Insanity In Hamlet

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The Tragedy of Hamlet by William Shakespeare is a story following the events that unfold after the death of King Hamlet. After his death many things go very awry, accusations are mad, and people die. Prince Hamlet, King Hamlet’s son, is the focus of this plot that traces his slow decent into insanity. Hamlet throws himself into situations acting the part of an insane man in order to draw attention from his motive; ultimately this is the demise of his sanity. Hamlet leads the typical life of a young prince and all is well, until it isn’t. His father is killed and his mother marries her brother-in-law, Claudius, rather rapidly. This sudden succession of funeral to marriage brings many of Hamlet’s friends, as well as Laertes, home from schooling …show more content…
His actions cause many of his close confidants to be uncomfortable around him as they do not understand many of the things he says and never know what he will do at any given moment. Those that are surrounding him truly believe him to be crazy although the cause is originally thought to be his love for Ophelia. Polonius is defiant that his daughter is the cause of Hamlet’s actions saying “But yet do I believe the origin and commencement of his grief sprung from neglected love. How now, Ophelia?” (III, 1, 56). Regardless of what Polonius thinks, King Claudius becomes suspicious of Hamlet’s actions and formulates that he isn’t really going crazy because of his love for Ophelia. Up to this point Hamlet has been successfully playing the part of crazy, so well that it is almost his permanent state. There are very few times where he is saying things that make sense at this point, and his logical thoughts are only expressed through his …show more content…
He has still been internally plotting the death of his Uncle but no viable options have been revealed to him. When he finds his way back home from being shipped to England he happens upon the funeral of his love, Ophelia. He has the audacity to tell Laertes that he loved her more than a brother ever could “I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up my sum” (V, 1, 108). There is no way this could come from a sane mind, no man of proper mind would ever take the grieving rights away from a family member. This is the final straw that comes with the realization that Hamlet has driven himself to insanity with his actions and thoughts. Truly, Hamlet starts out with a sane mind but only drives himself into madness from his actions through the tragedy. He could’ve gone about his plotting and revenge in a different way but chose to play the part of a madman that nobody could predict, but also could not believe that he could pose a serious threat; at least until later. This scenario is a perfect example of how someone can be their own demise, bringing a brutal end upon
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