For centuries, people have been debating the issue on whether Hamlet - the prince of William Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet - was mad. This question is not as easy as it sounds to answer; this is due to the fact that there are numerous arguments to support both sides of the issue.; there are indications within the play that there was actually a method in his madness, suggesting that he was not mad at all.

There are many occasions in which Hamlet's behavior was completely sane, and infact show there was a method to his madness. Near the beginning of the play, after Hamlet sees the ghost of his father, he even tells his only friend and confident, Horatio, that he is going to put an act of madness on. Hamlet: "Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, / How strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, / As I perchance hereafter shall think meet / To put antic disposition on,"(1076). Polonius recognizes that his madness seems to be some sort of act after sp

Each of the incidents mentioned before are good evidence of Hamlet's sanity. On several occasions, he himself admitted that his madness was only a mask. Polonius and Claudius even recognized that there seemed to be method in his actions. Notice, when you read this play, that Hamlet's behavior changes abruptly when he is around different characters as well. He appears only to act insane around characters like Claudius, Polonius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Laertes. When by himself, Hamlet appeared very depressed and angry, but in no sense mad. His behavior was also quite normal when he was around characters such as Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, the actors, and the grave-diggers. All of this evidence suggests that Hamlet was not mad.

Another instance where Hamlet admits his sanity is when he is speaking with his mother in Act 3 Scene 4. After Hamlet sees the ghost, the queen proclaims that he must be mad, because she could not see the ghost. But after the ghost leaves, Hamlet confesses to his mother that he is indeed sane, but he convinces her to tell Claudius otherwise. Hamlet: "My pulse, a

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 756
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)