Madness of Multiple Characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet
analytical Essay
937 words
In the play Hamlet, the author, Shakespeare portrays madness or insanity through most of its characters. What is madness, it is a state of mind in which doesn’t let ones ideas flow normally or think with a clear mind. In this case it is evident that there is something wrong with almost all the main characters. All the characters in the play in some form or fashion display madness either through thoughts, actions or words.
Due to Hamlets father recent death, Hamlet is looking for a way out of problems. While speaking to his new step father/ old uncle he makes this statement:
“O, that this too, sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the everlasting had not fixed
His canon ’gainst self slaughter! O God, God,
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!” (1.2.32-36)
Due to all the confusion and sadness Hamlet falls under a depression and has deadly thoughts. Prior to the quote Claudius and Gertrude got married, Claudius Hamlet’s new stepfather was making fun oh him for still mourning over his father’s death. Afterward Horatio enters and begins to talk with Hamlet. Hamlet is so distraught that once he hears about the apparition from Horatio he says this: “I will watch tonight. Perchance “twill walk again” (1.2.258-259) Hamlet just needs some closure and is willing to do ANYTHING to see his father again.
However, Hamlet shows a strong hatred for Polonius and his daughter Ophelia by saying this: “Let her not walk i’th sun conception is a blessing, but, as your daughter may conceive, friend, look to ‘t”. (2.2.197-199)Before Polonius and Hamlet spoke the king queen and Polonius were talking about Hamlet and Ophelia one day getting married. Then Haml...
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... ducat, (3.4.27)
Hamlet is back in town and is still on a mission to avenge his father’s death
Hamlet: “What man dost thou dig it for?
Gravedigger: For no man, sir.
Hamlet: What women then?
Gravedigger: For none, neither.
Hamlet: Who is to be buried in’t?
Gravedigger: One that was a women, sir, but, rest her
soul she is dead” (5.1.128-134)
Hamlet is joking with the gravedigger not knowing that the grave he is talking about is Ophelia’s grave. After that Ophelia’s dead corpse arrives along with Laertes and part of Denmark. Hamlet and Laertes confront each other during the actual burial.
In this play, there is more than enough evidence to conclude that madness is used often. Not just by hamlet but by other characters. In the end everyone who sought revenge did what they needed to do, but the problem was that many innocent people were also harmed.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare portrays madness or insanity through most of the characters in hamlet. madness is a state of mind that doesn't let one's ideas flow normally.
- Analyzes how hamlet falls under a depression and has deadly thoughts due to all the confusion and sadness.
- Narrates how hamlet goes off on ophelia and pretty much tells her that she is worthless and that he doesn't have time for her. soon after that, the play starts, and hamlets makes sexual suggestions towards her including the fallowing.
- Analyzes how hamlet loses all common sense and respect for others in the play called the mouse trap.
- Analyzes how hamlet jokes with the gravedigger not knowing that ophelia's dead corpse arrives along with laertes and part of denmark. in the end everyone who sought revenge did what they needed to do.
Related
- analytical
- Real Madness And Madness In William Shakespeare's Hamletanalytical essayIn Lewis Carol’s, Alice in Wonderland, he tells of the meeting between two of his characters, Alice, and the Mad Hatter. Carol writes about the struggles the young girl Alice has with him due to the fact that he appears to be entirely crazy, though the question stands if there is some method to his madness. Playwright and actor, William Shakespeare, uses this controversial connection between real madness and loss in his play Hamlet, portrayed in his characters Hamlet, and his crazed actions towards his loved ones, in Ophelia and her reaction to the death of her father, and lastly, in his character Laertes and his quick, rash reaction to act upon his desire for revenge.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how lewis carol's alice in wonderland tells of the meeting between alice and the mad hatter. shakespeare uses this controversial connection between real madness and loss in his play hamlet.
- Analyzes how ophelia, the only female role in hamlet, exhibits the greatest symptoms of madness after the death of her father, polonius.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's hamlet is inspired by his main character and the meeting with his father’s ghost.
- Analyzes how laertes pushes any concern about the consequences of his actions aside and decides that revenge upon hamlet is more important.
- Analyzes how hamlet's madness is apparent in laertes, the son of polonius and the brother of ophelia.
- Analyzes how the controversy of real madness versus feigned is detrimental to the plot of shakespeare's hamlet.
1204 wordsRead More - What Is Hamlet Essay In Hamletanalytical essayHamlet is still in mourning of his father’s death but feels that most of the people have moved on much quickly with the death of his father. And after a couple months his mother is remarried and a twist of turned events to find out that it is his uncle, Claudius which is his new step Father. Filled with anger he does not know how to digest this news. To top it off is visit buy the Ghost of Hamlet (hamlets father) to tell Prince Hamlet that his uncle Claudius is the murderer. And demand that he takes revenge upon him and kill Claudius. “To be or not to be,’ (3.1.56) true to himself or carry on bloody traditions of his war like father. But being visited by his father’s warlike spirit triggered him to be lunatic and he is lunatic because he was compared to the moon shining with the bloody borrow sheen of his warlike father (2.2.52). However, before he had even spoken to the Ghost of Hamlet he had been warned by Haratio...
In this essay, the author
- Evaluates whether hamlet's madness was legitimate or feigned due to his depression caused by the murder of his father by his uncle, claudius, or the seemingly suicide of ophelia.
- Explains that hamlet is still mourning his father's death but feels that most people have moved on much quickly with the death of their father.
- Analyzes how the man plotted his uncle's death just trying to figure the right time to strike. he was sucked into a tornado of madness.
- Analyzes how hamlet plots his uncle's death trying to figure out the right time to strike. the mother surprised him by his lack of reaction.
- Analyzes how laertes and hamlet wanted to avenge polonius' death, and king claudius instigated him to kill and revenge his father's death.
- Analyzes how the ghost of hamlet discloses the truth about his mother and how she is an adulterate beast.
- Analyzes how ophelia is now the love of hamlets life after her tragic suicide. he was trying to not seem like a complete sociopath.
- Analyzes how the vengeance of laertes and claudius lead them to their deaths. they plan to kill hamlet with a piercing and fatal sword.
1048 wordsRead More - Hamlet - Intelligent , NOT Insaneanalytical essayThroughout the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, the main character is given the overwhelming responsibility of avenging his father’s "foul and most unnatural murder" (I.iv.36). Such a burden can slowly drive a man off the deep end psychologically. Because of this, Hamlet’s disposition is extremely inconsistent and erratic throughout the play. At times he shows signs of uncontrollable insanity. Whenever he interacts with the characters he is wild, crazy, and plays a fool. At other times, he exemplifies intelligence and method in his madness. In instances when he is alone or with Horatio, he is civilized and sane. Hamlet goes through different stages of insanity throughout the story, but his neurotic and skeptical personality amplifies his persona of seeming insane to the other characters. Hamlet comes up with the idea to fake madness in the beginning of the play in order to confuse his enemies. However, for Hamlet to fulfill his duty of getting revenge, he must be totally sane. Hamlet’s intellectual brilliance make it seem too impossible for him to actually be mad, for to be insane means that one is irrational and without any sense. When one is irrational, one is not governed by or according to reason. So, Hamlet is only acting mad in order to plan his revenge on Claudius.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet's disposition is inconsistent and erratic throughout the play. his neurotic and skeptical personality amplifies his persona of seeming insane to the other characters.
- Analyzes how hamlet's sanity is displayed when he does not harm his mother, gertrude, or claudius.
- Analyzes how hamlet's intellectual sharpness prevented him from making regretful mistakes and saving his life.
- Analyzes how hamlet's intellectual brilliance is first brought out in act i, scene v, when he plans on acting mad to confuse his enemies.
- Analyzes how hamlet's treatment of ophelia in the play could be construed as insane behavior or the main character.
- Analyzes how hamlet's treatment of ophelia is irrational and illogical, but this does not make him insane. polonius tells his daughter not to speak to him.
- Analyzes how ophelia is a good foundation from which to define insanity. she goes insane after her father is killed, and hamlet leaves.
- Analyzes how hamlet feigns madness in order to get revenge on claudius. he must be perfectly sane and keep himself alive to carry out his revenge plan.
1345 wordsRead More - Hamlet Madness Essayanalytical essayMadness is a condition in which is difficult to identify whether it is true or not. William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” is a drama in which the main character (Hamlet) devotes himself to avenge his father’s death. However, Hamlet does not know how to avenge his father. Hamlet shows signs of hesitation, depression, and even madness. The first two qualities, are explicit from the text. Hamlet’s madness however is a topic of debate even to this date. So the question is, was Hamlet truly mad? Hamlet was a man who struggled to express himself, this was evident throughout the play. Some believe that the death of his father drove Hamlet to apparent insanity. The prince displays erratic behaviors throughout the play because he does not know who he can trust in his own small circle. Those that were supposed to stand beside him have forsaken him and have left Hamlet surrounded by empty promises and lies. Hamlet behaves in an irrational manner to expose the transgressions of others and restore justice and peace to a world of deceit and chaos.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how shakespeare's "hamlet" shows signs of hesitation, depression, and madness. some believe that the death of his father drove hamlet to apparent insanity.
- Analyzes how hamlet's soliloquy, "o, what a rogue and peasant slave am i!", confirms that he is indeed not mad.
- Analyzes how hamlet's "mouse trap" proves that he is sane. he goes into great detail with the actors to know how claudius reacts with signs of guilt.
659 wordsRead More - Is Hamlet Insaneanalytical essay“To be insane or not to be insane- that is the question”. Throughout the course of the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, an ongoing theme that occurs numerous times is the question of whether or not Hamlet has actually gone mad. We must questions Hamlets madness crucially and examine whether he is indeed crazy, or just simply pretending as part of his master plan to get revenge on Claudius. Many people view this questionable statement differently. Is Hamlet really crazy? Is this all just an act? Can any of his madness rants be justified? With an abundant amount of proof, it is absolutely certain that Hamlet has legitimately gone mad. Although it is very possible that Hamlet had been pretending at first, there is no denying that he has certainly gone crazy over time.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes the theme of whether or not hamlet has actually gone mad in shakespeare's play. many people view this questionable statement differently.
- Explains that insanity is a mental disorder, which is used to describe people when they don't know the difference between right and wrong.
- Analyzes how hamlet's first contact with the ghost brings him unbelievable news. the ghost states that he is indeed the spirit of his deceased father.
- Analyzes how the ghost in act iii, scene iv, is a major cause of hamlet's insanity.
- Analyzes how hamlet's "to be or not to be" speech proves his insanity. he wishes for death and would commit suicide if it wasn't against his religion.
- Explains that everyone in hamlets town is concerned for his mental state. polonius plans to have hamlet meet with ophelia while he and claudius hide nearby.
- Analyzes how hamlet's father, the ghost, told him to seek revenge on claudius, so he decided to build a "play within the play" to reenact the murder of his father.
- Analyzes how hamlet's madness was proven by the fact that he killed polonius by stabbing his sword through the tapestry.
1603 wordsRead More - Hamlet's Sanityanalytical essayThroughout Shakespeare?s play, Hamlet, the main character, young Hamlet, is faced with the responsibility of attaining vengeance for his father?s murder. He decides to feign madness as part of his plan to gain the opportunity to kill Claudius. As the play progresses, his depiction of a madman becomes increasingly believable, and the characters around him react accordingly. However, through his inner thoughts and the apparent reasons for his actions, it is clear that he is not really mad and is simply an actor simulating insanity in order to fulfill his duty to his father.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet acts perfectly sane when acting insane is unnecessary. horatio is one of the few people who doesn't need to prove he's 'insensible.'
- Analyzes how hamlet's wit and role-playing of a madman combine to make him too witty for him to be insane.
- Argues that hamlet's actions were impulsive and almost thoughtless, but this is not true. he was thwarted in his attempt to kill claudius.
- Analyzes how hamlet is a sane man acting only for the audience around him. he measures the?pros and cons? of his situation.
- Analyzes how hamlet can be considered no worse than an eccentric, determined, and possibly single-minded man, who was made so by his father's murder and his request for revenge.
- Analyzes how hamlet, the main character, is faced with the responsibility of attaining vengeance for his father's murder. he feigns madness to gain the opportunity to kill claudius.
1524 wordsRead More - Justification of Hamlet's Sanity in Shakespeare's Hamletanalytical essayShakespeare's play "Hamlet" is about a complex protagonist, Hamlet, who faces adversity and is destined to murder the individual who killed his father. Hamlet is a character who although his actions and emotions may be one of an insane person, in the beginning of the book it is clear that Hamlet decides to fake madness in order for his plan to succeed in killing Claudius. Hamlet is sane because throughout the play he only acts crazy in front of certain people, to others he acts properly and displays proper prince like behavior who is able to cope with them without sounding crazy, and even after everything that has been going on in his life he is able to take revenge by killing his father's murderer. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare Hamlet is sane but acts insane to fulfill his destiny of getting vengeance on his father's murderer.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet's quote tells the reader that he is going to act crazy to free his father’s soul and wants horatio and other guards to promise on his sword that they will not speak a word of this incident.
- Analyzes how hamlet acts like a normal person when he is in the presence of certain people. he uses reverse psychology and his intelligence to save his own life.
- Analyzes how hamlet's sanity helps him murder claudius even after all of these events. he is disappointed by his mother because she quickly remarries to his uncle.
- Opines that a beast that wants discourse of reason, would have mourned longer married with my uncle, my father's brother, but no more like my father.
- Opines that with such dexterity to incestuous sheets, it is not, nor it cannot come to good. break, my heart, for i must hold my tongue.
- Analyzes how hamlet is upset about his father's death and thinks that nothing good can come out of this marriage. ophelia rejects him and he fences with laertes like an honest prince.
- Analyzes how hamlet is not insane because he is aware of his surroundings and rationalizes everything before acting. he is as sane of an individual as any other, but had to go through emotional pain and abandonment to reach a successful point.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's "hamlet" is about a complex protagonist, hamlet, who is destined to murder the individual who killed his father.
1594 wordsRead More - Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamletanalytical essayHamlet - A Question of Madness Hamlet's public persona is a facade he has created to carry out his ulterior motives. The outside world's perception of him as being mad is of his own design. Hamlet is deciding what he wants others to think about him. Polonius, a close confidant of the King, is the leading person responsible for the public's knowledge of Hamlet's madness. The idea that Hamlet is mad centers around the fact that he talks to the ghost of his dead father.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how polonius' motives for sending hamlet to england are self-centered. he doesn't care about his mental health, and decides to have him killed.
- Argues that hamlet's madness, whether fake or partially real, is the determining factor in the play. his quest of destroying the king is selfish in that it affects the innocent as well as the guilty.
- Analyzes how hamlet's public persona is a facade he has created to carry out his ulterior motives.
- Introduces bloom, harold, bradley, a.c., mack, maynard, and swisher in modern critical interpretations of hamlet.
963 wordsRead More - Emily Dickinson Hamlet Madness Quotesanalytical essayThe theme of madness is broad, the word itself has many different definitions. In the play the only definition of madness is said by Polonius, “To define true madness, What is’t but to be nothing else but mad?” (II, ii, 93-94). In this quote Polonius defines madness as taking over your thoughts that you cannot focus on the things around you only the madness itself. This would mean that to go mad breaks you off from reality causing the person to not function as they had. As said in Emily Dickinson's quote pertaining to madness can also be faked to gain different benefits. This theme is prominently seen through the characters Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet puts on a persona of madness after the ghost tells him of his father’s true murder, to make certain that no one figures out what he is trying to do. This persona helps Hamlet to figure out if Claudius actually killed his father or if the ghost was trying to trick Hamlet. This persona had tricked both Claudius and Polonius into thinking he was mad. In contrast there were times where it had seemed that he was mad such as act three during his confrontation with Ophelia. During this confrontation Hamlet dragged
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how william shakespeare's quote refers to the theme of madness in his play hamlet. madness is prominent in literature to help control the plot of a story.
- Analyzes how the theme of madness is broad, and how it can be faked to gain different benefits.
- Analyzes how ophelia's madness is literal as her mind has cut off from reality and now takes the forefront of her thought process.
- Analyzes how hamlet's madness is seen as a means to reach an end or as your mind being cut off from reality.
972 wordsRead More - Hamlet's Sanity In Hamlet Analysisanalytical essayShakespeare 's play "Hamlet" is about a complex protagonist, Hamlet, who faces adversity and is destined to murder the individual who killed his father. Hamlet is a character who although his actions and emotions may be one of an insane person, in the beginning of the book it is clear that Hamlet decides to fake madness in order for his plan to succeed in killing Claudius. Hamlet is sane because throughout the play he only acts crazy in front of certain people, to others he acts properly and displays proper prince like behavior who is able to cope with them without sounding crazy, and even after everything that has been going on in his life he is able to take revenge by killing his
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hamlet acts insane and criticizes his mother for remarrying and insults her, but gets away with his actions because those around him are starting to believe there is something wrong with him.
- Analyzes how hamlet acts smartly when he is in the presence of certain people and is able to follow through with his plans, rather than saying one thing and doing another.
- Analyzes how hamlet has gone through a lot of pain and disappointment by those that are close to him. he acts out this way to get his anger out.
- Analyzes how hamlet is upset about his father's death and thinks that nothing good can come out of this marriage.
- Explains that hamlet shows signs of intelligence and is determined. he fakes madness so he can say and do things that a mad man would do.
- Analyzes how shakespeare's "hamlet" is about a complex protagonist, hamlet, who is destined to murder the individual who killed his father.
- Opines that a beast that wants discourse of reason, would have mourned longer married with my uncle, my father’s brother, but no more like my father.
1561 wordsRead More