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On this question there are four different hypotheses: (1) That Hamlet was throughout perfectly sane, but feigned insanity; (2) that Hamlet was after his interview with the Ghost more or less insane; (3) that in Hamlet insanity was latent, but was only fully developed after the Court-play; (4) that Hamlet was neither insane, nor feigned to be so.…
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Hamlet appears to be insane, after Polonius's death, in act IV scene II. There are indications, though, that persuade me to think other wise. Certainly, Hamlet has plenty of reasons to be insane at this point. His day has been hectic-he finally determined Claudius had killed his father, the chance to kill Claudius confronted him, he comes very close to convincing Gertrude that Claudius killed his father, he accidentally kills Polonius, and finally the ghost of his father visits him. These situations are enough to bring Hamlet to insanity, but he remains sharp and credible.<br><br>Hamlet is able to make smart remarks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, comparing then to sponges, "When he (Claudius) needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing…
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In the play Hamlet is he really insane or is he faking? Hamlet has a plan from the beginning and that is to find out answers about his fathers death, and his suspicions lead him to his uncle. He decides to act like he was going insane to hopefully get answers revealed from his uncles. In the play he is so used to acting like he is insane he eventually becomes insane.…
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He obviously shows his depression, expressing his contempt for his father 's successor Claudius, as well as his mother for marrying Claudius shortly after the late King Hamlet 's death. Depression also links to suicidal thoughts, of which Hamlet also suffers, as seen from his first soliloquy- "To be or not to be: that is the question" (III:i:131)₂. Despite suffering from depression, Hamlet clearly proves he has full sanity. For example, he talks to Horatio in a sane manner when he discusses his plans for revenge with him. His only acts of "insanity" occur when around nobles or figures of high authority, such as Claudius or Polonius. The acts of insanity have a deep underlying motive- to fool the entire court of Denmark into thinking he has gone mad. He does so in order to convince Claudius that he serves no threat to the king 's throne. The seemingly insane behavior also cloaks his plans for revenge and prevent him from looking suspicious to Claudius. These sources prove that Hamlet has indeed not gone insane. Therefore, his eccentricity serves as a part of his plan for…
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The ghost in Hamlet is a manipulative figure who serves as a reflection of Hamlet’s perspective of his uncle. Hamlet is too distressed about his mother marrying his uncle and the death of his father for he himself to be considered reliable. As Horatio comments, “He waxes desperate with imagination,” portraying Hamlet’s desire to find something that may not even exist. Hamlet does speak to this “ghost” and confirms his own suspicions, as if this ghost simply existed to give Hamlet confirmation of what he already believed. This ghost also refuses to speak or be heard by anyone except Hamlet, putting into question its own existence. The ghost being part of Hamlet’s imagination is supported by Hamlet stating to Horatio, “My Father – methinks I…
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In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet’s father reveals to him that he has been murdered by his brother Claudius, the man who also married Hamlet’s mother after he died. After finding out that Claudius killed his father, Hamlet makes it his mission to avenge his father by killing Claudius. Many believe that Hamlet went mad after seeing the ghost and planning his revenge, but really it was just part of the process that came with his revenge on Claudius.…
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Early on in the play the reader is shown that Hamlet is going to act insane in order to figure out the murder of his father. Therefore, at random moments throughout the play, Hamlet will act insane in so that he can in turn retrieve more information about the death of his father. Although young and handsome Hamlet says he is feigning his madness many readers have called into question whether or not he is genuinely mad. The fact that he is indeed going mad at times is true. It is true for many reasons. Reasons such as questioning his existence, showing true evidence of insanity not achievable by a sane person and at times using consequentialism in his train of thought. There are many factors that play into…
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The dead king has told Hamlet that Claudius killed him while he was asleep in the garden. Hamlet’s confusion and feeling of honor leads him to swear in behalf of his dead father to revenge on the present king. Shakespeare starts the play by bombarding Hamlet’s thinking process and leaving him with tons of weights on his shoulders. The whole aspect of the play revolves around character’s vows to fulfill their honor. The idea of honor in this play is portrayed far more advanced than any other Shakespearean play. Reta. A Terry is an author of “Vows to the Blackest Devil”: Hamlet and the Evolving code of honor in early modern England. She agrees that honor is substantial and goes another level with this idea. She diagrams in which Shakespeare used characters of Hamlet, Laertes, and Horatio to demonstrate the England’s notion of honor switching to the chivalric code of the medieval period’s idea of honor. She concludes that the shift of honor or the evolution of honor was visible in Hamlet.…
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Madness played a major role in the book Hamlet. Madness didn’t just take place with one character ,but two. Ophelia and Hamlet were both of the characters that seem to have let anger and depression get the best of them. In these scenes we get to know both of the characters very well, and exactly what caused them to flip their script.…
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Hamlet could be considered a brilliant actor, only if you believe that he is not insane, he was not! Hamlet was always the smartest person in the room, whether he was two steps ahead of someone of one step behind, he always knew what to do. It can easily be interpreted that Hamlet is acting insane just to not leave a trail for anyone to follow. Hamlet opens up to the Horatio and Marcellus and tells them that he will act mad: “How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself—As I, perchance, hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on” (1.5.177). Hamlet is clearly doing this so Claudius will not see him as a threat and will think of him as harmless. Hamlet is insane while actually sane. This is a perfect example of Hamlet being the smartest person in the room, as well as a perfect example of how madness shaped the play. If Hamlet did not act mad Claudius could have seen him as a threat much earlier and attempted to kill him much earlier. Even to the reader Hamlet seems insane, remember the reader knows what Hamlet is thinking. What Hamlet decides to do is “pronounced to be so atrocious and horrible, as to be unfit to be put into the mouth of a human being.” (Coleridge 4). Hamlet here has the reader believing that he is insane, however he could just be blinded by rage…
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In Shakespeare's "Hamlet", Hamlet, the main character, displays a very indecisive and uncertain demeanor throughout Hamlet. This recurrent behavior is displayed when: Hamlet first encounters the Ghost of his father, to learn that Hamlet's Uncle, the King, killed Hamlet's Father, also in Shakespeare's most prolific monologue of Hamlet and lastly when Hamlet stabs one of the King's confidants, Polonius. Hamlet's wavering decision making as well as his uncertainty in everything leads to Hamlet's apparent insanity; although he is not completely insane, just to a certain degree that allows him to be somewhat sane.…
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In the story Hamlet, Hamlet is faking being insane because everyone around him is trying to trick him, which makes Hamlet thinks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were friends, but they weren’t because they came to spy on him. Hamlet intends to act odd to make people think he is insane or as a distraction to keep everyone out of the way. Hamlet does not take jokes or put up with anyone while solving a problem of his own. Hamlet focuses on his plot of revenge while getting accused of being insane. The saddest thing is when people around you that once were friends or have loved you so much you never thought they would all disappear, and become strangers. Life changes when something happens and without a doubt you may do something…
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Shakespeare’s hero, Hamlet, and his insanity is shown and is demonstrated in the different parts of the play. Many parts in the play points out his madness and his loss of control. Hamlet shows many mood swings throughout the play that makes him act mad and speaks like an insane. Hamlet illustrates many unclear emotions to show his insanity. We can see that there are two versions of Hamlet in the play because of the different actions. Sometimes he acts as a perfect prince and sometimes he acts as he is mad. There is a shift in the different personality Hamlet image, he therefore shows us that he in fact insane, with many example shown throughout the play.…
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Throughout this play, Hamlet has been under an enormous amount of pressure. His father has been killed, he became depressed, and wanted to commit suicide. These things that have happened to him, or people around him, have created a mental freak out of Hamlet. Infact, since the very beginning, Hamlet has acted like a mad person. No point during this play has he not been insane.…
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Hamlet was too “assiduous” and “methodical,” (Firkins 631)to be psychotic. His mind was not affected by all of the affairs that took place, it was his character that was affected. Hamlet saw much to be gained by feigning his madness, and because of this he did many things that the persons of the play construed to be insanity. Another key factor that favors his sanity, is his madness around certain characters. Around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern he behaves completely irrational, but around Horatio he is completely civil. He only lapses into prose when he is fabricating insanity. Hamlet is simply a man dealing with a futile plight. His diction was so cleverly composed…
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