How Does Shakespeare Present Insanity In Hamlet

The tragic tale of Hamlet by William Shakespeare took place in the late middle ages and involved a prince named Hamlet who was seen as a melancholic and cynical member of his royal family after his father’s untimely death. His pessimistic and depressed attitude turned into one that sought revenge for the former King of Denmark which, in turn, led to a temporary mental state of hysteria and insanity.

In the beginning of the play, the readers learn that King Hamlet of Denmark has recently died and the state of Denmark is in mourning. Soon after Prince Hamlet finds out about his father’s death, a ghostly figure resembling that of his father, appears and summons Hamlet in order to inform him that Claudius has murdered him to claim the throne. He tells Hamlet, “Revenge his foul and most unnatural

In Act III Scene II of Hamlet, a play is about to be performed in the castle for the royal members. In this particular scene, Hamlet tells Gertrude, “ I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft.” He is blatantly expressing that his cognitive ability is not impaired and that it is all part of a bigger plan (Crawford, Alexander W. “Hamlet's Antic Disposition.” Http://Www.shakespeare-Online.com. ). However, Hamlet did exhibit signs of genuine madness. In Act II Scene 1 he confronts Ophelia in a disheveled and unhinged appearance and stares directly into her eyes for a prolonged period of time while not saying a word. In addition to that, during Ophelia’s burial, Hamlet’s anger and grief unleashes and he inappropriately jumps into her grave. Not only did Hamlet exhibit love for Ophelia, he must have felt a sense of guilt over her death from the way he treated her. This action taken by Hamlet was most definitely not an act to fool people. One could assume that when it came to certain aspects of his troubled life, Hamlet was not in his right mind (Allen, Joseph C. “Was Hamlet Insane?”