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Hamlet’s Madness
Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a tragedy about a dysfunctional family. Prince Hamlet of Denmark has quite recently lost his father because of his sudden harmful demise by poison. While grieving the loss of his father, Hamlet must manage the sudden marriage between his mother Gertrude and uncle Claudius. After an appearance from the his father’s ghost, Hamlet arranges a set up to inspire Claudius to admit to the general population of Denmark of his transgression. Initially, the Prince feigns madness as a ploy to ensure himself when he finds that his father was killed by his own brother, but it seems to overtake him as the play progresses. This Shakespearean tragedy follows Hamlet’s progress from rational soundness to fake insanity to true madness. While readers frequently debate regarding whether the theme of Hamlet is love or retribution, madness is the definitive theme.
Madness or insanity is a mental inadequacy caused by unmentionable damage (Evans, 7). Hamlet cherished his parents, and felt some disdain towards Gertrude for wedding his uncle inside 2 months of his father’s death, "She married. O, most wicked speed, to present with such dexterity on incestuous sheets! It isn't, nor it can't come to great. However, break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue "(Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2). We discovered that Gertrude's incestuous marriage to Claudius has shook up Hamlet's reality, abandoning him with a feeling that the world is tainted, similar to an "unweeded garden" that is "rank and gross in nature" (Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2). Hamlet then devises a plan to feign madness feign madness and introduces the idea to Horatio.
He sets this plan into action by going into Ophelia's room and carrying on like a madman. Doing this enables Hamlet to accomplish two things: revealing to Ophelia the amount he cherishes her and also convinces her that he is truly mad. Because of his association with her, Hamlet realizes that Ophelia will report the episode to her dad who will report it to King Claudius influencing everybody to trust that he is “truly” insane. What Hamlet fails to realize though is this action would affect Ophelia’s psyche and their relationship (or maybe he did and did not think it as being of much importance to him). Nevertheless, this was the beginning of her despondency. She didn't comprehend why he was treating her in this way when, at the time, she was practically infatuated with him. There need he no doubt, then, that Hamlet's madness was really feigned. He saw much to be gained by it, and to this end he did many things that the persons of the drama must construe as madness. His avowed intention was to throw them off the track. Love and madness seem centralized between Hamlet and the women in his life.
In what is arguably Shakespeare's most recognizable soliloquy, Hamlet attempts to reason out whether the unknown beyond of death is any easier to bear than life. The underlying theme remains Hamlet's inaction and...
