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Hamlet

 

            In William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, we meet an interesting character named Hamlet. His father is killed and he finds out it was his uncle who murdered him. This, among other events, is believed to drive him insane, but Hamlet is merely acting out an "antic disposition" for his plot to get revenge on his Uncle Claudius. There are many aspects in the play that lead to the belief that Hamlet has gone mad, but if Hamlet was truly insane he would not be able to make such swift and smart rational decisions when plotting his plans. Also, he would not be able to change from sane to insane when talking to specific people, and would not be aware of what is going on around him, something someone insane would not see and comprehend. When compared to Ophelia, who can not snap out of her insanity and can not make smart decisions, we can see that Hamlet is not truly insane.
             Firstly, someone who is truly insane cannot be insane only at certain times. You are either insane or you are not insane. Hamlet is pretending to be insane so that he could later kill Claudius and get away with it by saying he was mad. There are many times in the play that Hamlet acted perfectly sane and announced his "antic disposition" to people. Hamlet's "antic disposition" begins when the ghost of his father tells him about how he was murdered by Claudius and to avenge his death. Hamlet firmly states to Horatio that he might begin to act odd or weird, and that when he does to not to give him away. (Act 1, scene 5, lines 170-179). After Hamlet kills Polonious, thinking it was Claudius, he is very calm and states to his mother that his madness is just an act, "That I essentially am not in madness, bud mad in craft." (Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 189-180). Hamlet also states to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, "I am but mad north-north-west." (Act 2, Scene2, Line 376). By this Hamlet is saying that he is only mad at times. Truly insane people's minds can not go sane only at times.


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