Nathanial Emmons once said, “Insanity destroys reason, but not wit.” As the most dominant and intelligent species on this planet, humanity exists in all types of environments and cultures, but if there is one thing all of mankind shares, it is our capacity for madness. What is it exactly that drives all men and women to a point so few are willing to cross? The answer as many might guess is clearly our emotions. Emotions are the byproduct of our situation and interactions with the world, and the way we respond to a particular situation may be influenced by our emotions. It is possible to not weep at an emotional moment in a film, and it is even possible to not sob at the funeral of a loved one, but as the prince of Denmark has demonstrated in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, human nature is not without its flaws and despite an individual’s devotion to his or her principles, there exists a point where all men and women will act impulsively because they have succumbed to the whims of their emotions.
Hamlet’s case is an interesting one because compared to the average man; Hamlet is initially portrayed as a very rational and calculating individual despite his emotional distress due to his father’s death. It is this distress that opens the way to his descent into madness and ultimately, it is the leading cause of his self-destruction. One might say that the bridge to insanity for Hamlet first begins with his grief, which creates his inner turmoil over whether he should choose to live or die. Then, once he discovers the cause of his anguish, Hamlet allows his obsession over avenging his father’s death to consume him. The obsession takes him to the end of his journey (and the moment of emotional instability) where he confronts his mother ...
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...cks his relationships; this causes him to lose control of his emotions and make a single fatal mistake in judgment, which culminates in his downfall. Therefore, in order to prevent one’s escalation to madness, one should not focus on how to conquer the bridge, but focus on how to avoid it. It seems prudent then to know that while humanity is capable of much, it is also capable of its own demise, and that no one is infallible to their emotions.
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Birenbaum, Harvey. “To Be and Not to Be.” Pacific Coast Philology 16.1 (1981): 19-28.
McCanse, Ralph A. “Hamlet’s Lack of Balance.” College English 10.8 (1949): 476-478.
McCloskey, John C. “Hamlet’s Quest of Certainty” College English 2.5 (1941): 445-451.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat. , Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 2004.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.
Riddled with ambiguity by its very nature, the text of William Shakespeare's Hamlet has been a commonly debated subject in literary circles since its first performance. The character Hamlet undergoes intense physical and emotional hardship in his quest for revenge against his despicable uncle. This hardship, some argue, leads to an emotional breakdown and, ultimately, Hamlet's insanity. While this assessment may be suitable in some cases, it falls short in others. Since Hamlet is a play, the ultimate motivation of each of the characters borrows not only from the text, but also from the motivations of the actors playing the parts. In most respects, these motivations are more apt at discerning the emotional condition of a character than their dialogue ever could. Thus, the question is derived: In Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of Hamlet, does the character Hamlet suffer from insanity? Giving halt to the response, this paper will first endeavor to establish what insanity is and will then provide sufficient examples both from the text, film, and Branagh's own musings on his motivations as proof that Hamlet's character, at least in Branagh's version of the play, is not insane.
Throughout Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the main character, Hamlet, must seek revenge for the murder of his father. Hamlet decides to portray an act of insanity, as part of his plan to murder Claudius. Throughout the play, Hamlet becomes more and more believable in his act, even convincing his mother that he is crazy. However, through his thoughts, and actions, the reader can see that he is in fact putting up an act, he is simply simulating insanity to help fulfil his fathers duty of revenge. Throughout the play, Hamlet shows that he understands real from fake, right from wrong and his enemies from his friends. Even in his madness, he retorts and is clever in his speech and has full understanding of what if going on around him. Most importantly, Hamlet does not think like that of a person who is mad. Hamlet decides to portray an act of insanity, as part of his plan to seek revenge for his fathers murder.
Intelligence is often mistaken for brilliance, and conversely genius is mistaken for madness. Some of the greatest minds have been misconstrued in there time, and it is not until their whole life is taken into observance from the outside looking in, that their genius is realized and appreciated. Websters dictionary defines madness as "the act of being foolish or illogical." Ironically this form of thought has prompted some of the greatest advancements in government, science, and technology. It was the thought that every common man and woman should be included in his or her respective governments that prompted Democracy, a form of government unheard of before the signing of the Magna Carta. It was scientists and inventors thinking outside of the lines that inspired the cure for Small Pox and the invention of the computer. It can clearly be seen that serious thought is often the by-product of irrational thinking, this is also true for literature. It is while in madness, both feigned as well as sincere, that the characters in William Shakespeare's Hamlet are able to practice true mental clarity and express themselves in a manner free of treachery and falsehood.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. The Tradegy of Hamlet Prince of Denmark. New York: Washington Square Press, 1992
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2012. Print.
Hamlet’s plan of faking insanity to avenge his father’s death eventually backfires and he winds up hurting those closest to him. What began as feigned madness slowly becomes reality. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet could be characterized as a respectful, well-mannered son who is mourning the death of his father and shows signs of depression. In the end of the play, Hamlet turns into an irrational, unforgiving maniac who is unaware of the complete and utter chaos that he inflicts on himself and everyone he loves. Instead of controlling his “antic disposition”, Hamlet's antic disposition controls him, resulting in tragedy and death.
Shakespeare, William. “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts. 9th Ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print
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.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one of the most evident and important themes is the theme of madness. The theme is apparent throughout the play, mainly through the actions and thoughts of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes. Madness is defined as the quality or condition of mental illness or derangement (being insane). Madness is at the center of the conflicts and problems of the play and is conveyed through Shakespeare’s elaborate use of manipulation and parallels between Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes to contribute to Hamlet’s tragic character.
In William Shakespeares play Hamlet, there are many profound yet controversial themes that occur repeatedly throughout the play. One of the most controversially debated themes throughout history is the theme of Hamlets madness. The question comes up over and over again if Hamlet is sane or insane. Hamlets life events, from the death of his father to the death of his lover, can be enough to push anyone to the edge of sanity and fall into insanity. The theme of madness is crucial to the plot and character development throughout the whole play. Madness is essentially introduced by Hamlet to carry out his plan of revenge. Hamlet puts on an act of insanity; however, mentally he is sane.
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html No line nos.