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The theme of madness in hamlet
Hamlet's relationship with Claudius
The theme of madness in hamlet
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The theme of Madness is presented throughout the whole story of Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The theme of madness focuses on the main character Hamlet from the story. When he meets his father’s ghost until the end of the story Hamlet starts to act or become insane. He says that he is going to pretend to be insane to exact revenge upon Claudius for killing his father. Although another character from the story suffers the same fate of madness as hamlet after the loss of her father the story tends to focus more on how Hamlet becomes insane.
After hamlets meets the ghost he comes up with a plan to avenge his father’s death and kill Claudius. He doesn’t specify to us what his exact plan is but he does ask one of his closest friends Horatio a favor:
death when his mother and the king enter the room and question him on his
Hamlet: A Sane Man & nbsp; & nbsp; Hamlet was indeed a very sane man. He was only feigning madness to further his own plans for revenge. His words were so cleverly constructed that others will perceive him as mad. It is this consistent cleverness that is the ultimate. evidence of his complete sanity. Can a mad person be so clever?
The following five paragraphs will cover the point of: What is insainity? How does Hamlet tie in with insainity? What or who is the cause of insainity? While I try to overcome these questions to tackle the true answers, you will be thinking and deciding for yourself if Hamlet is "insane" or not.
choosing to bite his tongue and not say a peep. But holding in this kind of assumption turns Hamlet down a path of depression
prove Claudius’s guilt as a murderer; allows him to fully see the truth surrounding his father’s
Hamlet's Madness & nbsp; & nbsp; What is madness? Is someone mad merely because they are different, and do they in return see the same about the world? The dictionary defines madness. as, “1. the state of being mad; insanity. 2. senseless folly. 3. frenzy. rage. 4. intense excitement or hilarity. ” Though is there a difference?
Shakespeare's Hamlet is a master of deception. Hamlet decides to make Claudius believe that he is insane, but the scheme backfires when everyone, except Claudius, falls for it. Ophelia is one of those who believes Hamlet lost his mind, and when he does not return her love, she is so brokenhearted that she commits suicide. Near the end of the tragedy, Hamlet plays the part so well, that he convinces himself he is insane. Clearly, Hamlet's plan to put on an antic disposition is a tragic error.
Each director has a distinct interpretation of the scene of Polonius’s murder. All three interpretations show fluctuating levels of hysteria within Hamlet’s mind. Michael Almereyda portrays Hamlet as having a great level of mental instability and hysteria. This is shown through his actions throughout this scene. At the beginning of the scene Hamlet is shown being extremely violent towards Gertrude. He throws her on the floor with great force, and then while on the ground he grabs her hair and forces her against the mirror. While against the mirror Hamlet makes Gertrude look at her herself. After this he pulls her away and wraps his arms around her neck and holds her there (Almereyda 2000). The violence expressed shows his inability to control his emotions. Further, this shows his mental instability because he lacks that ability have a normal interaction with his mother. He lets his anger overcome all other emotions he is feeling and takes it out on Gertrude. Also, within this scene Almereyda shows Hamlet’s hysteria after he has committed the act of killing Polonius. While still holding Gertrude in a choke like hold he shoots Polonius through a closet door. After Polonius is shot he falls out of the closet and onto the floor. Hamlet stands on the bed and looks down at the body. He appears shocked and as if he doesn't know what to do (Almereyda 2000). Hamlet's mental instability is shown here by the emotions he shows. He shows no remorse for what he has just done and only stays focused on the body for only a short period of time before returning to his interest in Gertrude. Rodney Benner shows hamlet as having both high and low levels of mental instability and hysteria. He is shown as having high levels during the beginning of this scene. Benner shows Hamlet being verbally abusive towards Gertrude. He yells in Gertrude's face and speaks in a harsh tone of voice. His increasingly violent actions thus lead to Gertrude slapping Hamlet across the face. Hamlet responds by pulling out his sword and threatening her with it (Benner 1980). These actions show Hamlet’s mental instability because he is unable to keep his emotions under control. He lets his anger take over and he takes out his rage on Gertrude. He continues to show this high level of instability during the murder of Polonius. After being threatened, Gertrude calls out for help.
this as it happened ahead of the play so that we do not know if he was
Hamlet's choice to put on an "antic disposition" leads to his downfall; it is a tragic error in judgement (hamartia) which destroys his relationship with Ophelia and Gertrude. It is Hamlet's hubris. Another result from Hamlet's peculiar actions, is that in his own mind he begins to believe that he is mad. It is unfortunate that Hamlet's plan did not succeed; not only did it lead to his own downfall but he had to witness the downfall of all of the people he loved.
Deception is a way of tricking the mind into thinking lies are truths, and truths are lies. It is achieved through trickery and falsehoods, and is most often done with a purpose. Self-seeking people use the art of deception as a way to fulfill their own needs. In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, it is this skill that Hamlet puts forth in order to avenge his father’s death and attain the satisfaction he had always desired. The façade of madness Hamlet put on was intentional, while Ophelia’s deceiving front was displayed out of distress. Although Hamlet and Ophelia appear wrought with madness by both of their fathers’ deaths, their motives of revenge and truth were deliberate, whether consciously aware or not.
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.
is mad. In Act 1 Scene 2 during a gathering of the court after the
It is with regards to Hamlets late father’s murder as well as the impending revenge he must commit that lead to his impending demise. As a result of Hamlet's inner thoughts and actions, his madness can be proven as he tries to overcome the obstacles he faces, indirectly and directly killing just about everyone, including himself. Similarly, Hamlets actions also prove his insanity in the downfall of himself and those in the court of Denmark. Hamlet is very irrational about the choices he makes.