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Insanity In Hamlet

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Insanity is a severely disordered state of the mind usually occurring as a specific disorder. It infect all it touches with irrational thoughts, actions and emotions. In William Shakespeare's play “Hamlet”, the main character is plagued with this disease of madness as Shakespeare explores if this madness is authentic or simply an act to plot revenge. He initially claims to put on an “antic disposition” at the start of the play but his actions and thoughts suggest that he is truly mad. When we first meet prince Hamlet he is grieving the death of his father and on top of that, dealing with his mother’s betrayal; hence, Hamlet is distraught from the opening scene of the play. Hamlet also has numerous interactions with the paranormal and constantly questions the purpose of being alive as a result of suffering from severe depression. To add to this, Hamlet must address the corruption in the kingdom of Denmark which includes his closest friends and family. Throughout the play, Hamlet is perceived to be mad by the other characters while in reality he has been infected with insanity.

From the start of the play, Hamlet is already distraught over his father’s death. He says “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt” (1.2, 133). He is having suicidal thoughts because of the death of his father. Having this experience, Hamlet is already feeling melancholy. Soon after, it is clear Hamlet has an adverse relationship with his uncle Claudius. Hamlet makes this clear when he says:

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