Hamlets Insanity :: essays research papers

Hamlet’s Insanity…is it real?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In William Shakespeare’s Play Hamlet, many issues have been raised about Hamlet’s over all sanity. He has experienced many things that might make one think he has gone crazy, for example, his father’s murder, killing Polonius accidentally, and his mother’s abrupt remarriage. Hamlet begins to act shady towards the middle to the end of the play while talking to others. In several scenes it appears that Hamlet has gone crazy. Many critics have varying opinions of this issue. Joshua Wells wrote an article that comparing Hamlet’s sanity and insanity. Another critic, that did not mention his name, thinks that Hamlet is sane. Hamlet was not actually insane, it was simply a ploy to seek revenge for his father’s murder.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wells, in his article “Was Hamlet Mentally Disturbed?'; stated that Hamlet is truly insane. In the first act Hamlet appears to be crazy when he hears of his father’s murder. He speaks irrationally to Horatio, who comments that Hamlet is speaking “ wild and whirling words';(I.v.149). Also, Hamlet plays with Horatio and will not tell him what the ghost told him. Horatio asks Hamlet about the news he heard and Hamlet replies “O, wonderful!';(I.v.130). The news is actually not good news at all. Hamlet then sees the ghost in his mother’s chambers, but she can not see it. This is strange because earlier in the play Horatio and the other watchmen could see the ghost. When Hamlet starts a conversation with the ghost, his mother says, “Alas, he’s mad!'; (III.iv.122).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hamlet does some other actions throughout the play that give the impression that he has gone crazy. One is that his moods change abruptly for no reason. While he is talking to his mother in her chambers, they are speaking calming to each other and then Hamlet starts acting violently towards her. He also jumps on a pirate ship without a second thought or anyone to protect him. At the same time, he has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed, even though it was not part of his revenge plan. Finally, Hamlet hides Polonius’ body and will not tell anyone where it is. He tells Laertes that he killed Polonius in a fit of madness (Wells).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are many good reasons to believe that Hamlet is truly crazy. He acted rashly and many of his thoughts were random. He did not act as though he had just lost a loved one; he acted like the world had come to an end.