Hamlet's Sanity Answered Through Freudian Theories

Insanity is the state of being mentally ill and not in the common state of mind. During the story of Hamlet insanity is a major factor to many situations. Hamlet showed many of signs of being insane, which also led to the death of others. Many ask, was “Hamlets insanity real or fake” and if so how did it affect the story in the ways it did. Many also wonder the signs that he shows to be insane and did his sickness cause others to lose the mental state of mind. In the story of Hamlet the actions of others play into the decisions of others and make their actions rash and harsh. The cause of insanity led to the actions of Hamlet and Laertes and how they both handled the death of their fathers in different matters.

The question of Hamlet’s sanity has been a subject of much debate. As Stephan Greenblatt states in his observations about Hamlet in his essay “Hamlet”: “Is Hamlet’s madness feigned or true, a strategy masquerading as reality or a reality masquerading as a strategy?” (1181). While Greenblatt lays out two possible courses, could there be a third option in this scenario? “… Hamlet cleverly uses madness as a cover under which he will determine the truth of the Ghost’s story before accepting the self-damning course of revenge” (Evans, 6). While Evans’ explanation can be seen as an argument that Hamlet is “acting” the part, could this observation also be used to imply that Hamlet knows the end result of his actions? Has Shakespeare set Hamlet

Throughout Shakespeare?s play, Hamlet, the main character, young Hamlet, is faced with the responsibility of attaining vengeance for his father?s murder. He decides to feign madness as part of his plan to gain the opportunity to kill Claudius. As the play progresses, his depiction of a madman becomes increasingly believable, and the characters around him react accordingly. However, through his inner thoughts and the apparent reasons for his actions, it is clear that he is not really mad and is simply an actor simulating insanity in order to fulfill his duty to his father.

42.5 million people are affected by mental health disorders in the United States. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. In the beginning of the play, Hamlet is depressed after hearing the news of his father passing away. Being depressed can lead to a health disorder affecting your life. Hamlet’s uncle had then promoted himself to claim the throne and had married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Hamlet was angry that his mother had moved on so fast after the death of his father, also known as “the Ghost”, throughout the rest of the play. Many events have occurred in the book that have caused characters to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder based on their feelings or their own actions they have taken.

A theme of ‘madness’ is carefully and creatively manifested within Hamlet. A question that I intend to get out of the way fairly quickly would be the decision of Hamlet’s mental state. There is much controversy surrounding the idea of Hamlet’s madness, and textual evidence can support either side of the argument. However, madness is still at the heart of this play, whether it be real or feigned. Since we cannot prove Hamlet’s sanity, we may still act under the assumption that he has lost his hold on reality. In the case of Ophelia, there is no doubt clouding the decision of her mental state. She is, indeed, insane. In order to examine these cases of insanity, we will not only find differences between Hamlet and Ophelia’s loss of sanity,

Humans throughout time have experienced mental disorders and whether it be minor or extreme it has occurred since the beginning of time. The story of Hamlet starts off with the king being murdered by his brother. The king’s son, Hamlet, is very upset while everyone else has already moved on. The ghost of Hamlet’s father comes back and informs Hamlet that his death was not an accident and that it was Claudius, the king’s brother, who did it. Hamlet acts as though he is mad to not draw attention to himself and forms a plot to get revenge for his father’s death. Claudius realizes Hamlet is up to something so he sends many different characters during the story to watch over Hamlet. While Polonius is hiding behind a curtain, Hamlet stabs him because he thought that it was Claudius. Hearing about the death of Polonius Ophelia, Hamlet’s love and daughter of Polonius, loses her mind and drowns. Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother Laertes is very upset about the events that have occurred and blames Hamlet for everything. The two duel and during the fight Queen Gertrude, Laertes, King Claudius, and Hamlet all die. In Hamlet, a character that exhibits three common symptoms of a disorder called PTSD is Ophelia.

The play Hamlet was written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601. Shakespeare was a “dramatist, whose job was to entertain and edify audiences”(Bevington 3) he wrote plays making you view and see both sides of the play. Hamlet presents himself as "mad north-north-west" (II.ii.376), defining himself that he is mad sometimes and sane other times. Hamlet transforms among sanity and insanity, this does not help him in seeking revenge against his uncle that the king wishes him to do. With his own melancholy thoughts, Hamlet often is remembered as taking his own life.

Hamlet during this soliloquy demonstrates a state of mind that sends signals of him thinking about self suicide. This is revealed through hamlet using many types of literary elements such as Imagery, Metaphors, and Repetitions.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines insanity as, “a deranged state of the mind that usually occurs as a specific disorder”. In Shakespeare's play, Hamlet is considered to be insane by many due to his unstable, deranged behavior and his attitude towards others. Hamlet does an outstanding job of acting insane throughout the play, so good, in fact, that his insanity is questioned to actually be truthful. The answer to Hamlet's madness lies in the actual reasons for his insanity. Although Hamlet’s constant altering behavior was scrutinized by individuals as being psychotic, we can not forget that his father was just murdered and he wishes to uncover the truthfulness of his father’s death and avenge the killer. Hamlet chooses to to change his behavior in order to try to put pressure on Claudius to reveal the truth of his father’s murder, he displays rational and intelligent thinking in planning as well as in responding to unplanned situations, and he has been upset by the recent events that have happened in his life, all of which could create a false image of insanity.

No doubt this question has aroused to anyone who has read what is probably considered to be Shakespeare´s masterpiece Hamlet. And the answers to this question almost certainly differ in each case.

Gertrude’s sexuality invades the play and Hamlet’s long repressed desire to take his father’s place is unconsciously stimulated by the sight of someone else taking this long coveted position. Hamlet is even more disgusted due to the fact that Claudius is his father’s brother and to Hamlet this seems to be incestuous, indeed the ghost of Hamlet’s father calls Claudius “that incestuous, that adulterate beast.” This remark seems to add a spark of jealousy to Hamlet’s anger which is manifested in the sniping remarks that he makes to Claudius

Hamlet is perhaps Shakespeare’s most problematic protagonist with a complex personality that has been readily analyzed by many experts, including the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud himself. Psychoanalytic theory is a school of literary criticism developed by Freud in the late 19th century. It is founded on the existence of three spheres of consciousness, known as the Ego, Superego and Id, that affect a person’s thought process and mind in general. Freud’s psychoanalytical theories linking these fundamental components to the human psyche are evident in Hamlet’s character and decisions. The Ego, Superego and Id affect his thoughts and actions regarding topics such as suicide, murder and sexual desires in very different ways, leading him to pursue a variety of impulses in diverging manners. This famous trinity is present in different degrees in the subconscious, preconscious and consciousness, with Id at the most primitive stage, Superego settled in the preconscious and the Ego floating through all three realms of the mind.

Psychology is a combination of studies regarding human behavior and mental characteristics observed within all individuals. Author’s such as William Shakespeare have 4dictated their works in a way that allows for them to integrate common occurrences of new psychological findings into a text, giving them an opportunity to sculpt characters that differentiate themselves from one another. Psychoanalytical Criticism is the application of psychological studies incorporated into the findings of contemporary literature, principles founded by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan are most commonly referred to in these texts. Hamlet is an identity that was shaped by Shakespeare himself in order to cope with the mental pain of losing his son, rather the play shows an opposing view and instead illustrates a son mourning over the death of his father. Shakespeare chose to highlight circumstances before the death of Hamlet’s father then continues to shape the story by dwelling on the emotional pain and leading Hamlet on a downward-spiral from that moment forward. From a psychoanalytical lens, it becomes clear that the playwright Hamlet written by William Shakespeare is more than capable of illustrating several psychological principles in order for readers to better comprehend the author 's psyche, along with the occurrence of Freud’s model which includes the Id, Ego, and the Superego used to form psychological and emotional ties within the reader.

While Shakespeare was writing Hamlet it’s safe to assume that he would not realize the repercussions that would arise. Surely, he did not know much about psychology yet, he is referred to by many today as the world’s first psychologist due to his play Hamlet. Shakespeare was acutely aware of what was happening around him and he was able to convey that through his work making the character Hamlet a vessel for audiences and readers alike to relate to. This relatability has since spilled over into our culture and society and continues to influence modern artists. Hamlet has also laid the foundations for many modern archetypes we see in entertainment today such as; the tragic hero. Not only this but, Hamlet has also inspired many adaptations such as The Lion King which played a large part in many young millenials lives without many of them realizing it was based off of Hamlet. Although, this may be considered Shakespeare's greatest play of all time there is no denying, it is fundamentally flawed and has inevitably influenced our culture through those flaws as well.

The Psychoanalytic theory is enclosed by two opposed critical theories. The first view focuses on the text, with no outside influences. The second view focuses on the author of the text. According to this theory, someone can understand the work by examining conflicts, and other literary devices. However, with an outside perspective, one can further understand that outward behavior can conflict with inner desires acknowledged and not acknowledged. Through William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet there are many examples found to support this theory. When looking through the Psychoanalytic lens, it reveals that Hamlet has fundamental urges that cannot be seen through the course of the play which shows the energy taken to repress those urges.