...wrote this as an in-class essay. I'm just wondering about what I did well and what I can improve on. Thanks. Hamlet's Sanity and Insanity in William Shakespeare's The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark In the Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, by William Shakespeare, the sane Hamlet occasionally switches between the realms of sanity and insanity. When madness suits Hamlet's purpose, he puts on an "antic disposition" (I.V.173). On the other hand, when sanity proves worthy, Hamlet reverts back to being logical. Hamlet claims he is "mad north-north-west" (II.ii.376), meaning he is mad sometimes and sane other times. Therefore, to achieve his short-term goals, Hamlet shifts between sanity and insanity, which ironically, slows his overarching goal of revenge. To begin, Hamlet shifts into the realm of insanity to achieve his short-term goals. Hamlet uses his insanity as a weapon, changing insanity into the form of words or action. Furthermore, Hamlet is only insane towards his enemies or his enemy's allies. For example, Hamlet attacks Ophelia, who has allied herself with Claudius, with words: "are you honest" (III.i.104), "are you fair" (III.i.106). Hamlet "speak[s] daggers" (III.ii.387) to Gertrude, because she is an obstacle to Hamlet. Also, Hamlet slays Polonius so violently that Hamlet guarantees that Polonius is "dead, for a ducat, dead" (III.iv.25). Hamlet gravely harms both Ophelia and Gertrude with his words of insanity, while sending Polonius...
Words: 818 - Pages: 4
...Modern Connection Essay Throughout the course of the story, the development of PTSD is one of the many factors that develop the major theme of insanity. Within the novel Catch-22, Joseph Heller implements many elements and signs of future PTSD to add to the depth and further develop the theme of insanity and the causes of it through the main characters. The common theme of insanity is developed by the author through elements that can now be described as precursors to PTSD. The news article written by Sebastian Junger describes the characteristics and statistics of PTSD within the United States. PTSD is described as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which typically occurs after battle experiences for veterans. During the story, Yossarian encounters...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...Essay on Essay Analysis on The Movie "The Terminator" For the purposes of this essay I have chosen The Terminator, a science fiction B-movie feature from 1984. Although I intend mainly to study this purely as a single film, I do intend to study Terminator 2 in addition, thus making the essay a study of the series. In addition, I will be contrasting the theory written surrounding these films in relation to other contemporary postmodern theory, and as a result will be mentioning several other films by way of a comparison or contrast. The Terminator seems quite remarkable to me, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is one of many action films I watched in my early teens; a considerable number of which, like this film, starred the Austrian body-builder turned actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. What is so different about The Terminator though, is that unlike most of these films, this movie has enough depth and substance that, not only does it still bear watching now that I am older, but it also has an archive of academic theory written about it. The Terminator tells of a cyborg, a human shaped machine coated in flesh, that is sent back in time, from an apocalyptic future in which machines have 'got smart' and acted on their own to destroy the human race. The cyborg's mission is to assassinate the mother of the human's great leader, the man who taught the survivors to fight back against the machines. The woman, a young waitress named Sarah Connor, is protected only by a lone warrior...
Words: 1075 - Pages: 5
...Student Chapter 1 Abstract Intoxication as defined in S. 86 has remained a convenient defence in numerous murder cases, as it allows for acquittal in case of temporary insanity due to drunkenness. Through this paper we explore the jurisprudential history and the legal aspect of intoxication and find ways to bypass the landmark judgement of Basdev v. State of PEPSU(1956), which established the doctrine of insanity based on previous English judgements. This paper seeks to find ways for the police to establish guilt in such cases. S. 86 Scope of Section – The Indian Courts attribute the same knowledge to an inebriated person as they do to when he is sober. If the man has not gone very deep in drinking, the court can gather from the facts his intention, and whether the act was intended. Therefore, in cases where intention is essential, drunkenness is a defence. This section creates an artificial rule for effect of evidence and significance of facts, and the section must be read as it is and construed strictly. No knowledge or intention further of that of a sober man can be established to an intoxicated person. Drunkenness where not available as a defence can be offered as a mitigator of sentence. The section makes clear that intoxication has no effect on a person’s knowledge, and he must be presumed to cause the consequences of his acts. The difference between S. 85 and S. 86 is essentially based on whether the drunkenness is voluntary or involuntary. The absence of qualifying...
Words: 3419 - Pages: 14
...Jekyll and Mr. Hyde highlight the geographical segregation in London in the 1800s. For instance, the proper Dr. Jekyll is considerably wealthy and owns a house in a respectable part of London. However, he also owns another house in the “dismal quarter of Soho… with its muddy ways, and slatternly passengers” (Stevenson 23). Surrounding this house was “a dingy street, a gin palace, a low French eating house, a shop for the retail of penny numbers and twopenny salads, many ragged children huddled in the doorways, and many women of many different nationalities” (Stevenson 23). With the context of Walkowitz’s essay on the geographical division of London in the 1800s, it can be assumed by the reader that the house is located on the east side of London. The location and reputation of this area clashes with the Jekyll that his friends were familiar with. However, this area of London is perfectly suited for Mr. Hyde’s character and his lawless behavior. It is depicted as dark and shabby part of town where evil acts would not be unheard-of. The geographical division of London based on the economical status of individuals also represents Jekyll’s dual personality. Like Londoners living on the west side, Jekyll is representative of the wealthy, morally upright, and proper members of society. The other side of his personality, Mr. Hyde, is representative of...
Words: 1437 - Pages: 6
...Essay 1 Arthur Dimmesdale was a leader and pillar in the Boston community but he concealed a major sin from his congregation. Dimmesdale was the father of Pearl, meaning that he had an extramarital relationship with Hester Prynne. Hiding his affair from his church caused Dimmesdale massive amounts of guilt and internal suffering. He was emotionally tortured and driven to the verge of insanity to preserve his place in society. When Hester Prynne was publicly shamed in chapters one and two the entire town found out about her sin. Dimmesdale was extremely guilty that Hester went through the humiliation alone. He wanted Boston to know his part in the affair but also did not want his parish to reject his teachings. Reverend Dimmesdale was...
Words: 1434 - Pages: 6
...leads to a great deal of suffering. The sociable nature of our society makes death particularly difficult to handle: society expects us to "deal with" death and to return to normal activities relatively quickly, and looks down upon those who cannot achieve this. People respond to death in a wide variety of ways, ranging from grief, to rage, to deep depression bordering on insanity. It is this last response that the public views least favorably. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the titular protagonist has difficulty accepting the death of his father, and many of the coping mechanisms that he employs are still seen by individuals forced to deal with death in modern society. Hamlet's struggle with his father's death is the primary mechanism behind his inability to fall in line with the dictates of society. Hamlet is raised by his mother and father, the King and Queen of Denmark. As a child, Hamlet is relatively sheltered from death, and it is this unfamiliarity that leaves him unable to cope with it as an adult, when his world is shattered by the murder of his father. Initially, Hamlet does not know the cause behind his father's passing, but his father's ghost later reveals that he was murdered. When Hamlet learns that his father was killed by his brother, Claudius, he cries out, "O villain, villain, smiling, damned villain" (1.5.106). Claudius, it seems, intended to marry Queen Gertrude and be crowned King of Denmark in his brother's stead. Once Hamlet discovers the reason behind...
Words: 676 - Pages: 3
...Text” by Iris Jamahl Dunkle is an excerpt from the Critical Insights: The Bell Jar provides an interesting perspective on how the postwar society has a great effect on a woman’s sexuality and sexual behaviour. For example, women were much more encouraged to engage in intimate relationships and wanted to have children. Dunkle explains that “there is nothing psychotic about any of this, and most women who lived through the 1950s [...] attitudes toward virginity and that once freed from this-the virginity itself and her attitude toward it- a woman could be free” (Dunkle). This observation suggests that women felt a tie or a debt to men and the only way to be freed was through sex. This passage is significant as it will aid me though writing my essay because it adds new viewpoint while analysing the sexual affairs that occur throughout the novel. Additionally, by studying Plath and her literature it is evident that “there is [a] particularly stubborn, uncompromising mind of [Plath] represented in Esther’s psyche”(Dunkle). This is crucial to consider through the writing process because if there are biographical components shown through Esther, it will help me to better understand the author’s neurosis in addition to the character’s which will make for an interesting paper. Farland, Maria. "Sylvia Plath's Anti Psychiatry." Critical Insights: The Bell Jar (2002). n. page. Web. 27 Nov. 2013....
Words: 1539 - Pages: 7
...Stephen King’s cause and effect essay entitled “Why We Crave Horror Movies”, the author suggests how horror movies serve a specific purpose. The author reveals the popularity of attending horror movies and he also provides reasons that explain this “craving” behavior. The author claims that attending horror movies is not just a trend but also a necessity. Throughout his essay he explains that society has two main reasons to watch horror movies. First by viewing these films, society fulfills their cravings for excitement and entertainment. Yet, society also watches horror movies to fulfill their “physiological need”. King states that society needs to watch horror movies in order to release dark fantasies so they don’t act on them and exercise their dark side for their overall all well-being. King introduces the subject of the essay with a shocking statement where he says “..we are all mentally ill” (522). The author utilizes stereotyping in order to convince the reader that his thoughts are not so clean and positive, as the reader thinks. Furthermore, the author wants to prove that watching horror movies is an independent decision and people are willing to dare the “nightmare”(King 522). To further expand on the main reasons why people like horror movies, through the use of metaphor the author...
Words: 700 - Pages: 3
...data to rein in the hyperbole and hysteria that often is associated with certain drugs. Dr. Hart is not your average university professor though. He was one of the first African-Americans to get a tenured position at a major institution and overcame impossible odds to get there. Growing up in dire poverty near Miami, Dr. Hart experienced first hand the crack cocaine epidemic that swept across the nation in the 1980s and 1990s, and was firmly convinced by it that drugs were the primary cause...
Words: 2010 - Pages: 9
...University of Phoenix Material Biological Psychology Worksheet Answer the following questions in short-essay format. Be prepared to discuss your answers. 1. What is biological psychology? Biological Psychology is more known for behavioral and neurobiology neuroscience. This is a very interesting and exciting one. It is chiefly concerned with elucidating the neurobiological basis of psychological and behavioral phenomena. The interesting accomplished by being able to get images of the brain and trying to determine the location of the mental process, watching the activity of different components of our brain, allowing us to study the effect of behavior, and the effect of our brains outputs. The field has grown over the past decades due to the expansion of computer technology and the greater understanding of genetics and biology and the fMRI imaging machines. 2. What is the historical development of biological psychology? The historical development of biopsychology is traced as far back as the ancient Greek era. It became the Roman church who dictated much of the human behavior according to their religious beliefs. After the Dark Ages subsided a new way of thinking was born and this period is called the Renaissance era. With this era came new ways of studying things, ways to see things by observing them and this was how modern science was founded. 3. Name one to three important theorists associated with biological...
Words: 488 - Pages: 2
...‘Sexual Hysteria, Physiognomical Bogeymen, and the "Ghosts" in The Turn of the Screw’, Nineteenth-Century Literature, 43.2 (1988), 175-194. One argument presented in Renner’s text is the sexual overtones that he believes runs through-out The Turn of the Screw. Renner identifies the idea that the Governess is obsessed with the ghosts in a way that can only be viewed as a longing for sex, Renner attaches this idea to a psychoanalytical reading of the novel. This makes The Turn of the Screw seem highly sexualised, and cause a question to be asked of the Governess and her real intentions in novel. Is she actually seeing the ghosts or is she trying to cause so many terror that she causes the master of the house to do something? Furthermore, it brings into question the Governess’s relationship with Miles and the relationship she has with Mrs Grose. If Renner’s reading of the novel is one that is followed, it could be suggested that the Governesses madness and insanity is not only one thought up by her psyche but also is a manifestation of repression of sexual thoughts and feelings. Therefore, it could bring to light the question of the children’s safety and whether Miles’s death was an accident or whether it was murder. Moreover, the argument proposed by Renner discusses the idea of the oppression of women in the Victorian era. Renner proposes ‘a profound conflict between their natural sexual impulses and the repression of sexuality required by society’ (p.179) suggesting that the...
Words: 1611 - Pages: 7
...Literary essay - The Black Cat Alcoholism is known by many as a disease. A never-ending addiction, which can completely change the abuser’s personality to a point where he or she is almost unrecognizable, compared to how he or she was before. In the story “The Black Cat” by Edgar Poe Allen, 1842, the protagonist goes from an animal-loving husband to an animal and wife -abusing psychopath, due to him being constantly under the effect of alcohol. The narrator in the story is on his death row, and he is looking back at earlier events while confessing his sins. In his childhood, the narrator was very fond of animals, and was given many pets by his parents, which he enjoyed taking care of. “From my infancy I was noted for the docility and humanity of my disposition. My tenderness of heart was even so conspicuous as to make me the jest of my companions” (P.7 L. 18-20). The narrator was as a child, very sweet, kind and lighthearted, which is why he took great pleasure in spending time with his pets. Unfortunately, he was also bullied, which resulted in him spending all his time caressing the animals, because they liked him compared to his bullies. As a grown man, the narrator gets a new cat but ends up mistreating it. He starts drinking a lot and feeling irritable and violent while even abusing his wife and his other pets. This causes the black cat, Pluto; to avoid and neglect him, because it is feeling scared. From the narrators point of view however, he feels that it does not...
Words: 717 - Pages: 3
...Hamlet Worldviews Essay There are many versions of the famous play ‘Hamlet’, which all follow the same tragedy, but the target audiences for each version of the artwork naturally interpret the play/ films differently than the original target audience. Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” targets the audience of the Globe theatre in the late 16th to 17th century, while the very popular Kenneth Branaugh’s “Hamlet” targets a completely different audience, targeting the 19th century audience. Both versions are quite similar, however; Branaugh modified his version appropriately so that his audience could have a better understanding of the madness and religion and views on suicide displayed in “Hamlet”. Shakespeare’s audience would interpret Hamlet’s madness differently than Branaugh’s audience in the sense that Shakespeare wanted to portray the idea that Hamlet was mad because his evil conscience was demanding that he took revenge, and this ultimately took control over him—causing him to go mad. Today’s audience would be more likely to assume that Hamlet has gone mad as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder caused by his uncle murdering his beloved father. This is a significant impact on the target audience because Shakespeare wouldn’t have been familiar with the disorder, and Branaugh does well in creating the effect that Hamlet wasn’t just mad because of his conscience demanding revenge, but the trauma of losing his father through an atypical death. Hamlet: “Not where he eats but where...
Words: 631 - Pages: 3
...1979. Choose a complex and important character in a novel or a play of recognized literary merit who might on the basis of the character’s actions alone be considered evil or immoral. In a well-organized essay, explain both how and why the full presentation of the character in the work makes us react more sympathetically than we otherwise might. Avoid plot summary. People say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. So it is with Don Quixote, who, in his quest for justice, incurs carnage in the wake of his adventures. Despite committing crimes such assault, theft, and vandalism, he remains sympathetic to the reader because of his redeeming desire for justice and because of the fact that his insanity and general impotence as a knight...
Words: 661 - Pages: 3
