Madness And Antic Insanity In Shakespeare's Hamlet

There is much evidence in Shakespeare’s Hamlet that the titular character deliberately feigned fits of madness in an attempt to confuse and disorient Claudius and his cadre. His explicitly stated intention to act "strange or odd" and to "put an antic disposition on" (I. v. 170, 172) is not the only indication. The latter phrase should be taken in its context and in connection with Hamlet’s other remarks on the same topic. To his old friend, Guildenstern, he says that "his uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceived," and that he is only "mad north-north-west." (II.

This comes up in the situation after Hamlet has seen his father's ghost and is with Horatio and Marcellus. He, on this occasion warns them that he does "think meet to put an antic d... ... middle of paper ... ... and off at his will, being it a means for an end. This again, shows that the madness is feigned because true madness lacks method. Finally, the cleverness of his madness shows it to be feigned because he expresses his true opinions through the madness, being able to even mock others willingly, a characteristic that clearly renders his madness fake. Shakespeare lets us know that his main character is mad through all these proofs he leaves behind.

Madness in Shakespearean plays is a condition that is very hard to be identified whether it is real or not. Shakespeare uses it a lot. Each one oh his characters experience the state of madness, at least at one point of the play. However, the truth always remains a mystery because Shakespeare likes to leave things to readers to decide what is going to happen. In the beginning of “Hamlet”, the ghost of Hamlet's father appears on the scene, and asks Hamlet to avenge his death.

The difference between these two characters, however, is that Hamlet is somewhat mad, even though he does act mad for most of the play. King Claudius is not innocent whatsoever. Moreover, when Claudius attempts to regain some innocence, he is unable to repent for his sin. For most of the play, Hamlet does indeed pretend to be mad. The audience can understand that Hamlet is only pretending because Shakespeare leaves clues in characters’ lines.

In order to further investigate, Hamlet assumes an antic disposition and takes on the behaviours of a mad man. Throughout his play Hamlet, Shakespeare warns the audience against our own human psyche; furthermore he shows us that when we trust in unscrupulous sources, we fail to see the truth. A society founded on truth can Shakespeare illustrates

Hamlet only claims madness because it allows him to say and perform actions he otherwise would be prohibited from, while keeping people from taking his actions seriously. This seems to be part of his initial plan that is first mentioned when he asks Horatio and Marcellus not to make any remarks in relation to his ?antic disposition (1.5.192).? Hamlet?s madness allows him to talk to Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, and Polonius in a manner unsuitable for a prince. He is often disrespectful and insulting in his remarks. Although his acting backfires during his speech to Gertrude, Hamlet is able to severely criticize her for her actions because she thinks he is insane.

Hamlet was always annoyed with Polonius and his garrulous speeches, but reacted not in an irrational way, but to the contrary, with the most simple, though rude, coherent answers. If Hamlet were truly mad, he would not have been able to give make such a guileless and processed ... ... middle of paper ... ...te plots, such as the play. Hamlet’s feigned insanity was all a part of his overall scheme to avenge his father, King Hamlet. In addition, Hamlet’s feigned insanity fooled Polonius into believing that he was simply mad with love for Ophelia. Because Polonius was the king’s advisor, he was greatly trusted by King Claudius.

However, later in the play Hamlet questions the validity of the apparition after assuming its sincerity initially. In the scene following the ghost's entrance, Hamlet's speech towards Horatio and guards is evasive as his mood swings ... ... middle of paper ... ...es the superiority and intelligence of Hamlet. Surfacely, Hamlet's supposed insanity paves the way for the plot of the tragedy. The madness also proves as a medium for comparison for other events, themes, and images in the play such as Ophelia's insanity and Laertes' real avenger role. Introspectively, Hamlet's supposed derangement allows him to question himself and supplies us with a more rounded picture of Hamlet's true character.

The comparison between dialogue and soliloquy in Shakespeare’s Hamlet provides an alternate perspective upon a potentially perplexing protagonist, whose erratic and changeable behaviour has obstructed audiences from forming definitive conclusions. Whilst the conditions of soliloquy lend itself to the protagonist speaking truthfully, this inference can only be made by linking the concerns Hamlet expresses in soliloquy to the course of action he undertakes, whereas in a play so deeply riddled by false appearances and deliberate self-restraint, critics remain in conflict as to the true nature of Hamlet himself.

A great controversial point of the play Hamlet, is whether Hamlet is mad or in fact acting mad. The definition of madness is a chaotic state where one is unable to distinguish right from wrong. Hamlet comes up with the idea to fake madness in the beginning of the play in order to confuse his enemies and avenge his father's death. However, for Hamlet to fulfill his duty of getting revenge, he must be totally sane. Hamlet’s intellectual brilliance makes it impractical for him to actually be mad, for to be insane one must be irrational and without any sense.