Matthew Macioch Ms. Yulico English 101 30 December 2015 In William Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, it is clearly evident Prince Hamlet is overcome with “madness” due to his father’s murder and other malicious actions taken against him. Throughout the play, there are many examples of how Hamlet displays his insanity due to certain situations he experiences and how he handles them. Hamlet shows his madness through the killing of Polonius, his treatment of Ophelia, his thoughts of suicide, and the treatment
psychosis; however, these illnesses prove not to be the exact cause of the various downfalls to the characters throughout the play Hamlet. The author, William Shakespeare, depicts a different type of insanity in the play, one that seems ambiguous but also feels eerily similar to ones that still affect others to this day. Shweta Bali, author of Mechanics of Madness in Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear, reiterates this by stating, “Insanity—real or obfuscated—is integral to the fiber of many of Shakespearean
In William Shakespeare's play of Hamlet the main character Prince Hamlet of Denmark, recently lost his father. In the play many of Hamlets behaviors are due the fact that he has been talking to his father's ghost who only he can see, this ghost is the reason hamlet starts seeking revenge for his father whom was murdered. The idea of revenge sparks Hamlet's plan to use acting as a mad man to cover up hi s plan to kill king Cladius, this acting along with his lack of empathy and clouded judgment from
In Shakespeare’s classic play Hamlet, there are certainly a host of contrasting and influential characters that come together to naturally unfold the surprising events that make up the story. One such character is Ophelia, who spices up the play quite a bit. One of the main components, aside from her unrequited love of Prince Hamlet and her spying on him on behalf of her father and brother, that allows her to be such a central character is her madness, which leads up to her death. Not everyone agrees
Hamlet: Effects of Revenge on Characters and Society Revenge can be termed as an action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at his or her hands. Revenging is known to cause more harm to both the parties involved. Different literature works has widely used revenge to show impact of a conflict and to institute drama. Shakespeare is one of the famous authors who have utilized revenge in their literature works to make his audience ground to following his works
To be, or not to be, or maybe just to pretend to be – Hamlet - make up your mind already! Before discussing Hamlet’s hamartia, please let me say that Hamlet is one of my all-time favorite plays. Yes, it is tragic. Yes, they all fall in the end. But, good lord, what action! So, what is this shortcoming the unfortunate Hamlet possesses that brings about his undeserved end? Before discussing the frailty of this tragic hero, let us examine the word, hamartia, used by Aristotle in “The Poetics”. Hamartia
In ‘Hamlet: The Prince of Denmark’, a play by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is portrayed as being insane. One of the most debated topics in Hamlet is the interpretation of Hamlet’s character. Hamlet has experienced life events that include: the death of his father, the remarriage of his mother, the return of his father’s ghost, and the death of his lover. This could essentially push any person over the edge into insanity. Hamlets acts as though he is insane, however, he is mentally sane. To begin,
courtiers, kings, lovers, madmen, malcontents, scholars, soldiers, villains … but no thinker” ( ). What is interesting about Hamlet is that it’s ingenious how Shakespeare illuminates the human experience through having the protagonist of the play fall in a tragedy of inaction rather than action. Through juxtapositions and countless soliloquies, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has demonstrated to the world that it is fatal to overthink a situation, however, it can be equally as harmful to act irrationally
place in the world. In William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, the main character, Hamlet, has an episode where those around him observe that he is seemingly mad. His reactions and remarks to other characters, however, prove that perhaps his madness is a façade and a way to stay under the radar of King Claudius, his uncle. The interpretations of Hamlet’s mental state can be assessed differently for each reader. This, in turn, causes the story of Prince Hamlet to be individualized to each reader. This effect
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is one of Shakespeare’s most tragic plays. Most of the characters in this play suffered a heartbreaking death, although, all of the characters faced anger, regret, madness or distress. Madness was a reoccurring theme in this play, two characters portrayed this more than others. Ophelia and Hamlet faced similar fates, with similarities and differences along the way, all to do with their madness. Hamlet and Ophelia were two young people in love and were supposedly