Hamlet’s Psychological Complexity
Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, touching on various themes. The play’s protagonist, Prince Hamlet, has a complex psyche, which may raise questions about whether he is crazy. His behavior and monologues often do not answer this question. Therefore, this paper will analyze whether Hamlet was truly crazy or skillfully pretended to carry out his revenge plan.
Evidence of Feigned Madness in Early Acts
From the very beginning of the play, Hamlet’s madness seems feigned. He states, “I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a heron” (Shakespeare). In addition, he articulates his plan for revenge against Claudius and realizes that his actions can be seen as irrational and insane. This confirms the fact that initially, the main character only wanted to appear insane, but as the events in the play develop, the character behaves more and more illogically, and his monologues become incoherent.
Progressive Signs of Genuine Mental Deterioration
He begins to see his father’s ghost and treats those around him harshly. Moreover, his behavior becomes frightening, which indicates that Hamlet is gradually losing his mind. Ophelia and Gertrude consider Hamlet crazy because of his unpredictable and cruel behavior (Shakespeare). If, in the beginning, the main character seems like a sweet young man with a noble mission to avenge his father’s death, then in the end, he seems to lose touch with reality altogether.
Transformation from Pretense to Reality
I think Hamlet was not insane initially but became so as events unfolded. He was greatly affected by his father’s death, which he could not cope with. Moreover, instead of reliving his grief of loss, he becomes fixated on getting revenge on Claudius. These two reasons caused his hallucinations, irrational behavior, and incoherent monologues. The development of this character raises essential questions about the nature of the human psyche and the influence of various events and experiences on it.
Work Cited
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. The Project Gutenberg, 2009. The Project Gutenberg EBook. Web.