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Hamlet's Insanity

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Throughout the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, the main character Hamlet is given the overwhelming responsibility of avenging his father’s unlawful death. Such an awesome burden can slowly drive a man “mad.” Because of this, Hamlet’s disposition is extremely inconsistent and erratic throughout the plot. At times he shows signs of uncontrollable insanity while, at other times, he exemplifies intelligence and “method in his madness.” Hamlet goes through different stages of insanity throughout the story, but his neurotic and skeptical personality amplifies his persona of seeming insane to the other characters in the book.

Hamlet’s disposition begins to change erratically almost immediately after his father’s death and the quick incestuous …show more content…

How stand I then, that gave a father kill’d, a mother stain’d,excitements for my reasons and my blood and let all sleep, while to my shame I see the imminent death of twenty thousand men”(4.1.58-62 )

Hamlet decides from this point on that his “thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!”(4.4.67-68) Hamlet procrastinates in his revenge for his father’s death throughout the duration of the play. This procrastination frustrates Hamlet and contributes to his madness. Hamlet begins to become more level headed once he is inspired by Fortinbras’s invasion of Poland.

At other times in the story, Hamlet uses words with great thought and baffles other characters in the book. Hamlet has many encounters with Polonius, in which Hamlet destroys Polonius with carefully selected words by calling him “a fishmonger.”(2.2.188) Hamlet insults Polonius by saying “for yourself, sir, shall grow old as I am, if like a crab you could go backwards” (2.2.215-216) Hamlet is inferring that Polonius is younger than him, which is a direct sign of disrespect. Polonius thinks to himself, “Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't”(2.2.217-218). He also makes a comment on Hamlet’s witty replies “ How pregnant sometimes his replies are! A happiness that often madness hits on, which reason and sanity could not so prosperously be delivered of.” …show more content…

Horatio’s words hold considerable weight throughout the play because they are all genuine and true. It is Horatio who is invited by Bernardo and Marcellus at the beginning of the book to authenticate the apparition of King Hamlet in the towers. Because of Horatio’s non-emotional and truthful consistency throughout the play, the audience should pay close attention to each and every one of his words.

Within his words he foresees death as well as Hamlet’s madness in the pursuit of justice in his father’s

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