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How Does Shakespeare Present Depression In Hamlet

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In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet spends most of his time plotting against his Uncle Claudius the murder of King Hamlet. Hamlet constructs a plan to expose Claudius for his devious act; he decides to act insane. However, his plan backfires on him when he actually falls into a state of mania. Not only does Hamlet have to deal with the death of a loved one, he also has to deal with his mother marrying Claudius just months after King Hamlet’s passing, as well as his romance with Ophelia. While Hamlet displays many symptoms and characteristics of depression, it seems wrong to diagnose him with this disorder because he has just undergone a major trauma and he may just be grieving. However, that is not to say that Hamlet’s actions and behavior should …show more content…

One of the dilemmas he faces is his romance with Ophelia. When Ophelia was alive, Hamlet is nothing but cold to her. Although he claims that this is all a part of his act, he is overdramatic towards her, spewing nothing but insults, including (get thee to a nunnery quote). After denying his love for Ophelia, Hamlet insults her even more by telling her to never get married and have kids, for fear of her breeding sinners (find quote). However, Hamlet may have just been over dramatic because he realizes that Polonius was nearby spying on him. Therefore, he stepped up his game to feign madness. Perhaps Hamlet may have been angry at his mother and decided to lash out at Ophelia. After Gertrude marries Claudius, Hamlet feels betrayed the woman that he’d trusted all his life. As a result, he tells Ophelia to never have kids that could potentially betray her. When Ophelia is finally dead, Hamlet confesses his love for Ophelia, but only because Laertes also confessed his love. He lists off all the things he would do in order to be buried with Ophelia, each action outdoing the previous as well as Laertes’s demands. For example, Hamlet claims to (find quote) Perhaps Hamlet feels guilty and responsible for Ophelia’s suicide, especially since his disrespect was a major factor in Ophelia’s breakdown.

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