...or Not to Be… Mentally Ill? In Shakespeare’s play: “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”, the principle character, Hamlet, is a young man who decides to pretend he is mentally ill (“mad”) to avenge his father’s murder. However, Hamlet’s actions, his behavior, and his general persona indicate otherwise and suggest that he is in fact mentally ill. The first part of this play foreshadows Hamlet’s mental stress. As the play unfolds, he no longer seems to be “pretending madness”, as ultimately multiple deaths occur. “Mad as the sea and wind when both contend Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit, Behind the arras hearing something stir, Whips out his rapier, cries, “A rat, a rat!” And in this brainish apprehension kills The unseen good old man.” (IV.i 8-13) This quote in Act IV, scene i is the turning point in the play when clearly Hamlet’s “pretend” madness is no longer an act, but truly indicative of “madness”, leading to the question: Does Hamlet’s “madness”, his ascent from sanity to insanity, result in the tragedy in “The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”? The first part of this play foreshadows Hamlet’s mental decline. He has many of the risk factors for depression such as his age (clinical depression often first occurs in late adolescence or early adulthood), and he has had many life changing events happen in a relatively short period of time such as his father unexpectedly dying (possibly murdered), his mother remarrying shortly after...
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...self-slaughter! O God, God! How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable. Seem to me all the uses of this world! Fie on't, ah fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden That grows to seed” (I,II, 129-136). Hamlet’s first soliloquy is given early in the first act of Shakespeare's play and sets the tone of the character. Hamlet speaks these words following the recent death of his father, the hasty remarriage of his uncle and mother, and an encounter with his parents regarding their wishes for him to remain in Denmark ceasing his studies elsewhere; not in favour of Hamlet himself. This is the first time the audience becomes aware of Hamlet’s suicidal ideation and depression. Living for Hamlet is a burden, he sees himself as damned, forced to live in this world unhappy due to his religious beliefs. The theme of death is apparent in this quote and utilizes mood and atmosphere to solidify the state of Hamlet’s mind. This is the initial thought of suicide for Hamlet, verbalizing his desire for his flesh to melt and anger that God deems “self-slaughter” a sin. This provides evidence that Hamlet has considered suicide before but felt trapped because of the religious consequences of it. He also goes on to say the world is a “weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable” place alluding to the thought that suicide appears to be the best alternative to this unmanageable world. The mood is very morbid as Hamlet expresses his desire that “flesh would melt”, to leave his solid state and internal misery; continuing...
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...Hamlet’s plan, struggle, and inevitable death Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a very controversial story of how the entire royal family of Denmark was wiped out. Hamlet is doomed to die, but in his death Denmark would be purged of its evil. Through murderous plots and schemes, it is revealed that King Hamlet’s brother Claudius murdered him. Hamlet is the son of the late King Hamlet, he was supposed to be the next king, but Claudius quickly married Hamlet’s Mother to take the crown. During the play, it is shown why Hamlet is a considered a revenge tragedy. Throughout the play Hamlet’s view of death prevents him from taking action, but through accepting his fate he is able to finally kill his uncle, without thinking about his death. After Hamlet meets...
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...July 2013 Given that Hamlet’s has witnessed both his father’s murder and betrayal and that the offenders are, respectively, his uncle and his mother, it is no wonder he is so depressed. His depression, however, does not prevent him from achieving revenge, nor does it stop him from being a very poetic and inspiring person. With all of his burdens, it is no wonder that Hamlet is so prone to sadness. Many people would simply give up and stop looking for justice. However, Hamlet proves that he is a tragic hero by using his anger, resentment and sadness to motivate him to seek a just revenge which is, of course, Cladius’s death. What is very interesting about the play, however, is that Hamlet delays this revenge for almost the whole play. He discovers Cladius’s betrayal in Act I when the ghost of his father visits him. Yet, he does not really strive to get revenge until late in the final act, Act V. This is evidence of just how depressed he is. As everyone knows, depression really affects behavior. It tends to make people inactive and unmotivated. Even though Hamlet knows he has been betrayed by his mother and uncle, his anger about that is far outweighed by his depression. It tends to blunt the instinct he has to seek revenge. However, when Hamlet discovers proof of his uncle’s treachery (the letter to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern), he is ready to take revenge. Outside of murder and betrayal, there are other reasons for Hamlet’s depression: the death of his love...
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...Prince Hamlet proclaims these famous words. But what do they actually mean? For decades, readers and audiences alike have been wondering if Hamlet’s “antic disposition” is actually an act, or complete and total madness. It is very possible that, if Hamlet were alive today, he would have been diagnosed with many mental illnesses including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and bipolar disorder. This is not to say he had these throughout the entirety of his life, but after the death of his father and other traumatic events that added to Hamlet’s misery, his act of madness developed into actual insanity. If he were alive in modern times, he would have been treated for these illnesses with a combination of therapy and medications. Unfortunately, during the time this play is set and was written, a full understanding of psychological disorders has not yet been reached. Because his mental illnesses went untreated, Hamlet was a danger to both himself and others. He is so much of a danger that he kills his uncle, King Claudius, Polonius, Laertes, and his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Additionally, although it is not by his own hand, both Ophelia, the love of Hamlet’s life, and his mother, Queen Gertrude, take their own lives. Eventually, Hamlet himself dies as a result of a backfired plot to expose his uncle. The effects of Hamlet’s madness on both him, and everyone around him becomes too much, and the tragedy unfurls, although it would have been much different if Hamlet...
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...Analysis of Hamlet's Unraveling The madness of Hamlet is prevalent within each page of the beloved play. Stemming from his acute paranoia, distrust of others, and melancholy outlook, there is a great unraveling of his psyche as the play rolls on. He can be observed as a victim of Psychotic Depression with paranoid tendencies. In Hamlet, the key character is characterized by his suicidal tendencies, grandeur delusions, and highly conflicted personality, therefore he can be classified as depressive, paranoid, and psychotic (Zimbargo, et al 580). While Hamlet's initial sadness itself brings little alarm to the audience, his eventual distressed nature becomes an apparent issue: O, that this too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God! How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable, Seem to me all the uses of this world! (1.2.5) Oatley 2 Initializing Hamlet's distressed nature and suicidal thoughts; Hamlet's spoken words brings the audience up to pace with his distress over his mother's marrying of his potentially murderous uncle. With this we pick up a certain instability in Hamlet's mental functioning and displays a rather melancholy and depressive vibe to his persona. From the beginning Hamlet is distressed and desires for his "flesh" to "melt" and become "dew". This anguish of this new development in his life is seen as a causal factor for his depression. Although...
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...Hamlet written by Shakespeare foreshadows many causes of teen suicide. In Hamlet, Hamlet became overwhelmed with the feeling of revenge on his father’s death. He foreshadows that he would rather die than live with his step father. Hamlet didn’t know how to love because he was so focused on the revenge of his father’s death that he had built up anger and becomes constantly over thinking and becoming overwhelmed with voices. When a teen is around family that has succeeded in life, they’re encouraged to become like their family member. They are also encouraged to follow along their footsteps and to make others proud of them. Hamlet’s influence in his life was his father, and when his father died he became hopeless and filled with aggression. When...
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...Men and Vengeance… and Women “ Hamlet is one of the most dangerous things ever set down on paper. All the big, unknowable questions like what it is to be a human being; the difference between sanity and insanity; the meaning of life and death; what’s real and not real. All these subjects can literally drive you mad.” Michael Sheen One of the most celebrated Shakespearean plays, Hamlet , follows the tragic downfall of a young Prince Hamlet as he plummets into depression and apparent insanity after the death of his father. Consequently, Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, inherits the throne and marries the widowed Queen Gertrude. When Hamlet has the opportunity to converse with his dead father’s spirit, Hamlet learns that his father was murdered by his brother, Claudius; hearing this, Hamlet devotes himself to requiting retribution on his uncle. In many of Shakespeare’s plays, it is a common theme that the quest for revenge drives one to insanity. Not only does Hamlet follow this trend, it introduces that men in Hamlet are the ones to seek vengeance upon others while bringing women down along with them, supporting Shakespeare’s usual portrayal of women as scapegoats. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, it is generally the male characters that tend to take action and seek revenge upon others, due to the cultural sexism during Shakespeare’s time of writing. In many of his plays, Shakespeare usually has men in focus, most likely because of the ...
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...Professor Date Hamlet’s Insanity In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the theme of insanity is portrayed through Hamlet. Hamlet’s mental state mirrors the play’s ambiguity. Hamlet’s character elicits different hypotheses that include the following: First, Hamlet is sane throughout the play but opts to feign insanity. Secondly, Hamlet’s insanity was latent but fully developed after the play produced by the hero. Hamlet claims he will take on an “antic disposition” ( Bloom, 45). The first thing that indicates his insanity is his madness. His madness can be hypothesised as an indication of this disposition. His madness is further shown when it is stated that he was only mad after an interview with a ghost. This interview with a ghost is by all reasons, an indication of madness. Therefore, Hamlet is insane and its insinuation in the play is not a ploy. Secondly, the suicidal tendencies of Hamlet justify his insanity. When the play opens, Hamlet wishes that his, “flesh” would melt and, “dissolve” (Thiher, 39). Hamlet’s need for self-slaughter is brought out and portrayed throughout the play. Besides, the murder of his father and the betrayal of his mother make him be of the belief that the world is a very corrupt place: Of, that this too solid flesh would melt Thaw and resolve itself into a dew! Or that the Everlasting had not fix'd His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable. (Shakespeare, 1.2.6-11) One of the factors that impair Hamlet’s sanity in a progressive...
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...Critics disagree on Hamlet’s character. Some see him as noble and heroic, while others accept Hamlet’s evaluation of himself as proud, revengeful and ambitious. The one thing all scholars unanimously agree upon is that Hamlet is a multi-faceted individual who is, while noble, also arrogant, revengeful and ambitious. This is the dilemma that Rosenberg (1992) feels lies behind the drama and puzzle of Hamlet which in turn makes choosing a character that can adequately play Hamlet’s role very difficult: “There have been gentle Hamlets, fierce hamlets, intellectual Hamlets, passionate hamlets, sophisticated Hamlets, naïve Hamlets, melancholy Hamlets; spirited Hamlets, and more” (Rosenberg,1992) each trying to capture and create the perfect Hamlet. Not only must actors adapt Hamlet’s character to their own, and, therefore, the individual perceives Hamlet according to his own image, but the actors themselves have a difficult time interpreting the intent of Hamlet’s actions. Rosenberg (1992) observes that “in every single scene in which Hamlet appears… choices must be made.” Why, for instance, did Hamlet withdraw from killing Claudius in the prayer scene; why do his objectives shift from returning at once to Wittenberg? The diversity of Hamlets character affects his ability to properly rule his country. He needs to not be so focused on his personal life. Hamlet is a very multi-faceted person who is noble but is too proud, revengeful and ambitious. Thus it is his downfall and prolongs...
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...Robyn Bonate Mr. Schmidt Freshman Lit. & Comp 16 March 2014 The Madness of Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the character of Prince Hamlet has just gotten back to Denmark from school to learn that his uncle and mother are now getting married, the same uncle that killed his father, the king. There is much debate as to whether or not Hamlet truly did go crazy from these series of events. However, Hamlet, much to his dissent, did indeed go crazy when his late father died, although he persisted in believing he had not; through his demeanor, words, and inner turmoil, it was shown that he was simply in denial about this fact. When Hamlet’s late father’s ghost told him to kill his uncle as an act of vengeance, Hamlet wholeheartedly agreed. He also decided to act crazy, something his family and friends attributed to either grief or love, however Hamlet told his friend Horatio that he was simply acting. He might have began off simply acting, but he did gradually fade into madness. Hamlet went to see Ophelia after his meeting with the host of his father, where he demonstrated his first act of madness. “He took me by the wrist and held me hard…/ Long stayed he so,/ At last, a little shaking of mine arm,/ And thrice his head thus waving up and down/ He raised a sigh so piteous and profound” (II. i. 98-106). This is where his family got the idea that he was mad with love. And so, deciding to prove this, Claudius and Polonius had Ophelia help them...
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...In the play Hamlet, madness is very prevalent and is a major theme in the play. Madness is defined as mental delusion or eccentric behavior from it; and in this case Hamlet's madness changes his perception and affected his judgment. When people are mad, people start to react to things instead of thinking them through and do not act normally. Through Hamlet's apparent madness, Shakespeare illuminates the danger that Hamlet's flawed decisions made from poor judgment pose to other, especially those closest to him. Hamlet in the play makes flawed decisions because of his mental state. The madness contributes to his poor judgment. In act one scene five, Hamlet says “As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on” (1.5.28). This is Hamlet blatantly stating that he is going to pretend to act crazy. But the premise of it is a bit insane itself. He makes this decision from seeing the ghost of King Hamlet. It is strange that nobody except Hamlet has heard the ghost told. And even later in act three, scene four, Hamlet talks to the ghost in front of Gertrude, but Gertrude acts confused as if she never seen the ghost. The fact that Claudius killed his brother and married King Hamlet's wife upsets Hamlet and causes him to make these rash decision. Another example of his decision making is in act two scene two, where he makes fun of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet confronts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about them spying on him for the king and queen. Although...
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...In the book, Hamlet, some of the characters show symptoms of having mental health disorders. In the story the king gets killed and Hamlet, his son, wants to get to the bottom of it. The king's ghost comes back to give Hamlet hint to how he was killed. Hamlet figures out it was his uncle that poisoned the old king so he is now the new king, Claudius. Claudius has married Hamlet's mother, Gertrude and took the throne. Claudius killed him by dropping poison in his ear. Hamlet then turns a little crazy and starts seeking revenge on his uncle. He starts acting weird and mistreating his girlfriend to bring suspicion to him by Claudius. He kills his love, Ophelia's father, in the process of seeking revenge. Ophelia then starts showing very depressed...
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...Hamlets madness is not an act but rather a result of him suffering from schizophrenia a form of mental illness. After the death of his father Hamlets mental health began to deteriorate as a result he went into a state of depression which inevitably evolved into a mental illness. Hamlets depression is evident as he wishes not commit suicide stating, “Or that the Everlasting had not fixed / His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!” ( Act 2 Scene 1). The death of his father devastated him, and unable to cope with the grief became depressed. Hamlets depression soon evolved into schizophrenia as he began to show all the symptoms of someone suffering from such illness. First of all he began to hallucinate as when he was in his mother chamber...
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...in which Hamlet seeks to avenge the murder of his father, King Hamlet, by Claudius. In a typical revenge tragedy, a revenger craves and takes his revenge, leaving himself in a vicious cycle of ongoing revenge. However Hamlet is quite different, “prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell, / must like a whore unpack my heart with words” As instead of taking revenge he talks about it. William Shakespeare very effectively uses soliloquies to accentuate character traits and to reinforce specific themes in his play. A soliloquy spoken by hamlet in act 3 clearly portrays his character flaws and reinforces the theme of revenge. This soliloquy presents the audience a glimpse into Hamlet’s psyche. He is so depressed and grieved by his father’s death, that he too wishes to be dead and even considers attempting suicide. However as the catholic church states, one cannot take his own life which was a necessity from the Jacobean audience’s eyes. The aforementioned notion of revenge leads to...
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