Hamlet's Sanity

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In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the main character experiences many puzzling emotions. Readers usually ponder on who this man is and what exactly is going on inside his baffling mind. One of the most common debates is whether Hamlet was truly insane or just putting up a façade. Although the door may swing both ways, there is much evidence in the play to support that Hamlet deliberately feigned his insanity in order to bewilder the king and his attendants.
After seeing and speaking to his fathers’ ghost, Hamlet makes Horatio and Marcellus swear on his sword that they never speak of what they saw. Later on in the evening, Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to “feign madness” (Act I, Scene V, line 166) so if he notices any strange behavior it is because he is putting on an act. Since Hamlet trusts and cares for Horatio, he lets him know of his plan so he doesn’t ask questions later. Hamlet also lets his mother know of his plot when he tells her that he is not mad, “but mad in craft” (Act III, Scene IV, line 188). Hamlet even claims that he is “mad north-north west” (Act II, Scene II, line 378). He is essentially saying that he is only crazy sometimes; other times he knows what’s what. When madness benefits him he will put on an “antic disposition” (Act I, Scene V, line 173) but when sanity proves worthy, he will regress back to being logical.
If one truly analyzes the play one will notice that Hamlet’s madness only manifests itself when he is around certain characters. Hamlet’s behavior differs when he is around people he trusts versus people he does not trust. His behavior is irrational when he is around Polonius, Claudius, Ophelia, Guildenstern, Rosencrantz, and Gertrude. However, when Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo, The ...

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...ld not go through this type of intricate mental thought. A mad individual would not contemplate this type of decision, they do things erratically and clearly Hamlet does not.
One could argue that Hamlet is truly insane, but that would mean ignoring the inconspicuous signals of his sanity. Hamlet is a character of both thought and power. His complex way of thinking and rationalizing is simply not comparable to an insane persons quick and careless judgment. Hamlet was able to discern his friends from his foes, to realize that the ghost could have played him, and to overcome his thoughts of suicide. These things could not have been accomplished if Hamlet had not been clear minded. The fact that Shakespeare made Hamlets insanity appear like true madness to countless readers today only goes to show the extent of his knowledge and the magnitude of his theatrical skill.

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