In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there exist instances of madness that play a crucial role in the development and unfolding of the play. The three major illustrations of the madness are when Hamlet feigns his madness at the start of the play, Ophelia’s madness after Polonius’ death and Hamlet’s semi-madness when he becomes violent with his mother towards the middle of the play.
The first case of madness presented is Hamlet’s feigned madness at the start of the novel. It is quite apparent that this first madness is feigned because Hamlet himself tells Horatio not to alert anyone if he is seen out of his mind. Hamlet’s emulated madness is revealed through his talk and the way he responds to other in the play, such as when he calls Polonius a “fishmonger” or when he so harshly turns Ophelia and her love down when he realizes he is being observed. This artificial madness can be deemed reasonable on accounts that it provides
Finally, we have Hamlet’s true madness when he confronts Gertrude towards the middle of the play. His madness this time is shown through the harsh tone that he uses when talking to this mother after killing Polonius. His madness here can be considered reasonable because of what Hamlet has been through, all the betrayals at the many different levels (his mother’s quick remarriage, his childhood friends betraying him to Claudius), the murder of his father, and the loss of the love of his life. This madness is important to the play has a whole because it is meant to examine the depth of despair, and it does move along the plot as well. The plot is enhanced because it brings in the Ghost one more time to remind Hamlet and the audience that Gertrude is not to be harmed for her decisions, and that that is to be left to heaven.
The next case of madness can be found in Ophelia’s role. After her father is killed by Hamlet, she go
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