hamlet as a madman
Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most analysed plays. The Danish prince is developed into a mysterious and fascinating man. A philosopher and a fencer, he is a man disgusted with the rottenness of life around him and is obligated to set things right. Under the guise of madness he attempts to achieve his ends; yet there is much to puzzle over. Was Hamlet really such a good actor that he could fool everyone into believing in his madness or was he truly mad? And, why did he wait so long to carry out his revenge? Hamlet thinks too much and this drove him to an insanity that was not feigned."... and the devil hath power/ To assume a pleasing shape..." The ghost provides Hamlet with a dilemma. Supernatural forces are not always to be trusted. Hamlet does not know whether the ghost is telling the truth or not, which is why he has 'The Mousetrap' performed by the visiting players. If Hamlet had killed Claudius solely on the ghost's advise, he would certainly have been put to death himself. There would probably have been a civil war to choose a new king. Being the humanitarian that he is, and taking account of his responsibilities as a prince and future king, Hamlet would most likely want to avoid a civil wa
Hamlet is self-conscious, while the majority of the characters that surround him are not. This explains why he feels inhibited to act. Hamlet resembles a real person more than any other character in the play, which might be another reason why he still remains a subject of discussion. What also sets him apart is his elusiveness. Many of the characters in the play can be categorized within minutes of their introduction. The pompous Polonius and the thick-skulled Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are perfect examples of this. This does not hold true for some characters such as Laertes and Ophelia. A psychotic has several symptoms the first of which is hallucinations. A hallucination is when you see or hear something that is not really there. The second symptom is paranoia, which is the constant feeling that someone is watching you or plotting against you. Third, psychotics tend to ramble on and on during which their emotions change rapidly and adversely. The final symptom exhibited by psychotics is illusions of grandeur. In conclusion, Hamlet's character is still a matter of debate, even centuries after his creation. Hamlet clearly shows all the signs of psychosis, something that is not easily fabricated, no matter what he may say. Most people simply assume that because he declares that he is merely feigning madness that this must be true. But, cannot a proven lunatic also claim the same? On top of this dilemma, Hamlet cannot share his feelings with his mother or his girlfriend. While the first is literally sleeping with the enemy, the latter has chosen the side of her father (and Claudius). Ophelia is in a difficult position, being torn between her father and her lover. Hamlet is anything but indecisive, he is just contemplative. He needs to think in order to justify his actions, and his intellectual capacity is the major difference between Claudius and himself. Hamlet is extremely aware of the relation between action and reaction and realizes that he has to proceed very carefully. In the play, Claudius is the parago
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Approximate Word count = 1387
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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