In both Hamlet and King Lear, Shakespeare incorporates a theme of madness with two characters: one truly mad, and one only acting mad to serve a motive. The madness of Hamlet is frequently disputed. This paper argues that the contrapuntal character in each play, namely Ophelia in Hamlet and Edgar in King Lear, acts as a balancing argument to the other character's madness or sanity. King Lear's more decisive distinction between Lear's frailty of mind and Edgar's contrived madness works to better define the relationship between Ophelia's breakdown and Hamlet's "north-north-west" brand of insanity. Both plays offer a character on each side of sanity, but in Hamlet the distinction is not as clear as it is in King Lear. Using the more explicit relationship in King Lear, one finds a better understanding of the relationship in Hamlet.

While Shakespeare does not directly pit Ophelia's insanity (or breakdown) against Hamlet's madness, there is instead a clear definitiveness in Ophelia's condition and a clear uncertainty in Hamlet's madness. Obviously, Hamlet's character offers more evidence, w

Ophelia's breakdown into madness and inability to deal with her father's death and Hamlet's rejection is dealt with neatly and punctually. There is little evidence against her madness, compared to Hamlet's intelligent plotting and use of witnesses to his actions. Thus, by defining true madness in Ophelia, Shakespeare subtracts from the plausibility of Hamlet's supposed insanity.

There's rosemary, that's for remembrance; pray you, love, remember. And there is pansies, that's for thoughts.

While the Queen tells Leartes that an "envious sliver" broke and flung Ophelia into the river wearing a headdress of wild-flowers (compare the mad Lear's crown of weeds), the clowns in V.i. confirm the reader's suspicion that she did not die so accidentally:

Is she to be buried in Christian burial when she willfully seeks her own salvation? (V.i.1-2)

Horatio offers an insightful warning:

Leartes: A document in madness, thoughts and remembrance fitted.

Some common words found in the essay are:
King Lear, IVv179-89 Queen, Iv84-5 Hamlet, IIii Hamlet's, Guildenstern IIii, Ii56-8 Horatio, Hamlet Lear's, Iiv69-74 Horatio's, Hamlet Edgar, Obviously Hamlet's, king lear, hamlet edgar, ophelia's breakdown, father's death, true madness, method madness, hamlet's madness, hamlet method madness, king's guilt, sanity king, offers evidence, play meeting ghost, ophelia hamlet edgar,
Approximate Word count = 1720
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)