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Claudius' influence on Hamlet's actions
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Hamlet: Hamlet's Sanity “Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do their bounds divide.” Though John Dryden's quote was not made in regard to William Shakespeare's Hamlet, it relates very well to the argument of whether or not Hamlet went insane. When a character such as Hamlet is under scrutiny, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what state he is in at particular moments in the play. Nonetheless, Hamlet merely pretends to be insane so that he can calculate his moves according to the situation at hand. There are many situations throughout the play that are enough to bring Hamlet to insanity. Take, for example, Act IV, scene II, after Polonius's death. Hamlet's day has been hectic; he finally determines that Claudius has killed his father. The chance to kill Claudius confronts him, and he comes very close to convincing Gertrude that Claudius killed his father. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius and finally, the ghost of his father visits him. Though at this point these situations create plenty of reasons for Hamlet to be insane, he remains sharp and credible. “[Hamlet] concocts this state of madness...his intellect remains clear, his discourse sound and comprehensive,” (Harris, p. 129). Hamlet reveals to his friends and his mother of his plans to pretend act insane. He tells Horatio that he is going to "feign madness," and that if Horatio notices any strange behavior from Hamlet, it is because he is putting on an act. (I, v). Hamlet also tells his mother that he is not mad, "but mad in craft." (III, iv). In addition to his confessions, Hamlet's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves irrationally. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, The Players and the Gravediggers, he behaves rationally (Bevington, p. 59). Some of the characters themselves come to realize that Hamlet is not mad. Claudius confesses that Hamlet's "actions although strange, do not appear to stem from madness." (III, i). In addition, Polonius admits that Hamlet's actions and words have a "method" to them; there appears to be a reason behind them, they are logical in nature. (II, ii). Hamlet is also able to make smart remarks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, comparing them to sponges. "When he (Claudius) needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry again," ( ). This is random and unexpected, as many of his actions, but the comparison makes sense; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern soak up all the kings
death when his mother and the king enter the room and question him on his
Similarly, in another scene, he is able to tell Polonius his true feelings through his guise. Upon Polonius deciding to ?take leave? of Hamlet, Hamlet replies, ?You cannot, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal (2.2.233).? Furthermore, Hamlet uses his madness as almost an excuse, and definitely part of his apology, towards Laertes for his murdering of Polonious. Would a madman be able realize he was mad and call his actions uncontrollable? Were it not for his ?madness? he would have been reprimanded rather than feared, pitied, or ignored. Hamlet?s madness redirects attention away from what he is thinking about his father?s death, and puts it on why he has gone insane. This allows only himself to know what he is truly thinking, does not require him to answer any questions as to why he might be acting strange, a...
What drives Hamlet to his madness? How does it relate to Ophelia’s madness? Are Hamlet and Ophelia both truly mad? These are some questions that I contemplated as I read Hamlet. The main character, Hamlet feigns madness after learning of his father’s murder; however, he becomes mad later on in the play. Is it possible that Hamlet became so wrapped up in his father’s murder that he was unable to distinguish fantasy from reality?
Hamlet chooses to go mad so he has an advantage over his opponent and since he is the Prince of Denmark certain behavior is unacceptable, so by faking madness he is able to get away with inappropriate sayings and actions. We can see this when he talks to Claudius, Polonius, Ophelia and his mother. When Hamlet talks to Horatio in the first act he says how he is going to "feign madness" and that:
The impression made by a character in a play is one of its most complex and debatable components, for each individual, from the director to the audience, forms an idea based on their own interpretation of the work. Each character can be read differently, with each perception having its own implications beyond the text. The analysis of alternate perspectives of Hamlet can provide insight into possible hidden motivations and underlying plot elements invisible in the original text.
Throughout the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, the main character is given the overwhelming responsibility of avenging his father’s "foul and most unnatural murder" (I.iv.36). Such a burden can slowly drive a man off the deep end psychologically. Because of this, Hamlet’s disposition is extremely inconsistent and erratic throughout the play. At times he shows signs of uncontrollable insanity. Whenever he interacts with the characters he is wild, crazy, and plays a fool. At other times, he exemplifies intelligence and method in his madness. In instances when he is alone or with Horatio, he is civilized and sane. Hamlet goes through different stages of insanity throughout the story, but his neurotic and skeptical personality amplifies his persona of seeming insane to the other characters. Hamlet comes up with the idea to fake madness in the beginning of the play in order to confuse his enemies. However, for Hamlet to fulfill his duty of getting revenge, he must be totally sane. Hamlet’s intellectual brilliance make it seem too impossible for him to actually be mad, for to be insane means that one is irrational and without any sense. When one is irrational, one is not governed by or according to reason. So, Hamlet is only acting mad in order to plan his revenge on Claudius.
Statistics indicate improvement in child labor issues, but trends can be reversed easily. Some child labor is more service-oriented and not a part that can be challenged by a boycott or legislation. Child labor in some countries involves being a servant who does not produce goods. Before identifying the consequences of child labor, probable causes and possible cures must be identified.
Child labor is the employment of children, but not all work done by children should be classified as child labor that should be eliminated. Children’s participation in work that does not affect their health and personal development or interfere with their schooling is generally regarded as being something positive. The term “child labor” is defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful.
The child laborer can work in different fields. Some are engaged in agricultural labor, manufacturing, mining, domestic service, types of construction and also begging on the streets. Some are engaged in more dangerous conditions such as armed conflicts, commercial sexual exploitation, drug trafficking and also organized begging. These forms deprive children from freedom and human rights. Moreover, they certainly engender harmful effects. Children may receive no payment; they just take advantage of being fed and having a place where to sleep. They don’t have any protection in case they get sick or injured.
Bell’s palsy is a very interesting phenomenon that results in the damage of the facial nerve that controls the muscles of the face. The cause of it is uncertain however, it is considered to be an autoimmune disorder due to viral infections that cause muscle weakness and paralysis. Symptoms of Bell’s palsy include numbness to the face causing the face and eyelids to droop. Relies heavily on signs and symptoms and examination of physical condition by a doctor is highly recommended. Patients can be evaluated using Photoshop, ultrasound, and tests such as MRI, X-rays, and blood tests. Bell’s palsy patients can recover by medical treatments, facial phototherapy, laser therapy, botox, and in rare cases plastic surgery.
(91). In this particular scene Hamlet is acting with rational behavior while in conversation with
Many of these factories hire children who are ineligible to work in these places. About 250 million children between the ages five and fourteen work in sweatshops. Half of these children are working full time and one third of them are working in extremely dangerous conditions. These children do not belong working in such dangerous conditions. "Many of these children begin working before the age of seven, tending to machines in the spinning mills and hauling heavy loads" (Fried 231). To an employer "the purpose of employing a child is not to train them, but to make their profits higher from the child's work" (Freedman 21). The employers do not realize the dangers of child labor. Child labor is "the ab...
Davis, Tenney L. “The Sanity of Hamlet.” The Journal of Philosophy 18.23 (1921): 629–634. JSTOR. Web. 25 Apr. 2014.
According to Mack, “He now sees everywhere, but especially in his own nature, the general taint, taking from life its meaning, from woman her integrity, from the will its strength, turning reason into madness” (Mack 11). Hamlet has been raging at Ophelia, damaging her integrity, and isn’t being rational, specifically because of his increasing instability and madness. In another scene, Hamlet stabs Polonius through a curtain. After murdering Polonius, Hamlet refuses to give away his location. Hamlet says, “Not where he eats, but where ‘a is eaten.
Child Labor had begun around the era of the Industrial Revolution. As the world was becoming more dependent on the workings of machines and all of the advancements the revolution was bringing along, more workers had to be employed in these massive factories in order to keep them running, and to handle smaller day-to-day tasks. Children around the ages of four or five would be found working in these factories, the conditions in these factories were incredibly dangerous, and much of the time, fatal. Looking at child labor in this way, many countries have deemed it a...