Rating: Red (FREE)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Hamlet: Hamlet’s Sanity
“Great wits are sure to madness near allied, and thin partitions do
their bounds divide.” Though John Dryden’s quote was not made in regard to
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it relates very well to the argument of
whether or not Hamlet went insane. When a character such as Hamlet is under
scrutiny, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what state he is in at
particular moments in the play. Nonetheless, Hamlet merely pretends to be
insane so that he can calculate his moves according to the situation at
hand.
hamlet and poor horatio's skull
There are many situations throughout the play that are enough to
bring Hamlet to insanity. Take, for example, Act IV, scene II, after
Polonius‘s death. Hamlet’s day has been hectic; he finally determines that
Claudius has killed his father. The chance to kill Claudius confronts him,
and he comes very close to convincing Gertrude that Claudius killed his
father. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius and finally, the ghost of his
father visits him. Though at this point these situations create plenty of
reasons for Hamlet to be insane, he remains sharp and credible. “[Hamlet]
concocts this state of madness…his intellect remains clear, his discourse
sound and comprehensive,” (Harris, p. 129).
Hamlet reveals to his friends and his mother of his plans to
pretend act insane. He tells Horatio that he is going to “feign madness,”
and that if Horatio notices any strange behavior from Hamlet, it is because
he is putting on an act. (I, v). Hamlet also tells his mother that he is
not mad, “but mad in craft.” (III, iv). In addition to his confessions,
Hamlet’s madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of
certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude,
Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves irrationally. When Hamlet
is around Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, The Players and the Gravediggers,
he behaves rationally (Bevington, p. 59).
Some of the characters themselves come to realize that Hamlet is
not mad. Claudius confesses that Hamlet‘s “actions although strange, do not
appear to stem from madness.” (III, i). In addition, Polonius admits that
Hamlet’s actions and words have a “method” to them; there appears to be a
reason behind them, they are logical in nature. (II, ii).
Hamlet is also able to make smart remarks to Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, comparing them to sponges. “When he (Claudius) needs what you
have gleaned, it is but squeezing you and, sponge, you shall be dry again,”
( ). This is random and unexpected, as many of his actions, but the
comparison makes sense; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern soak up all the kings
favors, only to become dry again after they mop up the King’s “mess,” which
was spying on Hamlet, and getting Polonius’s body. Later, with Claudius,
Hamlet tells how lowly a king can be by saying, “A man (beggar) may fish
with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of
that worm,” ( ). This also makes sense, and is not quite as random; when
Hamlet confronts Claudius, and the king asks where Polonius is, Hamlet
immediately begins the comparison by telling Claudius that Polonuis is at
supper. This proves that Hamlet had some kind of planning for this
degrading comment, and that his thoughts are not scattered and he is able
to stay focused.
Hamlet believes in his sanity at all times. He never doubts his
control over psyche. There is a question, though, of what being insane
really is. Is Hamlet really mad? If so, what causes Hamlet’s madness? Is it
his reluctance to take revenge? Is it his confused feelings about his
mother? Is he in fact sane and the world mad for failing to understand the
things he says? Is he sometimes pretending to be mad and at other times
genuinely unbalanced? All of these question still remain unanswered, yet it
can be inferred from the text of Hamlet that there was a method to Hamlet’s
“madness.”
How to Cite this Page
“Hamlet: Hamlet’s Sanity.” 123HelpMe.com. 10 Apr 2010
<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=17090>.
Sunshine Dazey's Blog 