Polonius's Insanity In Hamlet

When it comes to Shakespeare's Hamlet, the debate about Hamlet’s sanity is constant. When only using the text, the argument is ceaseless. Nothing points directly to either side since the reader can see no emotion, no emphasis, no expressions. They have nothing but a monotone dialogue. Rather, the answer to Hamlet’s insanity varies with each performance.

The first scene to question Hamlet's sanity is in Act 2 Scene 2, when Polonius speaks to Hamlet and tries to discover the meaning of Hamlet's madness, if it is even that. In the 1996 adaptation of Hamlet, from director Kenneth Branagh, we see Hamlet glancing at the king speaking to Polonius just before Polonius approaches Hamlet.. As he comes up the stairs Hamlet jumps around the corner wearing

When Hamlet has his famous monologue of “To be or not to be”. The actor can take this from a scene of a sane man’s musing to an insane man’s rambling. In Hamlet (1996) Hamlet approached a mirror, looking to himself as he speaks. He stays calm and level headed through the scene, the only abnormality is that he holds a rapier as he looks in the mirror. Beyond this, there is no suggestions to Hamlet having lost any of his sanity. However, Hamlet (2000), portrays Hamlet in an entirely different light. Hamlet is shown reading a book, then in a sudden fit ripping pages and throwing it. He throws his glasses at a table and the glass cracks. He stares at them for a minute before picking a shard up, tasting it, then proceeding to cut himself twice in his arm. After this he falls to the ground and starts his monologue. He gets random bursts of passion, twice seeming on the verge of tears, and eventually rises. This isn’t something of a sane person. Especially when he cut himself since this is rather a sign looked for to identify people who need mental help. Again, in both scenarios the actions produced by the actors we not dictated by Shakespeare, they were put in place by the actor and director to give a certain edge of sanity or insanity to Hamlet and make him a more dynamic

This is when Hamlet goes and talks to his mother in her bedroom. In Hamlet (1996) Hamlet enters the chambers and immediately an argument starts between him and his mother. During this he has no problems yelling at her and forcing her into a chair. As they talk he hears Polonius behind the curtains and stabs him without seeing him. He doesn’t know that it’s not the King till he falls dead and they see his face. Hamlet appears to have slight remorse, which only stays visible till he sees his mother is nervous. After this he throws her onto the bed and goes across the room, grabbing pictures of the current and old kind and coming up, throwing himself around her and forcing her to look at the pictures then throwing her back again. After this he yells at her until the ghost of his father shows up. When he does Hamlet stops, calming talking to the ghost and seeming slightly in awe. When the ghost leaves Hamlet finishes the conversation with his mother then leaves, taking Polonius’s body with him as he goes. Hamlet is clearly still sane in this scene. As in the scene with Ophelia, Hamlet makes it clear that he is in control. He throws her around and drags her as well, but never hurts her. Had he not been in control of himself he wouldn’t have had the ability to restrain enough to keep her safe. In this rendition we see the anger drawing a contrast from the lifeless words original written and from the idea of