12/3 Hamlet (#13b)

Hamlet’s Madness 1

Hamlet’s madness from the beginning held purpose and was fully under his control. It is evident that he wears his insanity willingly because he warned the guards, after first meeting his father’s spirit, that they should not be alarmed by his future actions foreshadowing his acting of madness. In addition, his plan to verify his uncle’s gilt, could not be done by a mad man. Such a plan could only be conceived by a rational and intelligent person. Again, Hamlet proves sane when he drops the mad act for his mother as he explains his father’s murder. The purpose of his acting mad is not explicitly explained, only that it is part of his plan to revenge his father’s death. It is reasonable to think that it was meant to make his uncle let his guard down.

Ophelia & Gertrude

Gertrude, the queen, is quick to use Ophelia to help lift her son’s spirits. When Gertrude thinks her son has gone mad from a broken heart, she is quick to throw Ophelia back at him. She does not really care about Ophelia, but only for her son.

It is hard to get an idea of how Hamlet feels about his mother and Ophelia because he has been playing mad around them. Before he started his act of insanity he sent love letters to Ophelia, so he probably loves her. It seems he loves his mother, but holds her accountable in someway to his father’s death.

Play within a Play

Shakespeare had Hamlet stage a play in his play. The play-within-a-play partially adds realism to Shakespeare’s play. Just as television shows have actor watching television or characters in books often read. The play Hamlet puts on also alludes to the act he has been putting on, convincing everyone of his insanity.

The speeches and actions reflect poorly on the events in the kingdom of Denmark. They demonstrate the temporarily good, but unstable state of things.

After the King sees his actions replayed on stage he is convicted of his sin and retreats to pray. Hamlet anticipates the Kings reaction and believes it to be clear evidence the ghost told him the truth. The Kings reaction actually puts Hamlet in a good mood. He now knows that he truly did not hallucinate his father’s spirit. In the back of Hamlet’s mind he might have wondered, if while acting mad, if he might really be mad. The Kings reaction evaporated any doubt Hamlet might have had in himself and strengthened Hamlets resolution to revenge his father’s death.