FREE ESSAY ON HAMLET

HAMLET

Hamlet's behavior affects that of the other characters in the play in that his action
drastically alters, not only their perception of Hamlet and his intentions, but also
their actions and words in dealing with Hamlet. It is difficult to classify Hamlet as
either sane or insane; however, it is certain that his mad behavior, whether feigned or
authentic, serves only to heighten the confusion and eventual suspicion of the court,
particularly Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guilderstern, and Polonius and Claudius duo. 
Hamlet's mental state is hard to decipher due to the complexity of the issue and the
variety of ways his actions can be viewed. Edward Strachey believes that Hamlet is, ...A
character made of many elements, ramifying themselves in many directions, some being
healthy and some diseased (Strachey 173). Strachey goes on to say that an attempt to
classify Hamlet as either mad or sane is an, ...Over simplification of what is most
complex (Strachey 173). 
At the beginning of Hamlet, Ophelia tells her father about the vows of love that Hamlet
has expressed to her. Polonius immediately questions Hamlet's intentions and reminds
Ophelia that making a rash decision could cost her; but Ophelia assures her father that,
...He hath importuned me with love In honorable fashion...And hath given countenance to
his speech, my lord, With almost all the holy vows of heaven (Shakespeare 17). However,
after Hamlet visits Ophelia in a crazed state she immediately turns to her Father and
reports Hamlet in a much darker light.
Lord Hamlet with his doublet all unbraced, 
No hat upon his head, his stocking fouled, Ungartered and down-gyved to his ankle, 
Pale as a shirt, his knees knocking each other And with look so piteous in purport 
As if he had been loosed out of hell 
To speak of horrors (Shakespeare 28). 
The complexity of Hamlet's sanity is most evident in Ophelia's description of him at this
point in the play. Hamlet is championed for his intellect and wit, so at first glance it
might seem as if he put on an extravagant show for Ophelia, knowing she would alarm her
father and he in turn the King. However, the description of Hamlet looking as if he had
come straight out of hell with his face paled and knees shaking, suggests a truly wary
man teetering on the edge of madness. Regardless of Hamlet's true mental state, his
behavior forced Ophelia to turn to her father and disregard her prior comments about
Hamlet's honorable intentions; instead condemning him a mad man.
The query into Hamlet's madness raises too many other unanswerable questions; however,
the effects of his odd behavior are clearly visible. After Ophelia relates her tale to
her father, Polonius, he immediately becomes wary of Hamlet and promptly reports all new
information to the King. Polonius and King Claudius, in Act II Scene II, plot to set up a
chance meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia in the lobby of the palace, in order to monitor
Hamlet's behavior. The madness they perceived in Hamlet, from Ophelia's description, led
them to spy on him. After Hamlet's meeting with Ophelia, the King becomes unsure of
Hamlet's sanity. He notes that although Hamlet's words do have something beneath the
surface attached to them, it did not sound like madness. Now what he spake, though it
lacked form a little, was not like madness. There's something in his soul O'er which his
melancholy sits on brood, And I do doubt the hatch and the disclose Will be some danger;
which for to prevent... (Shakespeare 47). This causes Claudius to become even more
suspicious of Hamlet and more concerned with what he might do next as he attempts to
revenge his father's murder; saying, Madness in great ones must not unwatched go
(Shakespeare 48). Claudius becomes concerned with Hamlet's actions because if Hamlet is
in fact mad, Claudius knows he must be extremely cautious of Hamlet's irrational
behavior. If Hamlet is, however, only feigning madness this forces Claudius to become
even more concerned. In this case Hamlet's motivations would be guided by revenge,
meaning they would have a purpose and direction. If Hamlet is truly mad then his actions
would not follow and order or reason and therefore would not be as threatening to the
King; but either way, both King Claudius and Polonius, until his demise, are forced to
devote much of their attention to dealing with Hamlet.
Charlotte Lennox, in one respect, believes that the question over hamlet's sanity is
irrelevant to the story. She does, however, go on to say that the only importance of
Hamlet's madness is that it throws the other characters into alarm over his motivations
and whether he is truly mad or not.
For Hamlet's madness alarms the King's Suspicions, and that produces the treacherous
Embassy to England, which failing, the Contrivance of the poisoned Rapier followed, and
that does the business (Lennox 129).
The treacherous embassy is of course Rosencrantz and Guilderstern, who had heard of
Hamlets madness and made their assistance readily available to the King. The King asks
them to go to England and put an end to Hamlet's mad brain. R and G reply(with G
speaking), 
We will ourselves provide, most holy and religious fear it is to keep those many many
bodies safe That live and feed upon your majesty (Shakespeare 58).
Hamlet, however, discovers their treachery and has them disposed of; then, King Claudius
sets up a fight between Laertes and Hamlet by convincing Laertes that he should avenge
Polonius', his father, murder. The King covers Laertes' sword with poison and even put
poison in Hamlet's goblet.
Hamlet's mad behavior sets off a train of events where the King and his followers become
more and more suspicious of Hamlet and eventually take action against him. Samuel Traylor
Coleridge says that Hamlet's displays an internal struggle by attempting to feign madness
while at the same time struggling to maintain sanity. Coleridge also points out that
feigning madness can be considered an act of insanity in and of itself. Hamlet's wildness
is but half-false. O that subtle trick to pretend the acting only when we are very near
to what we act (Coleridge 40). If he was feigning the madness, then his plan was
misguided and he was working against himself and his quest for revenge. If Hamlet is
indeed truly mad then he alerts his foes to this information and they in turn become very
circumspect of Hamlet and his plans. Hamlet's madness serves to call attention to himself
and raise suspicions of his enemies.
Bibliography
Works cited
Coleridge, Samuel Traylor. Notes on the Tragedies of 
Shakespeare: The Character of Hamlet. Shakespearean Criticism. Ed, Thomas Middleton
Raysor. Vol. 1. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1930. 40.
Lennox, Charlotte. Shakespeare, the Critical Heritage.
Ed, Brian Vickers. New York: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1976. 129.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Norton Critical Edition.
Ed, Cyrus Hoy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1992.
Strachey, Edward. A New Variorum Edition of Shakespeare: 
Hamlet. Ed, Horace Howard Furness. Vol. IV. J.B. Lippincott Company, 1877. 173.