Hamlet Madness

Introduction

Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a complex play, filled with layers of meaning.

Throughout the play Hamlet takes on different personas, making it hard to define him as

only one character type. Often when critics analyze the character of Hamlet, they question

his sanity because of his ambiguity soon after he sees his father's ghost. What does it mean

to be insane? The definition of the word "insane" says that the person must "exhibit

serious and debilitating mental disorders". Does Hamlet truly go insane, is his father's

ghost just a figment of his tormented imagination, or is Hamlet a smart actor who

meticulously planned to avenge his father's death? In truth, this question can be answered

by observing the thoughts of the main characters in relation to the cause of Hamlet real or

feigned madness. To discover the cause behind the madness of Hamlet, each character

used their own ambitions, emotions and interpretation of past events. Many reasons have

been proposed for the ultimate tragedy, which occurs at the conclusion of the play. This

paper questions whether prince Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s famous play is really

mad, or whether his madness is feigned. The paper argues, by bringing evidence from the

play, that Hamlet faked his mad behavior forwards an end-that of vengeance.

Literature Investigation

Chardhuri (1999:435) answers the question of if Hamlet's madness is feigned; he

recommends that Hamlet's madness is a serious subject of Hamlet's tragedy play. Hamlet

adopted to be an antic position because he thinks that provides to him a cover for

observing thinking and deciding upon the question of his guilt or innocence. It can't

assume that Hamlet's madness is adopted and this is of course in not to say that Hamlet in
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the stage is fullest possession of sanity. In fact, one reason for Hamlet behavior is the fact

he is called upon to the play in a role which is not according to his nature. He could have

at once confided in his friends and enlisted their aid in the task of executing revenge, but

he decides to assume madness and manages things alone.

Delman (2009) states that Hamlet' behaves like insane or madman in order to get his

goal. The first act that assumes his mad is when he shows up in Ophelia sewing closet,

clothes akimbo, and acts insane by grabbing her arms, caressing her face, and staring at

her intently as he leaves the room. So, when he does these actions Ophelia believes that he

had a problem in his mind. Polonius describes Hamlet's madness when he begins sick

from his love to Ophelia. Farther more, Hamlet continues discovering if his uncle is a

murderer, and he continues feigned madness telling Ophelia he doesn't love her at all. That

causes her to remark on his attitude change from sadness to ecstatic.

According to Essay/Term Paper: Is Hamlet Mad? (2010), the death of Hamlet's father

and his uncle seizure of his moth Hamlet's madness is unhealthy obsession with the

afterlife, and that one of reasons that the ghost of his father has effected on him. For as a

result of seeing the murder and mother's adultery, Hamlet says he will put on an "antic

disposition" telling the others that he will act oddly. However, Horatio and Marcellus

know that Hamlet is acting rather strangely, but they mustn't tell anyone why he is going

to do that. Then Claudius is attractive to say to the others about Hamlet's madness because

he thinks that Hamlet knows about his treachery and wants to deflect his guilt and detract

from Hamlet's credibility.

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 Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet-Madness and Hamlet (2010) suggests

that Hamlet pretend to be insane and it first seems that just acting, but then it appears that

he does go truly insane after he collect the evidence against Claudius he continue to

behave strangely. When Hamlet kills Polonius thinking that he is Claudius, his react was

not in the manner which a sane person would. This act makes Laertes, son of Polonius,

angry and leads him to avenge to his father's death by killing Hamlet. The death of

Claudius by Hamlet also contributed to the dismay of Ophelia. In these ways, Hamlet

insanity contributed to the overall tragedy of the play.

Delville and Michel (2003) quoted that the characters of Shakespeare's play are

themselves desperate to discover the origins of the affection which mars the prince of

Denmark. Whilst Polonius sees Hamlet's conduct as the result of disappointed love,

Ophelia can only see the symphonies of pure madness. For Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

it is ambition and frustration which are gnawing away at the young heir to the throne.

Finally, for Gertrude, Hamlet's mother who in this joins most critics, at root of it is a

warped reaction, including rejection, to the death of his father and her own hasty

remarriage. Most of the characters observing Hamlet's behavior can't agree whether it is

fake and calculating or whether the prince really suffering from a mental illness treating

the "noble, sovereign reason" which separates men from beats Claudius.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet- A Sane man (2010) believes Hamlet is

sane man, and he is feigning madness in order to get his own plans for revenge. After

Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus see the ghost; Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to

"feign madness". Hamlet states that from this point forward I may act wired, but to ignore

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my acts of madness for they are just that, acts, and are in no way a sign of true madness.

Only sane and rational person could devise such a plan as to act insane to convince others

that he is insane, when he is in the presence of certain characters. Claudius and Polonius

believe that Hamlet is not mad, but that there is a purpose behind his madness.

Shakespeare gives an example of truly mad person, and Hamlet tells his mother he is not

crazy. These facts prove beyond a doubt that Hamlet had completely control of psyche at

all times throughout the play.

Somroo (2009) mentions almost all critics have dealt with the character of Hamlet

have given their opinions and can be grouped into two. There are critics who believe that

Hamlet is definitely mad and his madness is real. George Farrea, a nineteenth century

critic, says that "the death of his father, the hasty marriage of his mother, over throw of his

royal hopes, all these working on mind predisposed to gaiety imparts of a tinge of

melancholy to it". According to this critic there are definite signs of madness in the play.

His actions and behavior after meeting ghost, his meeting with Ophelia with pale face,

etc… are the sure signs of his madness. Prof. Nicoll says in his book:"it is quite natural

that the shocks to Hamlet's inner nature should tend to destroy his sanity". On the other

hand, there are extreme critics who hold the view that Hamlet is not mad at all and his

madness is definitely feigned. Sinder, a nineteen century critic, says that Hamlet is not

mad at all, and he possesses the finest sides of character and intelligence. Then he has

weakness, melancholic color in his feeling etc… Brooke in "on ten plays of Shakespeare"

remark, all men of Genius are mad, Genius itself is madness. If Genius is madness Hamlet

was mad ". a German critic Vischer says:" Hamlet is just as insane as all men of Genius

one". If should be clear that feigning of madness was a part of the convention of the

revenge play; there can't be more proof words on the sanity of Hamlet than the words to

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his mother. He is sane with Horatio and players are sensible. Some critics run away with

the idea that Hamlet was not actually mad in the beginning. He adopted madness in the

beginning and went completely mad later on. In fact, when he sees Ophelia dead, he gets

an emotional shock. Suddenly he forgets his adopted madness and at once comes to his

grounds. He only expresses his true, deep, and secret love for Ophelia and nothing more.

Bloomfield (2007) deals with Hamlet "antic disposition", we can draw on a long

tradition of madness in revenge tragedy, and Shakespeare didn't come up with the idea of

a mad revenge .in fact the drama critics Hallett and Hallett called their landmark study of

the conventions of revenge drama The Revenge's Madness. In the book they argue that

madness is often the only way out for characters, like Hamlet, are caught between

conflicting demands that can't be resolved. Madness removes the moral quandary and

revenge tragedy, relies upon when Hamlet's "noble mind" is apparently "o'er thrown", he

takes his place amongst a gallery of manic revengers that started with the first English

revenge drama. This Spanish tragedy comparing Hamlet with his equivalents in these

other plays will not provide a simple answer as to whether he is "faking it" or really mad,

but it does make us aware of how much complicated question is than may at first appear.

According to A Method in Hamlet Madness (2010), in Hamlet Shakespeare bring the

theme of madness in two characters one truly mad, and one only acting mad to serve a

motive. Through two characters we can see this theme. The madness of Hamlet is

frequently disputed, therefore, Ophelia breakdown and Hamlet's brand of insanity argue

for Hamlet having a method to his seeing insanity. While Shakespeare doesn't directly put

Ophelia insanity, or breakdown, against Hamlet's own madness, there is a clear accuracy

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in Ophelia's condition and clear uncertainty in Hamlet's madness. Actually, Hamlet

character offers more evidences, while Ophelia's breakdown is quick but more conclusive

in it’s in its precision.

According to Bhatia (1999), there are different critics with different opinions about

Hamlet’s madness, some of them stated that “Hamlet is as mad as an be”, another critics

stated that “Hamlet is half mad”, yet another said that “Hamlet is the sanest man in all

Denmark”. There is another critic who believes that “Hamlet’s madness is craft”. It would

be insane to make the hero of the whole play as mad, and if Hamlet becomes irresponsible

the whole play becomes a chaos. Accordingly to the professor Nicoll, madness is a state of

mind in which a person loses, momentarily or permanently control of himself, and speaks

or acts beyond the parameters of reasons. Professor Nicoll believes that Hamlet shows

definite signs of madness in the scenes: first, after he meets the ghost; second, in the scene

of the play within the play; third, in the scenes of the graveyard where he fights with

Laertes. Hamlet is sane as sane can be a lot of things say that there is no reason why we

should call Hamlet mad, when his mind is reeling under the impact of the ghost’s

revelation, Hamlet quickly recovers and decides that he must feign madness to control his

emotional turmoil. His behavior toward those he loves is totally normal. Brook rightly

observed that “the fact is that Shakespeare never intended to represent Hamlet as a mad or

half mad or verging on madness. He expressly made him a feigner of madness and when

he wished to represent real madness of Ophelia he did it with wonderful truth and skill.

There is not a trace of madness in Hamlet”. Sir Arthur Quiller Couch said “Hamlet is sane,

considering the shock he has undergone; we may almost say there was never a more sane

man”.

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 Lall (1999:97-102) believes that the problems in Hamlet’s play are many. One of them

is madness or is Hamlet mad or not. His madness is feigned or real? For whom think that

Hamlet has a really madness said that when the reader accept that his madness is real by

his relationship and speaks to Polonius, to the two courtiers (Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern) to Ophelia and the king. More than that Hamlet’s murder of the father of the

girl that he loves, and there is conversation between Hamlet and Polonius which seems to

show him is not in his right mind. He calls fish monger and shows by his satirical remarks

and say to Polonius daughter “let her not walk I’ the sun…”and then his manners that

shows to Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. Rosencrantz says that the world has grown

honest, then Hamlet replies “then is doomsday near; but your news is not true…” in

speaking to Ophelia , he insult her as he insult her father, and he tell her not to married but

to go to a nunnery. So this way makes him appears man one. On the other hand Hamlet’s

Soliloquies, a proof of his sanity. Hamlet’s speeches with himself or to Horatio are

unquestionably the speeches of a madman, but have a confidence and powerful intellect.

His speaks to Horatio is logical and coherent, and Horatio doesn’t admit that Hamlet’s

mind is crazed. Then, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern describe his condition as “a crafty

madness” that means that Hamlet’s tries to be like madman, but he is not. In fact Hamlet

is merely wearing an “antic disposition” is confirmed by Hamlet himself.

Madness in Hamlet (2001) recommends in Hamlet play, it is important to him to act

like insane actor. In comparison Hamlet’s madness is deferent from Ophelia suffers,

Ophelia does really go in mad, but Hamlet remains lucid and uses a disguise of madness

in order to get his goal of knowing who kills his father. In addition, to where he needs to

be. Then Polonius tells Claudius that Hamlet is mad, in that way Hamlet is no longer a

threat to the king and cannot acceding the throne. Michael Billington says about Hamlet

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madness:” Hamlet is so self-critical and self-aware he is frightened of dwindling in to a

vulgar revenge hero”. And Peter MacGarry comments in Hamlet condition “the price is an

extraordinary crossbreed of complex emotions and reactionary impulse”

Essay, Research Paper: Theme of Madness in Hamlet (2010) points out that Hamlet is

not crazy, but uses this madness to achieve what he wanted. Hamlet himself says:” I

essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft”. So Hamlet acts like madman just

because he did not want o outright kill Claudius and he wants to his suffer like his father

as the ghost tell him. In the other hand, Hamlet’s situation is obsession with his mother

remarriage to his uncle that contributes to his insanity. He says “what should a man do but

be married? For look you how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within’s

two hours” Hamlet is smart and swift thinking, and he makes the people around him

believe his madness, he make a big plan to find his father’s murder by killing his uncle

Claudius.

Hamlet Madness (2007) suggests that Hamlet madness one of the most discussed

topics among critics. In the Elizabethan age the society wants to experience something

new on the stage and the after-effects of Renaissance. They were realizing the immense

potentialities of human being. The abnormal conditions portrayed on stage were like the

inner process being unfolded in the front of their eyes. Another reason was the desire of

the human being to see something dramatic in front of them. Hamlet's feigned madness is

the only way for his pent up emotions, so he uses an abnormal conditions to verify what a

supernatural thing, ghost of his father, told him. Moreover, Hamlet 'crafty madness'

provides him with a chance of observing other normal human beings; there is comment for

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Hamlet at one place:" that time is out of joint. O cursed spite that I was ever born to set it

right." Hamlet will be using his madness to set things right, and according to Samuel

Johnson "Hamlet' is, through the whole play, rather an instrument than an agent." He

doesn’t make an effort to kill his Uncle even after making sure of his guilt. Hamlet's uncle

dies in circumstances which are not created by Hamlet himself.

Hamlet Insanity(2009) state that Hamlet is display his insanity throughout the play,

but his madness is pointed for us to include that he actually loses his mind. Hamlet's

decision feigns madness is a sane one, taken to confuse his enemies and hide his

intentions. On the other hand, Hamlet himself in a unique and traumatic situation, and he

can't believe in religion, which he failed his father and kill him to life miserable

experience, and he can't trust the society may not be mad, but he close to be feign madness

through the play.

Methodology

Data collection

In order to collect data, the researchers used a "questionnaire" (See Appendix 1); they

have distributed it in Drama class at IUG after attaining the agreement of Mrs. Ahlam

Anbar the teacher of Drama course. The questionnaire includes 4 easy multiple questions,

and should be answered all alone.

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Sample

The researchers prepared the questionnaire to be distributed among the senior English

students who have already take Hamlet's play. Thus, the researchers have selected 15

students from the class. The way that the researchers have chosen the sample was

randomly.

Procedure

At the middle of fall semester, 15 English students selected randomly from about 45

students, the researchers have distributed the questionnaire among them after explaining it.

The students were having the right to write down whatever they want related to the

questions.

Before writing the questions, the researchers made it to fit the time, the nature of

questions, and the students themselves, and the questions were multiple choices about

Hamlet Madness.

To answer multiple questions, data were collected from the questionnaires which were

distributed among senior students. The researchers classified the data in table (figure -1- )

in order to put them in a unified form, in which each result can put in a space.

Analysis

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 Before delivering the questionnaire to the students, the researchers gave them general

idea about the questions and explained everything for them and make it clear to them. As a

result, the students were eager to have the questionnaire and answer it.

During answering the questions, the students were very interested and exited. As a

result, they did it easily and quickly, but with little questions and clarifications. The

researchers were collaborators with them.

After answering the questions, the researchers collect the questionnaire from students,

and make sure that the entire questionnaire is good. And before leaving the classroom, they

thank the students and the teacher a lot for their helping.

Result

The purpose for results is to present and illustrate the researcher’s findings, and what

they have been done. The results of the research paper are expected, because Hamlet has

feigned madness not real according to many critics. So the best way that we can show the

“multiple choices” results are to put it in tables which called “numerical”.

Question no. A B C
1-
Answer key 15 - -
2- 5 10 -
3- 4 11 -
4- 4 2 9
Figure -1-

Discussion

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 There is overwhelming consensus of critics that Hamlet's madness is not true, and this

is evident in the results of the questionnaire carried out by researchers, and found that most

students who studied Hamlet see that it is not real but feigned, and this is confirmed by

many critics also.

Most of the students who had undergone the questionnaire confirm that Hamlet is not

insane, but he feigns and there are different responses in the real reason in the madness of

Hamlet. Some of them think it is because the death of his father and hasty marriage of his

mother, some of them think it's a result of disappointed love but the vast majority believes

that his madness is for revenge purpose and that what the consensus reached by critics and

researchers in the Hamlet's play.

By stating that Hamlet could have controlled his fraudulent madness, he then had the

capability of controlling his conscious mind into acting traditional.

Recommendation

After conducting the research on Hamlet madness, the results proved that Hamlet

madness is feigned, and this is proven in many situations, such as what happen with him

with his mother when he told her he is not crazy; there are also other situations that we

have read through research and this has been proved by critics and the research sample

also.

We have encountered difficulties in proving whether Hamlet madness feigned or real.

Because the vast amount of information that we have found through books, websites and

the views of the research sample, but we overcome by searching the exact, collecting the

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correct evidence from reliable sources, and this helped to take our view that Hamlet

madness was feigned not real.

We enjoyed a lot during our research. We go deeply into the play Hamlet; although,

we have not read it before and this is the first time. It was a big risk in choosing the subject

of our research; we have taken the subject of this in spite of our lack of knowledge. At the

end, we hope it will be useful for researchers in this subject.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hamlet really could not have been insane the whole time, otherwise

nothing would have fit the perfect way that it did. Also, if he truly was insane, he would

not have actually accomplished all the things that he had managed to do. He certainly did

have a lot of rage and made many rash actions, but could his rage have been his madness?

If Hamlet was truly insane he certainly did not lose any of his cunning. He devised a way

to make the king pay for his sins and he did just that. It was a very ingenious plan that

Hamlet created, and it almost worked… whether he was sane or lost control of his actions,

both theories has its own support. The support makes each theory a sensible decision either

way. Hamlet as seen from beginning to end, a prince that was grieve stricken, until a prince

of rage and passion, has developed through the stages by his own sanity and madness.

Even if the madness was true or false, as Hamlet portrayed the role of a mad man, he took

it upon himself to be lost in his control of actions.

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Bibliography

A Method in Hamlet Madness. (2010). Available: http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper /

72568.html [Accessed 12 Jan 2010].

Bhatia, P. (1999). William Shakespeare Hamlet: Comment on Hamlet’s Madness. London:

USB Publisher’s Distributors ltd, pp. 98-100.

Bloomfield. (2007).Hamlet and Madness: Madness in Revenge Drama by Shakespeare and

his Contemporaries. Available: http://shakespearetragedies.suite101.com/article.

cfm/ hamlet_and _madness [Accessed 11 Jan, 2010].

Chaudhuri, P. (1999). William Shakespeare Hamlet: Do you agree with the View that

Hamlet’s Madness Was Entirely Feigned. 17th. New Delhi: Aarti Book Center 1\13,

p.435.

Delman, M. (2009). Madness, Revenge and Loyalty in Hamlet: Major Themes of

Shakespeare Tragic play. Available: http://shakespearetragedies.suite101.com/

article.cfm/madness _revenge_and_loyalty_in_hamlet [Accessed 10 Jan,2010].

Delville, M and Michel, P. (2003).Introduction to Hamlet. Available: http://www.littanam

.ulg.ac.be/hamletenglish.html#top[Accessed 11 Jan, 2010].

Essay, Research Paper: Theme of Madness in Hamlet. (2010). Available: http://www.

customessaymeister.com/customessays/Hamlet/14042.htm [Accessed 11 Jan,

2010].

Essay\Term Paper: Is Hamlet Mad.(2010). Available: http://www.dreamessays.com/

customessays/Hamlet/2748.htm [Accessed 10 Jan, 2010].

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Hamlet Madness. (2007). Available: http://literarybonaza.blogspot.com/2007/11/hamlets-

madness.html [Accessed 11 Jan, 2010].

Lall, R. (1999). William Shakespeare Hamlet Critical Study: The problem of Hamlet’s

madness. 13th ed. New Delhi: Rama Brothers Educational Publishers, pp. 97-102.

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare's Hamlet-A Sane Man.(2010).Available: http://www.

123helpme.com/view.asp?id=17109 [Accessed 11 Jan, 2010].

Madness and Insanity in Shakespeare’s Hamlet-Madness and Hamlet. (2010). Available:

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id-145807 [Accessed 10 Jan, 2010].

Madness in Hamlet. (2001). Available: http://www.rsc.org.uk/hamlet/learning/madness

.html. [Accessed 11 Jan, 2010].

Somroo, A, R. (2009). Hamlet’s Madness. Available: http://www.scribd.com/doc/

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Study Questions and Essay Topics. (2009).Available: http://www.sparknotes.com/

Shakespeare/Hamlet/Study.html/ [Accessed 11 Jan, 2010].

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Appendix (1)

Questionnaire Application

Dear Student,

This questionnaire is for research purpose. It's easy to respond to and doesn’t take much
of your time, and it has nothing to do with the course so please don’t write your name.

1-Do you read William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" play?

A-Yes

B-No

2-Do you think that Hamlet is mad?

A-Yes

B-No

3- If so, do you think his madness is …

A-Real

B-Feign

4-Do you think that Hamlet's madness is because

A-The death of his father and hasty marriage of his mother

B-A result of disappointed love

C -Revenge purpose

Thank you for your time 

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