Insanity in Hamlet - 1565 Words

Hamlet: A look Inside the Insanity Many people have seen Hamlet as a play about uncertainty and about Hamlets failure to act appropriately. It is very interesting to consider that the play shows many uncertainties that lives are built upon, or how many unknown quantities are taken for granted when people act or when they evaluate one anothers actions. Hamlet is an especially intriguing production, both on the set and on the screen because of its uniqueness to be different from what most people expect to be in a revenge themed play. Hamlets cynicism and insane like behavior cause him to seem indecisive, but in reality he is always judging and contemplating his actions in the back of his mind in order to seek revenge for the murder of†¦show more content†¦the movie portrayed it in a video camera that was seen by Ofelia and it kept repeating the words ?to be or not to be? seemingly showing that the tape was actually stuck and that Hamlet?s decision whether to act or not act was also ?stuck? and therefore he coul d not decide whether to kill or not to kill Claudio. There is a distinct division of opinion among the other characters of the play about Hamlets sanity and the split is along gender lines. Ophelia and Gertrude both state that Hamlet has gone mad, but the major male characters, on the other hand, like Polonius think that there is method in Hamlets madness, that his insanity is a surface mask to shield him as he plans the darker purpose of revenge. Since Hamlet is disturbed by the sudden death of his father and his mothers marriage to his uncle, King Claudius, the abnormality of his behavior to some extent is also understandable. Hamlet is naturally withdrawn, dark, and passive in the wake of those traumatic events. He also shows this when he constantly releases his anger with lines like How (weary), stale, flat, and unprofitable seems to me all the uses of this world! His self-exile and his self-reproach are essentially normal reactions to a series of events that he must avenge at his dead fathers command but without further direction against a powerful chain of power within the guilty King.Show MoreRelatedHamlets Insanity1513 Words   |  7 PagesIs Hamlet Insane or Sane? Throughout the play of Hamlet, one of Shakespeares most famous tragedys the main character, Hamlet is faced with the responsibility of getting vengeance for his fathers murder. He decides to pretend madness as part of his plan to get the opportunity to kill Claudius who was the suspected murderer. As the play goes on, his portrayal of a madman becomes believable, and the characters around him respond quite vividly. Through his inner thoughts and the obvious reasonsRead More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - Hamlet and Insanity1908 Words   |  8 PagesHamlet and Insanity  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s supreme tragic drama Hamlet does not answer fully for many in the audience the pivotal question concerning the sanity of Hamlet – whether it is totally feigned or not. Let us treat this topic in detail, along with critical comment.    George Lyman Kittredge in the Introduction to The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, explains the prince’s rationale behind the entirely pretended insanity:    In Shakespeare’s drama, howeverRead MoreHamlet Insanity Essay1199 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet’s Insanity Hamlets actions display something of a madman. Hamlet’s madness contributes to the many examples that his insanity in fact seemed real. Few people believe his insanity seemed faked or feigned. Nevertheless Hamlets actions can get confusing, since he could be deeply in love one minute, then talking and screaming to himself the next. These events that have occurred may have altered Hamlets life, by leaving him horribly troubled, and in a state of madness. 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To make matter’s worse, Claudius then continues on to get married in an inscetuous relationship with Hamlet’s mother, the queen. Emotions are heightened when Hamlet then see’s a ghost thatRead MoreInsanity In Hamlet Essay972 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet’s insanity has always been a controversial topic within literary analysis. Many individuals believe Hamlet has always been insane, while others believe that his insanity was an act he played the whole time. Ultimately however, throughout the play, Hamlet becomes legitimately insane due to the events that occur, the primary factor being the death of King Hamlet, his father. Seeing the ghost o f King Hamlet is the beginning of his descent into insanity. Soon afterwards his mother marries ClaudiusRead MoreInsanity In Hamlet Essay1038 Words   |  5 PagesShakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, the protagonist, Prince Hamlet, is an inconsolable young man who struggles with the death of his father, King Hamlet. Hamlet is confronted by the ghost of his father in the first act and discovers the truth of his father’s death. The Prince is horrified at the disclosure that his Uncle, King Claudius has murdered his father. He also finds himself outraged by his mother’s hasty remarriage; however, the Ghost forbids him to cause her any harm. Hamlet promises to avenge hisRead MoreInsanity In Hamlet Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesIn the play Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, the protagonist, Hamlet shows a state of instability which eventually leads to his irreversible actions. Many events have led to Hamlets insanity including his father’s death and his own mother marrying his uncle, the new king. This sets his enmity towards his uncle and results in his desire of killing him. On top of this, Hamlet has suicidal thoughts. The big question here, is whether or not Hamlet should be charged with homicide, manslaughter or neitherRead MoreThe Effects Of Insanity In The Story Of Hamlet1435 Words   |  6 PagesInsanity is the state of being mentally ill and not in the common state of mind. During the story of Hamlet insanity is a major factor to many situations. Hamlet showed many of signs of being insane, which also led to the death of others. Many ask, was â€Å"Hamlets insanity real or fake† and if so how did it affect the story in the ways it did. Many also wonder the signs that he shows to be insane and did his sickness cause others to lose the mental state of mind. In the story of Hamlet the actions ofRead MoreHamlet s Madness And Insanity1481 Words   |  6 Pagesbeen discussed of Hamlet’s madness and insanity. There have been endless arguments of whether his madness is feigned or unfeigned. Although, minimal arguments have been made about Hamlet’s pessimism. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare s most pessimistic plays, and as such it delivers the message that in a fallen world, reality often fails to match the ideal. The human experiences held up for pessimistic contemplation in Hamlet includes death, grief, loneliness, insanity, loss of meaning in life, breakdown