The Insanity of Suicide In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes his ability to use words to paint emotion, the story, and characters into the readers mind. Shakespeare creates the memorable character of Hamlet Junior in his poem, Hamlet, through the characteristics of insanity and madness and suicidal tendencies or thoughts of suicide. His capability of doing so enlarges the ability of the reader to understand the story, but also to construct the storyline. Suicidal tendencies play a huge role in Hamlet by forming character relationships, adding suspense to the plot and storyline. “Ah, I wish my dirty flesh could melt away into a vapor, or that God had not made a law against suicide. Oh God, God! How tired, stale, and pointless life is to me” (Hamlet 1.2.130-134). This quote by Hamlet Junior in act 1 really embodies the …show more content…
In act three, he even admits that his actions are insane, horrible and evil. He says, “I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft” (3.4.191). For Hamlet to admit that his actions are mad or insane, is the most insane trait of Hamlet. For him to openly admit that he is fully aware that his actions are mad, only ignites the flame of his insanity. This quote seals the deal for the reader that Hamlets mind is a wasteland of madness, but also of planned insanity and horrible actions. Hamlet. The son of a king. A man who could have had it all, but instead he chose the much more painful route of revenge and a life of bloodshed. The downfall of Hamlet is comparable to trying to hide a lie one has told. The deeper we try to cover the lie, the worse it gets and harder it becomes to do the right thing. The deeper the reader explores into Hamlets life, the messier and messier it becomes. With a mind full of suicidal thoughts and insanity with no effort to contain it can only lead one thing, and Hamlets downfall is the ultimate example. Pain, suffering, and extreme
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the world’s most revered literature. The main character, Hamlet, is arguably one of the most intriguing characters the playwright ever developed. Hamlet is daring, philosophical, mentally unstable at times, and clever. Throughout the play though, these characteristics change and/or diminish as Hamlet is put through a plethora of unfortunate events. His father is murdered by Claudius, his mother soon after marries Claudius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern betray him, and his girlfriend most likely commits suicide. While Hamlet is incredibly philosophical, indecisive, and full of resentment in the beginning of the play, he becomes violent, instinctive, caring and sympathetic towards the end of the play.
Hamlet shows many signs he has gone completely mad. Hamlets personality has changed many different times, from melancholy to playing in between the two roles of madness and sanity. His father’s sudden death and his mother’s rushed marriage to his uncle were major factors in Hamlet’s melancholy. His melancholy changed to madness when he first met with the ghost of his father. He transfers his personality between madness and sanity but madness took over. He lost his ability to be sane and created madness all around him as well. Hamlets pure madness is a pure act that turns into his identity.
Hamlet is thought to be insane by many of the characters throughout the play, as well as by several scholars who have analyzed the play. When Hamlet speaks, he often does so at such a high and complex level that many think that he is saying these things out of insanity, rather than out of true genius. When Hamlet said that:
Hamlet once said, “for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so”(2.2.253). The way a person thinks determines their being. Yes, once again just as many critics, I want to dissect the sanity of Hamlet. We will never know the truth behind his actions but along with the ideas of several other critics we can find answers to confirm his sanity. While exploring Davis’s thoughts on the sanity of Hamlet she quickly drew my attention with making the point, “His own testimony could not be regarded as conclusive-for, if he were truly mad, we could hardly accept his word for it; while if he seemed mad merely, we could hardly believe a present protestation that the appearance was all a sham”(Davis). Hamlet was not insane. He may have had conscious and unconscious emotional breaks throughout the play due to his tragic life events. On the contrary too call him mad or say that his actions stem from insanity seems like a scapegoat for not only his family but also the audience.
In Hamlet, the act of suicide is a motif, however it is also an act that Hamlet himself cannot commit in order for this story to fit the role of a revenge tragedy. If Hamlet were to commit suicide, the ghost of Hamlet’s father would not have his work fulfilled by Hamlet. The late Hamlet’s ghost comes back to tell Hamlet that his father was killed by Claudius. This bad news leads to Hamlet contemplating suicide, along with the pressure of the recent marriage of his mother and his uncle, Claudius. While we can see the side of Hamlet that is indecisive and cowardly, we can take into account that he thoroughly goes through the pros and cons of life vs. death.
Hamlet’s insanity is an extremely odd and clever tool that the prince uses to confuse those around him, so he may complete his plan of killing King Claudius. When madness is reasonable for Hamlet's goals, he puts on an "antic disposition" (I.v.173). On the other hand, when sanity is needed, Hamlet returns to being logical. Hamlet explained that he is "mad north-north-west" (II.ii.376), meaning he is insane at times and quite normal at others. Therefore, Hamlet uses this strategy to complete his scheme, but ironically, slows down the process. To begin, Hamlet shifts into the realm of insanity to achieve his short-term goals. Hamlet uses his craziness as a tool, changing insanity into the form of being witty, with clever word choice and actions. Furthermore, Hamlet only acts insane towards his enemies or their allies. One example, Hamlet attacks Ophelia, who is with Claudius, with words: "are you honest" (III.i.104), "are you fair" (III.i.106). Hamlet "speaks daggers" (III.ii.387) to Gertrude, because she is the only thing that sep...
William Shakespeare is a famous English playwright. His play Hamlet centers around Hamlet's decision on how to seek revenge for his father’s death. However, Hamlet is unsure of what course of action he wants to take to exact his revenge. He discusses the idea of suicide as a possible option in his “To be or not to be” soliloquy. In this soliloquy, Shakespeare uses metaphors, rhetorical questions, and repetition to express Hamlet’s indecision regarding what he should do.
Suicide is an important theme in Hamlet and is brought up in many situations where Hamlet is contemplating suicide , but he is having trouble deciding what is “To be, or not to be” In a moral perspective, Hamlet finds that suicide is morally wrong. He isn't sure if he would be able to actually end his life one day, but what he goes through seems like a good enough reason to end it.Hamlet is afraid to kill himself because he doesnt know what is to come after he is gone. He knows that suicide is the wrong thing to do, but he feels that he has a reason to kill himself. He questions in his mind why should a human end his troubles and hardships on earth to risk eternity of peace above afterlife? Hamlet decides not to “sleep because he fears that
Perhaps the most notable aspect of Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is its intense focus on its eponymous character.
In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, suicide is treated differently on the aspects of religion, morals, and philosophical views. Suicide is the act of deliberately killing yourself in contrary to your own best interests. In today’s society suicide is highly looked down upon. But Shakespeare used suicide and violence in almost all of his most popular plays. Many of his tragedies used the element of suicide, some accomplished, others merely contemplated.
Hamlet contemplates death and suicide - what Hamlet wants to do and the fear of the consequences of his actions, “O, that this too solid flesh would melt, / Thaw and resolve itself into a dew!/ Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd/ His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! (I. ii. 129 – 132).We receive the image of suicide as a juxtaposition between the desire for death in contrast with a desire to live, “To be or not to be – that is the question” (III.i.56). Almost from Hamlet’s first appearance, we reveal a major underlying concept in the tragedy, the contrast of death and morality made evident through the sonic opposition between in and out, order and disorder. Both soliloquies exemplify a man, bewildered and wracked by inconsolable grief - desiring revenge – however, unable to know how to go about responding to what has happened. Hamlet is not simply suicidal, nor is he simply melancholic to his father’s murder. Rather the language of the play alludes to a man but driven to desperation, philosophically posing the conundrum of wanting to leave his life behind while possessing the respon...
Hamlet is a tale of tragedy by Shakespeare which tells the story of the prince of Denmark who is on a quest to avenge the death of his father at the hands of his uncle whom subsequently becomes king of Denmark. This is what fuels the fire in the play as Hamlet feels the responsibility to avenge his father’s death by his uncle Claudius; however, Claudius assumed the throne following the death of hamlets father. It is in this context that we see the evolution of hamlets character from a student and young prince of Denmark to the protagonist and tragic hero in the play.
One of the most popular characters in Shakespearean literature, Hamlet endures difficult situations within the castle he lives in. The fatal death of his father, and urge for revenge leads Hamlet into making unreasonable decisions. In William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, Hamlet’s sanity diminishes as the story progresses, impacting the people around him as well as the timing and outcome of his revenge against Claudius.
Hamlet: one of the most analyzed tragic heroes in all of literature. Hamlet, the main character in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is conflicted throughout the whole play. He obsesses over avenging his father’s death, and this leads to rash, irresponsible actions that cause others to suffer, as well. He plans to kill Claudius, his uncle, for murdering his father and then marrying his mother. In an act of outrage, Hamlet unknowingly kills Polonius, the King’s assistant, instead. This creates even more problems because now someone else’s father is dead. Hamlet is somewhat of an inconsistent character; he’s different almost every time we see him. Hamlet displays characteristics of depression, irony, timidity, and being hurt.
Hamlet goes through numerous obstacles from the start of his fathers death until he contemplates life. He is never quite sure of his decisions and his thoughs, though his actions cause us to think more in depth about his intention. Hamlet gives us a sense of present insanity. He is unclear whether these actions and words are on purpose, but they cause us to create a way in which his mind thinks. Hamlet presents us his personality through his sarcasm, his sanity, his suicidal tendencies, and procrastination and indecision.