Madness In Hamlet

Crossing The Line: Method into Madness Insanity is a difficult diagnosis to make, as it covers such a broad spectrum of problems. Much debate still occurs over where to draw the line between sanity and madness. The occurrence of insanity in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most discussed cases of mental illness in English literature. Over the course of the play, Prince Hamlet’s feigned madness becomes reality as those around him grow continually less sympathetic with him and his own emotions overcome reason. Hamlet’s mental state and relationship with reality deteriorates throughout the play, beginning with a plot to catch the guilty king by faking madness.

In the beginning of the play, Hamlet displays signs of clear thought, logical
In one of his famous soliloquies, the young prince contemplates taking his own life yet he cannot commit to the act. His uncertainty about the afterlife leads to his indecision: “The plain issue was, Does God exist or not? [Hamlet] does not know and cannot find out,” (43 James). Hamlet realizes he lacks the knowledge or insight to make a confident decision, and therefore he cannot commit to one course of action. He also hesitates in his decision to murder his uncle, King Claudius. Hamlet’s inconsistency and hesitation in his plan to avenge his father’s death are not caused by a weak or crazed mind, but rather by moral conflict. The matter hopelessly confuses Hamlet because, “conscience requires that we do what is right; but then, what is right or wrong in these circumstances?” (44 James). He cared deeply for his father and, therefore, wants to bring justice to his murderer, but his conscience also tells him that killing Claudius is wrong. This internal conflict over killing Claudius shows that Hamlet still feels sympathetic with other humans and has not lost all sense of morality. Hamlet always very thoroughly contemplates his decision-making process and tries to consider all possibilities. When he sees the alleged ghost of his father, he ponders the possibility of the apparition being a demon or other evil presence sent
While there is evidence of clear thought in the beginning of the play, suppression of grief and his overwhelming emotions cause him to lose his morality and his hold on reality. Madness can have a wide variety of causes and effects, making it very difficult to diagnose and also easy to debate.

Word count (just body): 1,857

Works Cited
Bradley, A.C. “Shakespeare’s Tragic Period- Hamlet.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet. David Bevington. Engelwood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1968. 13-21. Print.

Eliot, T.S. “Hamlet and His Problems.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet. David Bevington. Engelwood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1968. 23. Print.

Gellert, Bridget. “The Iconography of Melancholy in the Graveyard Scene of ‘Hamlet’.” Studies in Philology Vol 67. No 1 (1970): 57-66. JSTOR. Web. 7 March 2014.

James, D.G. “The New Doubt.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet. David Bevington. Engelwood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1968. 43-46. Print

Kirsch, Arthur. “Hamlet’s Grief.” ELH Vol 48. No 1 (1981): 17-36. JSTOR. Web. 7 March 2014.

Knight, G. Wilson. “Hamlet is Corrupt, Not Claudius.” Corruption in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Vernon Elso Johnson. London: Greenhaven, 2010. 83-85. Print.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. New York: Dover Publications, 1992.