Hamlet’s Emotional Downfall During one’s life, a person may encounter situations that emotionally impact and change their mind - for better or worse. Depending on the situation’s effects, there are a number of ways it can be dealt with. In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet faces circumstances that influence his mind to have suicidal thoughts, especially when he begins his famous soliloquy with the prompt, “To be, or not to be? That is the question” (Shakespeare 3.1.57). Ultimately, the ghost of Hamlet’s father leads Hamlet to his emotional downfall, and eventually to his death by creating a sense of repression, a feeling of isolation and trauma. Old Hamlet’s ghost causes Hamlet to repress his hatred for his mother, leading him to his emotional
During the beginning of the play, Hamlet is in deep agony over the death of his father, shown by wearing all black attire. Even his peers began noticing his depressed state. After Laertes’ proposal on going back to France, Claudius notices Hamlet’s melancholy and asks “How is it that the clouds still hang on [him]” (1.2.66)? In this mental state of Hamlet, the ghost comes and gives him the harsh truth about the real reason his father has passed away. Just encountering a ghost is traumatic enough, but learning that his father was murdered by his uncle overwhelms him to the point of trauma. Indications are made that Hamlet is indeed traumatized. A big theme of the play being action and inaction from Hamlet, he seems to be having “Difficulty making decisions [being] symptoms of emotional trauma” (Jaffe, Segal and Dumke 2005), the main decision being the homicide of Claudius. According to psychologists Jaffe, Segal and Dumke, trauma can also manifest itself by impulsive behaviours, feeling out of control and emotional numbness. All three are portrayed during Hamlet’s accidental murder of Polonius. Without hesitation, Hamlet impulsively stabs Polonius behind the curtains thinking it was Claudius. After finding out that it was not Claudius, he says, “You low-life, nosy, busybody fool, goodbye. I thought you were somebody more important” (3.4.32-33). This gives the impression that Hamlet is emotionally numb. If it were an emotionally stable person, the stabber would be in complete shock and agony, but Hamlet seems to be completely fine. Overall, by Hamlet’s clear manifestations of trauma caused by encountering the ghost and not being ready to know the harsh truth of his father’s death, the ghost leads Hamlet to his emotional
In Hamlet, William Shakespeare presents the main character Hamlet as a man who is fixated on death. Shakespeare uses this obsession to explore both Hamlet's desire for revenge and his need for assurance. In the process, Shakespeare directs Hamlet to reflect on basic principles such as justice and truth by offering many examples of Hamlet's compulsive behavior; as thoughts of death are never far from his mind. It is apparent that Hamlet is haunted by his father's death. When Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, their conversation raises all kinds of unthinkable questions, for example murder by a brother, unfaithful mother, that triggers Hamlet's obsession. He feels compelled to determine the reliability of the ghost's statements so that he can determine how he must act. Ultimately, it is his obsession with death that leads to Hamlet avenging the death of his father by killing Claudius.
During the first act, Prince Hamlet meets the ghost of his father, King Hamlet. His father's ghost tells Hamlet that Claudius poured poison in his ear while he slept. The spirit also explains that he wishes for Hamlet to avenge his death, but not to punish Queen Gertrude for marrying Claudius. He tells Hamlet that she will have to answer to her conscience, and eventually God for her incestuous actions (absoluteshakespeare.com 1 of 4). It was believed during these times that when a person died, especially in such a tragic fashion, that their spirit lingered about while suffering in Purgatory. This could cause a normally virtuous person's spirit to become filled with malevolence and begin to meddle in living men's affairs (en.wikipedia.org 4 of 9). This belief caused Prince Hamlet to want to investigate his father's spirit's claims to ensure that they were indeed true. In order to do this, Prince Hamlet feigns madness in order to remain hidden from members of the court's suspicions while he plots his revenge on King Claudius (www.sparknotes.com 1 of 3). He also takes advantage of a group of actors who come to Elsinore Castle to perform by rewriting a play to recreate the scene of his father's murder. He does this with the hope of flushing a confession out of Claudius' guilty conscience. When Claudius sees the play, he stands up and leaves the room (en.wikipedia.org 5 of 9). After many more events, Claudius' guilt becomes more obvious. Claudius then begins to change his focus towards killing Hamlet, as he is beginning to become aware of the Prince's plans to kill him. Claudius then arranges a fencing match between Hamlet and Polonius' son Laertes and has Laertes poison the blade of one of his swords to be used in the match (Hamlet).
In William Shakespeare’s play “Hamlet” there are many different events throughout the play that affect and shape the main character Hamlet. The biggest event being when Hamlet meets the ghost of his father, the king, who then proceeds to tell him that his uncle murdered him. This event will lead Hamlet to madness with sanity while plotting his revenge on his uncle which will ultimately end in his, his uncle and several other’s deaths at the end of the play.
Death is an eternal mystery and the most controversial subject stemming from human inexperience. Its inescapability and uncertainty can give insights on the core principles and vulnerability of human nature. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet he skilfully makes use of death as a lashing force to explore the depths of his characters along the way illustrating man’s continual dilemma “To be or not to be”?
Kallie Wagner Professor Arevalo World Literature 1 28 April 2014 Hamlet’s Gone Mad Hamlet is without a doubt one of the most complex pieces to interpret for many different scholars and people. The question of the truth behind his madness has become a debate among anyone who lays eyes on the play. In fact, madness plays a large role within the play that will cause many situations as well as effect them. I believe Hamlet unintentionally went mad attempting to act like a mad man.
The Tragedy of Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare about a young prince trying to avenge his father’s death. In the beginning of the play, young Hamlet is visited by the ghost of his father, who tells Hamlet that his uncle, Claudius, killed him. Meanwhile Hamlets mother, Gertrude, has gotten married to said uncle. Now it is Hamlet’s job to kill his Uncle-father to avenge his dead father, a task that may prove to daunting for Hamlet. In Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Hamlet, the author uses diction and syntax to make Hamlet portray himself as mentally insane when in reality, he is sane thorough the duration of the play, tricking the other characters into giving up their darkest secrets.
At the start of the play, Hamlet is depressed and feels lost over the death of his father. He no longer has trust or respect for his mother and contemplates suicide. Through Claudius killing Hamlet’s father, Hamlet is already affected negatively. It is arguable that Hamlet already began to go crazy as soon as the death of his father occurred. When Hamlet finally meets his father’s ghost he discovers the truth and immediately decides to seek vengeance on his uncle. While the ghost tells Hamlet “Taint not thy mind” (Hamlet: I.v.92). It is arguable that Hamlet’s antic disposition is actually a reflection on is lunacy. While Hamlet pretends to be mentally unstable he harrasses Ophelia in her private closet with “...his knees knocking each other;/ And with a look so piteous in purport/ As if he had been loosèd out of hell/ To speak of horrors” (Hamlet: II.i.81). Hamlet’s father’s murder has sent him into shock, and he is realizing that he must take action and seek revenge on his poisonous and evil uncle. The poison of revenge starts to plague its royalty, and Hamlet’s attitude is changed from being depressed and suicidal, to angry and insane “Oh, from this/ time forth,/ My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!” (Hamlet: IV.iv.65). Hamlet decides to only
When Hamlet murders Polonius, it is evident that Hamlet has gone thoroughly insane and he cannot return from the point he is at. No one is safe from Hamlet and the way he is deporting now. Hamlet has upset his mother by incriminating Claudius and insisting that her marriage is incest. Gertrude even says, Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue (Act 3 Scene 4. 10). This is in replication to Hamlet telling his mother that she is disrespecting King Hamlet (Act 3 Scene 3.9). All this that has occurred verbalizes volumes to Hamlet losing his sanity due to his recollection of the loss of his
Hamlet, a Shakespearean character, constantly struggles in a battle with his mind. He leads a very trying life that becomes too much for him to handle. Hamlet experiences hardships so horrible and they affect him so greatly that he is unable escape his dispirited mood. In speaking what he feels, Hamlet reveals his many symptoms of depression, a psychological disorder. While others can move on with life, Hamlet remains in the past. People do not understand his behavior and some just assume he is insane. However, Hamlet is not insane. He only pretends to be mad. Because Hamlet never receives treatment for his disorder, it only gets worse and eventually contributes to his death.
The psychology behind inner conflict and an individual’s decisions has been well explored, but it can be truly demonstrated through the use of William Shakespeare’s dramatic play, Hamlet. An inner conflict evolves as he learns of his father’s death and that it was due to the ambitions of his uncle Claudius. Depression is the first conflict that is shown by Hamlet in which he is mourning, but shortly after we see a contemplation between action and inaction in regards to avenging his father’s death. He eventually reaches an epiphany which allows him to truly understand that absolute control can not be achieved. Until one’s life is hurt by another’s evil ambitions, a true understanding of self is not yet fully developed. It is when they are influenced
In act 3 scene 4 Hamlet sees his father’s ghost in his mother 's bedroom after just having murdered Polonius. Gertrude however cannot see the ghost when Hamlet tries to point it out, and she takes this as proof of Hamlet’s madness “This is the very coinage of your brain…” (3.4.135-139). However this is debatable proof, as some of the soldiers, and Horatio had seen the ghost before that point. He then drags out Polonius’s body to hide it, and the castle guards are sent to look for him. He continues to act mad during this time, furthering the belief that he really was mad (4.3.18-25). In response to this event Claudius sends Hamlet to England to be killed. Hamlet however escapes this fate, and heads back to his homeland. During the time he was away Ophelia had gone mad and had committed suicide, and Laertes had come back and swore revenge on Hamlet for what he had done to his family. This is when Hamlet’s madness appears to fade a little bit. Hamlet is shown talking normally to Horatio throughout the last section of the play, and once he finds out about Ophelia’s death he seemingly snaps back to reality, revealing he did care about her. This act of sadness was one of the few times Hamlet broke his madness facade. He gets into a fight with Laertes, and they eventually decide to settle the feud properly with a
Shakespeare subtly hints to some instability in Hamlet’s mind even before he becomes aware of his father’s murder. Before Hamlet sees his father’s ghost, his father’s spirit begins to haunt his mind. Hamlet admits to Horatio, “My father-methinks I see my father” (1.2.184). This quote alone is evidence supporting the fact that Hamlet sometimes imagines the presence of his father, suggesting that his mind is becoming unstable. Events such as the remarriage of his mother to his father’s murderer along with Hamlet pretending to be crazy initially drives
Major life changes bring about the rise of Hamlet's insanity. The play begins with Hamlet returning home to Denmark to discover that his father had died. Aside from his father's death, Hamlet also had to accept that his mother was now married to his father's brother, Claudius. In Hamlet's first soliloquy preceding his father's death, he tells the audience “O that this too, too solid flesh would melt. Or that the Everlasting had not fixed, His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!”(Act 1. Scene 2. lines 130-133) This gives us a brief preview of Hamlet's mental state in the beginning of the play. Hamlet is extremely depressed and admits that but says it would be a sin to kill himself. Hamlet goes on to describe the world as "weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable" and compares it to an "unweeded garden” (Act 1. Scene 2. lines 133-135). Hamlet shows red flags for depression; however, he seems to be reacting as a normal person would to the death of a loved one, losing a sense of understanding and love fo...
There are many reasons why Hamlet had his downfall. One being his decision to keeping the murder of his father a secret. Another one being the betrayals of his closest friends. Perhaps if Guildenstern or Rosencrantz had been there for Hamlet, to rely and place trust upon, he might not had to fell so alone. A little sympathy from his girlfriend Ophelia, and even his mother Gertrude would have been nice as well. Unfortunately Ophelia is held back from Hamlet, due to her father. Gertrude marries his uncle Claudius, who is responsible for his fathers death, and is looking to kill him next. And Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are ordered by Claudius to spy on Hamlet, and betray him as a friend.
Hamlet is a paradox; he is a perplexing character that throughout the play has more to show. Hamlet is a person of contradictions he is inquisitive and profound yet indecisive. The experiences Hamlet goes through led to dramatic changes in his character. In the beginning we are introduced to a young man who is mourning for the death of his father and struggling with the sudden marriage of his mother to his uncle. Hamlet faces the dilemma of wanting to avenge his father’s death and suppressing his intense emotions in order to calculate a plan.