together man in the beginning of the play but soon changes emotions when circumstances arise. The emotional fiend acquires multiple traits of Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD, that affects his well-being causing unstable impulses that derive from his circumstances. Although Hamlet may suffer from co-occurring, BPD is the most visible disorder that he compares with throughout this book. BPD affects Hamlet so strongly due to his environmental stress, which comes from his mischievous parents, that gives him less control of his

    Read More

  • What Is Mental Illness In Hamlet

    1856 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Hamlet and his battle with depression

    1756 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hamlet, a Shakespearean character, constantly struggles in a battle with his mind. He leads a very trying life that becomes too much for him to handle. Hamlet experiences hardships so horrible and they affect him so greatly that he is unable escape his dispirited mood. In speaking what he feels, Hamlet reveals his many symptoms of depression, a psychological disorder. While others can move on with life, Hamlet remains in the past. People do not understand his behavior and some just assume he is insane. However, Hamlet is not insane. He only pretends to be mad. Because Hamlet never receives treatment for his disorder, it only gets worse and eventually contributes to his death.

    Read More

  • Psychoanalytic Criticism Of Hamlet

    1072 Words  | 3 Pages

    In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” there are many different events throughout the play that affect and shape the main character Hamlet. The biggest event being when Hamlet meets the ghost of his father, the king, who then proceeds to tell him that his uncle murdered him. This event will lead Hamlet to madness with sanity while plotting his revenge on his uncle which will ultimately end in his, his uncle and several other’s deaths at the end of the play.

    Read More

  • Shakespeare's Hamlet and His Hallucinations

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hamlet is arguably the most famous play written by the highly renowned English playwright, William Shakespeare--a man known in much of the western world as the father of english literature. Part of the reason for this title is for Shakespeare’s ability to take a character, and through a basic plot, transform said character into becoming something that many scholars have debated over for years. Hamlet in this play is this character; a character whose mental instability or sheer lack of perception has lead to countless debate and argument over the actual explanation for the characters behavior. Schizophrenia can be defined as a lasting mental disorder that forms a fundamental impediment in thought and emotion (as well as behaviour). This disorder can then lead to a lack of judgment in perception, and unusual actions and feelings, all in addition to an overall withdrawal from reality and a devolution of personal relationships to delusional perceptions of oneself and his surroundings--in all, schizophrenia is a mental disorder involving the breaking down of the mind and one’s grip on reality (National Library of Medicine). With the above definition, it may at first seem rash to criticize Hamlet and declare that he has Schizophrenia; however, once it is considered the varying degrees in which Schizophrenia can manifest itself, it no longer becomes such a farfetched thought. It must be contended then, that Hamlet is neither insane nor lazy, but merely a man who suffers from Schizophrenic-hallucinations; hallucinations that spiral up the plot into one focused primarily on Hamlet’s search for truth.

    Read More

  • Mental Illness In Hamlet Essay

    1037 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Depression in Hamlet

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • hamlet

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moreover, another mental illness that Hamlet seems to suffer from that emphazises the idea that Hamlet is insane is that he seems to have a bipolar disorder. The reason Ha...

    Read More

  • Manic Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    Manic: affected by violent madness . When one is affected by mania it becomes the dictator of his or her actions .  This holds true in William Shakespeare's Hamlet . In the play, Hamlet is depressed to the point of mania. His entire existence is engulfed in his melancholia.  Hamlet's words, thoughts, interactions and most tangibly his actions make his heavy-heartedness an undeniable reality. The degree of Hamlet 's depression is set by his ennui and his melancholy itself is revealed through his tenacity. Throughout the play Hamlet's actions are plagued by his overbearing depression. This depression in combination with Hamlet's mania is what makes his a bipolar disorder sufferer.

    Read More

  • Hamlet's View on Death in Hamlet by William Shakespeare

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hamlet's View on Death in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Hamlet is scared because he does not know what happens after you die. He is not afraid to die, but he will not kill himself because he is afraid that he will go to hell. In Act 3, scene 3, Hamlet shows his belief in the Bible by not killing his father while he is in prayer. He says, HAMLET “A villain kills my father; and for that. I, his sole son, send this same villain.

    Read More

  • Hamlet

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the main character, Hamlet, is often perceived by the other characters in the play as being mentally unbalanced because he acts in ways that drive them to think he is mad. Hamlet may very well be psychotic; however, there are times when he “feigns insanity” in order to unearth the truth surrounding his father's death. This plan seems to be going well until Hamlet's mental state slowly begins to deteriorate. What began as an act of insanity or antic disposition transitions from an act to a tragic reality. After studying Hamlet's actions, one will notice that as the play progresses, his feigned insanity becomes less and less intentional and devolves into true mental illness.

    Read More

  • Nature of Revenge

    960 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play, Hamlet seeks revenge on his uncle Claudius. Claudius killed Hamlet’s dad and then married his mom to become the leader of Denmark. Later in the play, Hamlet sees his dad’s ghost and is informed of the horrific act committed by his uncle. Hamlets’ dad’s ghost says, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (I. V. 25). Hamlets’ dad says this to Hamlet so that his uncle could get retribution for his action. Hamlet has many opportunities to kill Claudius but is unable because of the wrong timing. While Claudius is praying, Hamlet has an opportunity to slay him but doesn’t because if he killed him in his prayers he will make him go to heaven instead of hell. Another minor reason for Hamlet’s revenge against his uncle is his affection towards his mother. As the play progresses, we are able to determine that Hamlet’s relationship with his mom is close to incest status. With this information, we are able ...

    Read More

  • Hamlet’s Madness

    1882 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

More about Hamlet Bipolar Disorder Analysis

Open Document