Hamlet’s display of Type Two Bipolar Disorder is prevalent in Act Four, where he speaks angrily and furiously in his soliloquy. According to the manual, a person experiencing the hypomanic episode will usually perform rash actions without any prior thinking. The authors of the manual noted that the person in the episode will consider “excessive involvement in activities that have a high potential for painful consequences” (DSM-5 133). Hamlet displays this type of behavior in his soliloquy in Act Four Scene Four. After witnessing the might of Prince Fortinbras’s army and how the prince was willing to sacrifice so many people to gain so little land, Hamlet reflects on how little he has done to avenge his father and notices that time is slowly …show more content…
iv. 67-69). Hamlet argues that it is necessary for him to begin killing people, especially King Claudius. It was Claudius that murdered his father, and that needs to be met with death. However, declaring that he will only kill people will only bring more harm to himself and others around him. Hamlet implies that he will not only kill the people responsible for his father’s death, but also innocent people, to fulfill his revenge. A normal-minded person would realize that setting one’s mind to kill and only to kill will have real consequences. It could land a person in jail, or even result in death to him or herself. However, Hamlet’s mind is not functioning properly. His Type Two Bipolar Disorder is preventing him from seeing the consequences of his actions. He completely disregarded the fact that his actions he committed while in his excited state caused the death of an innocent man: Polonius. Even worse, he did not think about the long term effects of Polonius’s death, including the state of Ophelia’s mind. People suffering from Type Two Bipolar Disorder both suffer from major depressive and excited …show more content…
According to the manual, a person suffering from Type Two Bipolar Disorder may switch their personalities at random times, making his or her behavior unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous. While describing the frequency of hypomanic episodes, the authors of the manual noted that the episodes appear as a result of “the major depressive episodes or from a persistent pattern of unpredictable mood changes and fluctuating, unpredictable interpersonal or occupational functioning” (DSM-5 135). Hamlet is seen quickly shifting his personality when he sees his girlfriend Ophelia being buried at a cemetery in front of her brother Laertes and the royal family. After coming back from the ocean, Hamlet wandered in the cemetery and was surrounded by images of death, which puts him in a depressed mood. However, when he saw Ophelia’s funeral possession, Hamlet hid and watched Ophelia being buried. Hamlet was saddened until he saw Laertes, Ophelia’s brother announcing to the possession that he loved Ophelia the most. Angered, Hamlet burst out of his hiding spot and attacked Laertes, telling him that he, not Laertes, loved Ophelia the most. Hamlet said, “Dost thou come here to whine?/To outface me with leaping in her grave?/Be buried quick with her, and so will I” (V.i. 294-296). Hamlet immediately switched personalities because he feels offended and
In William Shakespeare 's Hamlet, there are many characters that allow themselves to be manipulated and be consumed by their own emotions. The way that this type of irrational behavior occurs is when Claudius killed Hamlet Sr, this causes a chain reaction of unfortunate events. Gertrude and Claudius plan to immediately marry after the death of the king. On going with the repercussions of the event; Hamlet is later visited by the dead spirit of his father. This happening caused Hamlet to realize that he needed to avenge his dead father by killing Claudius and rightfully taking the throne back after the ghost of his father told him to do so. Along with all the supernatural things that occur Hamlet is faced with technicalities in the Kingdom of Denmark. His love for Ophelia is rebuffed do to Polonius and Laertes insisting to her that Hamlet only wants to be with her for her only for lust. Claudius hires people to spy on Hamlet and report his every move to him. Hamlet attempts to
They decided to invite some of his college friends to watch over him. The Queen offered many thanks for their decision to watch him. “For the supply and profit of our hope, / Your visitation shall receive such thanks / As fits a king’s remembrance.” (2.2.24-26). Claudius asked Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to get answers out of him, making them seem more like spies than helpful friends. When Hamlet shows up to Ophelia’s house, seemingly mentally disturbed, Ophelia tells her father. Polonius decides to tell the King of Hamlet and Ophelia’s relationship that he thinks that may be the source of his problems. The King and Polonius set up a meeting between the two. Seeming to know he is being watched, Hamlet acts very wildly, leading them to believe Ophelia was not the cause of his insanity. The King is not impressed at Polonius. “Love! His affections do not that way tend, / Nor what he spake, though it lacked form a little, / Was not like madness. There’s something in his soul” (3.1.170-72). At this point, Hamlet has started his drastic decline in his mental stability. When he is called by the Queen for a talk, he over hears something behind the draped curtains and stabs through it, killing Polonius. His reaction is not what one would expect, as he does not feel any remorse. Hamlet simply states it was for the best and his bad luck. “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. / I took thee for thy
A reporter asked John Wayne Gacy why he killed over five young boys, he kindly responded, "I forget my logic when I'm asked this question… The only thing I can remember is… the overriding impulse" (Sheperdson 32). Hamlet always thought things through. He never acted on impulse. He never had time to use impulse, he was always thinking. Hurbage suggest that Hamlet suffer from "lymphatic temperament". Apparently this type of person lacks the "energizing temperament to act". It is easier to think then act. Thus the body clogs the aspirations of the mind. He is very intuitive throughout the play. He thinks logically. Witness this in act two with his "What a piece of work…"(Shakespeare 2.2. 327) and the play that he logically plans. Polonius even believes that Hamlet is sane in act two, "…there is method in 't." (Shakespeare 2.2. 223-24). Hamlet treats Polonius like the fool that he is. Never does Hamlet's impulse to kill Polonius come up. He logically plays mind games with Polonius instead. In the famous closet scene with Gertrude, Hamlet asks his mother to keep his act of lunacy a secret. He tells her he is only putting on an "antic disposition" (Shakespeare 3.4. 64-104). She truly believes that he is sane because she decides not to sleep with Claudius. If she had really believed Hamlet was insane she would have thought nothing of Claudius's guilt and slept with him. Lastly, when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to greet Hamlet (Act 2.2) he is totally normal. But, once he finds out they've come to spy on him he puts on his disguise of "antic disposition" so he won't give himself away. "I am but mad, north, north-west. When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw" (Shakespeare 2.
Hamlet shows signs of depression starting after his father’s death. In the beginning of Hamlet, Hamlet is grieving over his father’s death and resents his new father, Claudius. Hamlet says, “She married. O, most wicked speed to post/ With such dexterity to incestusous sheets!/ It is not, not it cannot come to good./ But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue” (I.ii.158-161.). Hamlet is unable to escape from his depressive state because of his continuing grudge towards Claudius. Hamlet now not only loathes his new father, but his mother as well for remarrying so quickly and to his father’s, her late husband’s, brother. Hamlet mourning is prolonged and extreme as he continues to wear a dark wardrobe long after his father’s death, unable to accept what has happened and move on with his life. Hamlet’s depressive mood swings are a symptom of his bipolar disorder. According to The Gale Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders, the mood swings associated with bipolar disorder range from mania (elevated or irritable mood) to depression (a mood characterized by loss of interest and sadness). Symptoms of a depressive episode include, persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood and feelings of irritability, hopelessness, or negativity (Basile)....
Hamlet has mood swings as his mood changes abruptly throughout the play. Hamlet appears to act mad when he hears of his father's murder. At the time he speaks wild and whirling words:Why, right; you are I' the right; And so, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit that we shake hands and part... [Act I, scene V, lines 127-134]. It seems as if there are two Hamlets in the play, one that is sensitive and an ideal prince, and the insane barbaric Hamlet who from an outburst of passion and rage slays Polonius with no feeling of remorse, Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell! / I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune;/ Thou find'st to be too busy is some danger.- [Act III. scene IV, lines 31-33] and then talks about lugging his guts into another room. After Hamlet kills Polonius he will not tell anyone where the body is. Instead he assumes his ironic matter which others take it as madness. Not where he eats, but where he is eaten. / A certain convocation of political worms a e'en at him. [Act IV, scene III, lines 20-21]
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
Displaying an 'antic disposition', Hamlet first attempts to side step his trepidation by feigning madness. After meeting with his fathers proposed ghost, Hamlet attempts to distance himself from the thought or evidence of death. Hamlet notifies his friends, Marcellus and Horatio, of his plan to distract the kingdom from his real intentions. Although Hamlet proposes this as a way to fool those in Denmark, in the last lines of his meeting with Horatio and Marcellus, he curses that this revenge be placed upon him. This is the first indication of Hamlets reluctance to perform murder. Hamlet then returns to Claudius and Gertrude, at the castle, and acts out his madness for them and for the visitor, Polonius. Upon speaking to Polonius, Polonius picks up upon Hamlets 'madness', yet decides that this unnatural nature is because if Ophelia's behavior toward Hamlet. Indication of Hamlets fear is presented when Polonius asks leave of the prince. Hamlet then states that Polonius can take anything from him, anything but his life. Hamlet repeats thrice this idea of taking anything 'except [his] life.' Not only does this indicate how compulsive Hamlets fake insanity is becoming, but how afraid he is of dying. During the 'To be or not to be' soliloquy, Hamlet contemplates his view of death. As he go...
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.
Finally, further evidence of Hamlet's insanity is shown when one compares him with someone who is truly mad, such as Ophelia became after her father died. She began to sing and speak nonsensically, with only "half sense: her speech is nothing"(IV, v, 7). Whereas Ophelia has become unstable, Hamlet carries on a rational progression throughout all of his actions and words.
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.
In addition to that, his accidental murder of polonious and his decision to have his friends Rozencrantz and Guildenstern murdered for conspiring against him also contributed to Hamlet's mental instability. Moreover, the death of his beloved Ophelia and his mother Gertrude lead to Hamlet's decision to commit suicide.. Each of these events had some psychological impact on Hamlet and ultimately contributed to Hamlet's insanity and his death. Therefore, even though Hamlet had not been insane at the beginning of the play, he gradually became insane due to the dramatic events that occurred to him and how he dealth with them. Works Cited Shakespeare, William.
Perhaps Hamlet truly is sane and has little fits of hysteria as the world seems to stack up against him. His anger and feelings of betrayal overload to explosive outbursts that can be interpreted as real madness. Upon learning that Ophelia has allied herself with Polonius and Claudius, he loses his head and has an incredibly dramatic episode. He is initially honest and open with Ophelia, but his mood quickly changes when he learns they are being spied on. He question Ophelia’s motives by asking whether she is honest and fair. He...
In Hamlets mind, it is now his duty to avenge his father's murder. This is where the real problem of inaction enters the play. Later that night, Hamlet has a perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, when he sees the King kneeling in prayer. He wonders if this is the time to kill him and get it over with, but decides not to. He claims that he does not want Claudius to go to heaven, so he would rather kill him when he is committing a sin. If this is the case, then why doesn't he simply wait till Claudius has completed his prayer, accuse him of the murder and kill him in his sin of denial. Instead, Hamlet goes to the chamber of his mother and passes up his best opportunity at revenge. The argument can be made, however, that it is not a fear of killing that causes this inaction. He does not display an inability to end someone's life when killing Polonius. He neither hesitates nor capitulates in sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their executions. Why then would the prince of Denmark hesitate to kill the one man he most justly could? Many literary believe that his inaction is the result of a vicarious Oedipus complex. Those who concur with this theory say that Hamlet, in his subconscious mind, has a desire to do exactly what his uncle has done; that is, get rid of the king so that he can have Gertrude for himself.
At first, Hamlet is successful, and society is convinced Ophelia is the reason for his madness, thus granting Hamlet more time to plot Claudius’s murder. This is achieved in Hamlet’s “to be or not to be speech” [3,1,57] when Claudius and Polonius spy on the conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia. During the Act, Ophelia displays traits of dishonesty and Hamlet uses this to his benefit and appears to go insane to convince Ophelia, Claudius and Polonius that Ophelia is responsible for his madness. Hamlet insists his madness is an “antic disposition” [1,5,179] and that “Thou this be madness, yet there is method in it”. [2,2,204] In the play, Hamlet uses his “antic disposition” [1,5,179] to refuse Ophelia’s affections, which is powerfully portrayed when he exclaims to her “get thee to a nunnery.” [3,1,138] By denying Ophelia’s love, Hamlet’s power in the relationship is effectively demonstrated, and it is shown he is in control of their relationship. In addition, this is reflected in Ophelia’s self-destruction, as she has no purpose to live a life without Hamlet or a man. Overall, Hamlet is successful in using his power over Ophelia for the sake of his
In the end, their many forms of madness get the best of them, and results in their own deaths whether by another, or by their own hand. One example of Hamlet’s madness is how he mocks Polonius. He would not do so normally because Polonius is older than he is so he would normally treat him with a certain amount of respect which he does not do following the sighting of the ghost of Old Hamlet. The Ghost tells Hamlet of his murder, and to test the truth of what he is told, Hamlet puts on “an antic disposition”. Hamlet manages to convince Polonius that he is inconsiderate of others, knowing that with seeing this odd change in behavior, Polonius will go to the king to tell him of it....