Insanity in Hamlet Essay

HAMLET

How does one define insanity? Everyone has their own idea of what an insane person is like. Personally, I believe that insanity is a condition where someone talks or acts in an abnormal way that makes him or her sound or look inhuman. However, someone is insane only when that person does not have a bearing or knowledge of their insane ways.

Before the play has even begun, King Hamlet has died. It is uncertain how King Hamlet died, but his son Hamlet is determined to find out. Hamlet is totally focused on avenging his fathers death, but since he is a deep and thoughtful thinker, he put it off. This drives Hamlet to act in a peculiar manner. He becomes even more obsessed with his fathers death when he obtains evidence that his uncle, King Claudius, killed his father. The question remains, is Hamlet indeed insane?

It goes without question that Hamlet acts like a madman throughout the play. However, this is just an act. Hamlet acts mad to allow him to do such things that he wouldnt normally be able to. This is first evident when he asks Horatio and Marcellus not to make any remarks about his antic disposition. Here as before, never, so help you mercy, How strange or odd someer I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on), That you, at such times seeing me, never shall with arms encumbred thus, or this headshake, or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase (Shakespeare, pg. 34 M). Antic disposition means fantastic behavior. Hamlets insanity allows him to talk to people unlike a prince should. Many times his remarks are insulting and irreverent. Being insulting and irreverent was of course an act. This act made him sound insane and so he was able to vent out his frustrations and criticize people. Even though his plan with his speech to Gertrude does not work, she is massively criticized for her actions by Hamlet because of her idea that he is crazy. Hamlet wanted to criticize Gertrude for her actions. The only way to do this was to make her think that he was insane so he could say whatever he wanted. Another example would be his rude sexual remarks toward Ophelia. For example, Thats a fair thought to lie between maids legs (Shakespeare, pg. 72 M). His apparent madness allows him to show his anger towards Ophelia because of her desertion. His attitude toward Ophelia is justified because he was able to tell her what he thought she did wrong. Acting insane causes people not to take him seriously or reprimand him. When Polonius decides to take leave of Hamlet, Hamlet tells him, You cannot take from me anything that I will more willingly part withalexcept my life, except my life, except my life (Shakespeare, pg. 47 M). In this passage Hamlet is able to tell Polonius his true feelings. I also believe that Hamlet is acting insane to make people question why is he acting insane and not to question what he is really thinking. It would be much harder for Hamlet to put his plan in motion if everyone was trying to figure out what he is doing or thinking. People questioning his sanity and not his true feelings allows Hamlet to plan his avenge towards Claudius.

On the contrary, Hamlet at times does not act insane. Hamlet tells Horatio to look for any signs of guilt on Claudiuss face during the play in Act three. Give him heedful note, for I mine eyes will rivet to his face, and after we will both our judgments join in censure of his seeming (Shakespeare, pg. 70 B, pg. 71 T). This ingenious plan is from a sane man. He does not act insane around Horatio because Horatio is one person he does not have to put on an act for. Horatio is one person that Hamlet can trust and confide in. Hamlet asks the players, You could for a need study a speech of some dozen or sixteen lines which I would set down and insert int, could you not? (Shakespeare, pg. 58 M). Hamlet is organized and the players seem to know what he is talking about.

When Hamlet gives his apology to Laertes, he uses his insanity as an excuse for murdering Polonius. Now would a madman be able to realize he was mad and call his actions uncontrollable?

Many would point to the murder of Polonius and say that Hamlets action, at least in this case, was caused by insanity. According to this belief, unlike all his other actions he was impulsive and almost thoughtless, but this is not true. Almost directly before his arrival in the chambers of his mother, Hamlet had been thwarted in his attempt to kill Claudius because he was praying. However, at the time he felt ready to exact his revenge. When he goes to his mothers room not only did he most likely still have this fervor within him, but also her reaction towards his attempt at an explanation probably further impassioned him with anger for Claudius. When she calls for help and Polonius, his voice muffled from behind the curtains, calls back, Hamlet may have thought he was Claudius and therefore killed with no need for additional thought. Even assuming he knew it was Polonius, it made sense for Hamlet to kill him. The rat as Hamlet calls him, could have been anyone, but they had heard his conversation with Gertrude and his fathers ghost. Such knowledge, as Hamlet would have quickly realized, could have jeopardized the secrecy of his feigned madness and his plans. Killing Polonius, or any rat for that matter, was therefore a rational action.

All in all, Hamlet acts to be insane to complete his plan. The word insanity means a derangement of the mind, extreme folly, senselessness, and foolhardiness. Hamlet does not act without rational thought, and he is too organized and perceptive to be considered extreme folly, senselessness, or foolhardiness. It is easier and more reasonable for a sane man to act mentally unstable than for an insane man to act sane.