Theme Of Mental Illness In Hamlet

Everybody is Different-RD It seems as though in every novel we read, play we watch, or movie we see, the main character always seems to have an internal struggle that they are tied down to. It could just be a small little thought that they cannot figure out the answer to, or it could be as severe as a mental illness. Whatever that one aspect is, it can end up having a huge impact on the characters life, or minor, insignificant effects. In one of the most well-known Shakespearian plays, “Hamlet”, the main character’s struggle stems from the mental illness of bipolar disorder. In a much more modern novel, Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Charlie the main character suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Both characters

It is not easy to pinpoint one thing wrong with him because unfortunately, there is a lot. After his father’s death there is a whole lot of emotions stuck inside of him, fighting to come out. Everybody wants to know “why Hamlet’s gone crazy” (Shakespeare 91). Hamlet is suffering from bipolar disorder. Some symptoms of this mental illness consist of “racing thoughts and talking very fast” and “increased sexual drive” (Bipolar Disorder 3). These are all symptoms that Hamlet exemplifies. Often he “walks in the lobby for four hours at a time” (Shakespeare 99) talking about the most random of circumstances and babbling on about the oddest of topics. He most definitely has an increased sexual drive towards Ophelia however, he presents himself in such a disrespectful way that he does not deserve anything from her. Another symptom of Bipolar Disorder consists of “feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness” (Bipolar Disorder 6). These symptoms show through Hamlets lack of trust. He is constantly saying “tell me the truth” (Shakespeare 109) to people that have always been honest with him. Because of everything going on in his life and in his mind, he feels as though anyone will betray him at any time and the only thing he can do to stop them is continue questioning them. All these symptoms and Hamlets frequent thoughts of suicide lead to the conclusion that he lived his life with bipolar

It is easier for the reader to figure out what is wrong with him however, it is very hard for his friends and family to watch him struggle and not know exactly why. After learning about Charlie’s early life experiences, it is obvious to see that Charlie has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD stems from “the experience of an overwhelming or traumatic event”( Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 3). In Charlie’s case he was sexually abused by his Aunt Helen: “ [his] favorite person in the whole world”(Chbosky ). Hold on. This does not seem to line up. As Charlie grew up he would constantly have flashbacks of her and he was severely depressed by her death. The flashbacks were all good and happy and he sincerely considered her as his favorite person in the whole world. It is not until there is a “reminder of the trauma” (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder 7), that Charlie realizes what she had really done to him. When Charlie begins to get intimate with Sam he notices that “she was doing what Sam was doing” (Chbosky 204). However, the only difference was Charlie was a child and it was against his own will. For all of these years he had suppressed those memories but suffered from the overwhelming internal fight against trying to believe nothing happened. PTSD can also intervene with one’s social interactions. People “begin to feel distant, cold,