Such genius is Hamlet; others in the play truly believe he is mad. By creating this facade of insanity he was able to distract those around him and concentrate on finding out whether or not Claudius murdered his father. He convinced his mother (Gertrude) and Polonius that he was mad toward the fair Ophelia, mad for her love. While Rosencrantz and Guildenstern don’t know what to make of his mental state, when they report back to Claudius. But Claudius is never convinced his madness was driven by love and makes plans to send Hamlet to England.

While creating a new character for himself Hamlet does come out of the spell of madness during his soliloquies. When he tells us, the audience of his intentions and of his thoughts:

Play something like the murder of my father

Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks;

I’ll tent him to the quick. If he do not blench,

When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,…

As hell, whereto it goes. (3.3.77-100)

To take him in the purging of his soul,

Hamlet’s actions here conflict with what he wants to do. Hamlet is not a soldier or a killer; he is a scholarly prince so this action of killing a man is very unnatural to him. Hamlet wants nothing more to avenge his father’s death, but at what expense is he willing to give. Hamlet’s internal conflict to slay Claudius is now a heavier burden. Hamlet can act now and finish this act and send him to heaven, or wait till he is doing a less holly deed and send him to hell. Hamlet can only justify this plot of revenge so much and he wants to be certain before acting. This is clearly seen here during this soliloquy, when we hear the hesitation in his thoughts.

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