In the play, Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, there is more reason to believe that Hamlet was just pretending to be mad. There are two main reasons why this is so. Hamlet, in the beginning says that he will pretend to be crazy in order to avenge his father's death, and the many things he does in order to accomplish this shows that he is not crazy. Also, when he is with people he trusts, it is obvious that his madness is just an act. These two reasons show that Hamlet was just pretending to be crazy.
The fact that Hamlet says he will act crazy and certain things he does in the play shows that he is not really crazy. After meeting with his father's ghost, Hamlet says that he will, "put an antic disposition on" (I,v,192), in order to get revenge for the murder of his father. The quote itself proves he was just acting crazy. Hamlet also thinks of a plan to make the actors act out a play similar to the way his father was murdered to, "make mad the guilty and appall the free" (II,ii591), in order to see if Claudius was really guilty or not. A mad man would not be able to think of a plan like this. Also, when Hamlet finds Claudius kneeling in prayer confessing his sin, Hamlet had a perfect chance to kill Claudius right then and there, but instead he does not. The reason is, if he killed Claudius while he was confessing, the murderer's soul would go to heaven and Hamlet's father would not be revenged. He vows to kill Claudius, "when he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th" incestuous pleasure of his bed" (III,iv,94-95), so that he would go to hell. A crazy person would not have been able to think through all this and would be a lot more impulsive. All of these reasons show that Hamlet's madness was just an act.
When Hamlet is with people he trusts, it is obvious that Hamlet is not really crazy, for he acts like he is insane only around the people he does not trust. When he talks to Ophelia (whom Hamlet does not trust) while being spied on by Claudius and Polonius, Hamlet tells her, "I did love you once" (III,i,125), and right after he tells her this, he says, "I loved you not" (III,i,129).
Hamlet Hamlet is a young man who's father dies and his life is turned upside down. ... Hamlet is battling his conscience. ... Hamlet is extremely indecisive. ... Hamlet wants to kill his uncle because he killed hamlets father. ... Hamlet only trusts Horatio. ...
The old king Hamlet is murder by Claudius and therefore Hamlet must take his revenge. ... Hamlet begins to doubt the ghost. ... Hamlet is contradicts himself. ... Hamlet's next problem is that of morality. ... Hamlet's flaw of irresolution, the uncertainty on how to act or proceed, is shown when Hamlet sees a play and the passion the actors had, after Hamlet's third soliloquy, in Hamlet's fourth soliloquy, and in Hamlet's indecisive pursuit in avenging his father's death. ...
Hamlet In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet never loses his sanity, in his plan to feign madness. ... It is after this statement that Hamlet begins to act mad. ... Guildenstern asks Hamlet what he means by this and Hamlet professes he is "" . . . but mad north-north-west. ... Polonius believe he [Hamlet] was mad. ... In a conversation, Gertrude questions Hamlet's sanity. ...
Hamlet In the play Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, Hamlet never loses his sanity, in his plan to feign madness. ... It is after this statement that Hamlet begins to act mad. ... Guildenstern asks Hamlet what he means by this and Hamlet professes he is "" . . . but mad north-north-west. ... Polonius believe he [Hamlet] was mad. ... In a conversation, Gertrude questions Hamlet's sanity. ...
Laertes is a mirror to Hamlet. ... Laertes is decisive and Hamlet is not. ... Fortinbras acts as Hamlet's inspiration; he motivates Hamlet to go forward with his plan to kill Claudius, which in the end leads to Hamlet's downfall. ... Horatio is Hamlet's friend and solid rock on whom Hamlet can trust and depend. ... Horatio cared for Hamlet greatly, and so Hamlet cared greatly for Horatio. ...
KING Now, Hamlet, where's Polonius? HAMLET At supper. ... If Claudius does not stand on one side of a titanic conflict, his betrayal of Hamlet's father and Marriage to Hamlet's mother, do ignite one: Hamlet's conflict with himself. ... In the end Hamlet dies along with most of the principle characters whether they were duplicities against Hamlet or not. ... By the end of the play Hamlet has thoroughly explored the question but like Hamlet, it remains an enigma. ...
Hamlet The study of Shakespeare's Hamlet has been one that is very extensive as well as enormous. ... A critic of Hamlet once said, "a man set out to read all the books about Hamlet would have time to read nothing else, not even Hamlet." ... "Hamlet is the tragedy of reflection. ... For where Hamlet saw that "the time is out of joint," Hamlet himself was "out of joint." ... (Mack. 64) Hamlet begins his questioning with the death of elder Hamlet. ...
Hamlet 1 Throughout Hamlet, Hamlet expresses his thoughts via several soliloquies. ... In this scene, Hamlet is being "set up" by Ophelia, Polonius, and Claudius. ... This is quite different than the "emotional Hamlet" seen in 1.2, or the "vengeful Hamlet" seen in 1.5. ... The three claim to be concerned for Hamlet's mental state of mind. This is ironic, because as the characters within the play see Hamlet mentally deteriorating, readers see Hamlet mentally developing. ...
Hamlet Tania Kozie-Slobodzian Hamlet is categorized as one of Shakespeare's tragedies. ... Horatio a friend of Hamlet tells Hamlet that he is afraid because he thinks he has seen a ghost who resembles the late King. ... The Ghost of Hamlet's father appears in front of Hamlet. The ghost is in fact Hamlet's late father. ... Now that Hamlet is said to be crazy, Polonius goes to the King and tells him about Hamlet's strange behavior concerning Ophelia. ...
