“To be or not to be”
“To be or not to be”, these words describe one of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy. It creates a feeling of a character unsure of his life and questioning if its worth living. There are many two ways of analyzing Hamlet’s sanity in the play. The two options are that his insanity is either a dramatic act or an unintentional loss of control. Hamlet, from the beginning, is in a state of despair. The death of his father affects him emotionally, leaving him in despair. Hamlet claims that he plans to feign madness to hide his true intentions. Hamlet’s sanity is influenced by themes of betrayal, death, and obsession. Hamlet, from the start, is going mad, and his decision to feign madness only covers his insanity.
In the Beginning, Claudius notes that something is wrong with him. The first line to hamlet is “how is it that the clouds still hang on you?” (I.ii.). Claudius believes that his prolonged grieving after his father’s death is unhealthy. He also highlights his dejected haviour and wearing solemn black. This, according to renaissance doctors was ‘melancholy,’ which often led to madness. There are several characters in the play who see ghosts in the first act. However, Only Hamlet sees and hears the ghost. Hamlet himself questions if the ghost was a trick by the devil “Out of my weakness and my melancholy” (II.ii.). This creates a possibility that hamlet is mad, it makes the reader question Hamlet’s actions and words.
Hamlet’s behavior towards Ophelia also serves as evidence of his madness. These scenes have very little to do with his quest for justice despite them evoking strong feelings. There is little evidence Ophelia offending hamlet. She has a genuine concern for him. However, he is cruel, suspicious, and paranoid. This is evidence of a man who has lost the ability to judge and interpret others’ intentions. He behaves erratically towards Ophelia. He denies ever loving her when she returns all his gifts and love letters. Later he claims that he was the only one who loved during the fight with Laertes at her grave. It is also odd that even though Hamlet knows Ophelia was sent to spy on her, he pours his heart out to her. Hamlets behavior leads to Ophelia’s mental breakdown and suicide. He has a negative attitude of Ophelia’s sexuality and takes time to tell her many women’s many faults. He tells her Get thee to a nunnery” rather than become “a breeder of sinners” (III.i). He also confesses that it has made him mad. At the funeral he jumps into the grave and ends up fighting with Laertes. These actions show significant errors in judgement.
Hamlet’s relationship with his mother raises questions of his sanity. On the one hand, he hates Gertrude for liking his father. However, he has a strong attachment to his mother. The conflicted feelings are a basis of his neurosis and eventual alienation. His state is further compounded by the knowledge that Claudius, his mother’s lover, is spying on him. Above all, Hamlet alienates himself. He is the only one who believes that his mother’s marriage is “incestuous” (I.ii.). He seems conflicted by an internal struggle. Even the ghost warns him “Taint not thy mind nor let thy soul contrive/ Against thy mother aught” (I.v.). He however, shows significant disgust in his mother’s sex life leading to a violent confrontation. His most significant emotional outbursts are against the sexuality of women in his life. This shows that his behavior is not a ploy, and there are some underlying issues.
The play’s climax occurs on the final act when hamlet stages play, which he hopes will “catch the conscience of the king” (II.ii.). This is an attempt to gain ample evidence Claudius’ guilt. By this time, his behavior is clearly that of a mad person. When Claudius sees the play, it is unclear if he filled with guilt from his actions or anger towards Hamlet. Hamlet has the chance to kill Claudius, but his madness gets in the way. Hamlet believes that there is a chance Claudius will go to heaven if he is murdered in the middle of prayer. He instead accuses Gertrude of his father’s death. In the end, Hamlet kills glorious after mistaking him for Claudius.
After killing Polonius, there is no sign of regret by hamlet. This is puzzling, considering that Polonius is the father to Ophelia, the love of his life. He takes this further by refusing to disclose where he hid the body. He says, “The body is with the King, but the King is not with the body. The King is a thing “(IV. ii.). It is unclear if this was all part of the plan or just accidental. He believes that it was a necessary slaying for hiding behind the curtain. He seems to think that his actions are of no consequence. He does not see the hypocrisy of his actions despite holding a grudge after his father’s murder. Killing Polonius and his father’s murder are similar actions. However, by this time, he has lost the ability to reason. He also admits to Laertes that he killed Polonius in a fit of madness (Davie 449). Therefore he bears no responsibility for the death.
Although Hamlet claims to be acting mad, the evidence shows that Hamlet is mad. Hamlet is the only one who has a conversation with the ghost. He is in pain and confused. His moods change. He had been contemplating suicide for a while, which shows some deep-lying issues. This is further compounded by his misogynistic views towards Ophelia and Gertrude’s sexuality, which has nothing to do with quest for justice. Hamlet questions his sanity at the beginning of the play. He also admits that Ophelia and Gertrude’s sexuality drives him mad. After killing Polonius, he says he was in a state of madness and thus not responsible. While he may have begun acting mad, the many issues in his life lead to his actual insanity, and he cannot see his insanity.
Work cited
Top of Form
Shakespeare, William, Philip Edwards, and William Shakespeare. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. , 2019. Print.
Davie, T. M. “Hamlet’s “Madness”.” Journal of Mental Science 88.372 (1942): 449-450. Bottom of Form