Is Hamlet Mad or Faking It Essay Example

the Ghost too. Therefore, this shows us that Ghost's existence is doubtless. However, he only talks with his son twice as we are not sure that Horatio and the two sentry hears Ghost's command to swear at the end of Act I (a1. s5. L-155, 162,182). After Hamlet sees his father, he declares that he will behave strangely from that time, and he makes the three followers swear that they do not tell anyone about this night: "...

Here as before, never so help you mercy, / How strange or odd some'er I bear myself, / As I perchance hereafter shall think meet/ To put an antic disposition on-/ That you at such times seeing me never shall/ with arms encumbered thus, this head-shake/ pr by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase.... /So grace and mercy at your most need help you, swear" (a1. s5. L. 165-181). After the sear of Horatio, Marcellus and Fransisco, there is nobody on the world to know the existence of the Ghost, so it seems very probable for Hamlet makes up his mind to use his madness to hide his anger for his uncle and his desire for revenge.

Consequently, after examining the start point of Hamlet's strange behaviours it is not ver hard to realise that he decided to use madness as a camouflage for his revenge. From the scene that Hamlet sees Ghost to the end of play, it could be observed by Hamlet's behaviours that he is acting the mad. He only reflects his feelings and ideas from the events to his best friend Horatio and he tries to message Gertrude that he is not mad at all but

only behaving it when they talk in Gertrude's private room: "... It is not madness that I have uttered.

Bring me to the test/ And I the matter will reword, which madness would gambol from.... That's not your trespass but my madness speaks;... Forgive me this my virtue, / For in the fatness of these pursy times/ Virtue itself of vice pardon beg", "The death I gave him. So again, good night. / Imust be cruel only to be kind;/ Thus bad begins and worse remains behind. " and "..... That I essentiallly am not in madness/ But mad in craft" (a3. s4. L140-200). If he was mad at all, he would not reflect himself that much clearly because a mad person would not have thought very rationally as we observe this in his words to his mother.

It is clear that he speaks normally with his mother at this stage. Therefore, it is seen that Hamlet is determined to fake madness in front of people. On the other hand, when he is alone with her mother, because of his grief for his father and hatred for her mother for marrying Claudius, Hamlet first insults her mother in Act 3 Scene 4. However, when the Ghost reminded him about his revenge, he remembers he is only acting madness and he claims this to his mother. The second character he tries to speak normally is his friend Horatio, as he discusses the events.

For example, before his duel with Leartes he talks with Horatio normally as he explains how he found the letter of Claudius with command of his death and how he sent Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to England,

to their death. Before Hamlet's play "Mouse Trap" started he explained his plot for organising such a play only to Horatio: "... There is a play before the king: On scene of it comes near the circumstance/ Which I have told thee of my father's death. / I prithee when thou seest that act afoot,/ Even with the very comment of my soul/ Observe my uncle.

I his occulted guilt/ Do not unkennel in one speech/ It is a damne ghost we have seen, / And my imagination's are as foul... "(a. 3. s. 3L-60-77). By this speech, it is noticeable that he is trying to find out if the Ghost was really his father's spirit, and this shows he behaves through a track of a plan. Furthermore, at the end of the play in Act V Scene II, he prevents Horatio from sipping the poisoned glass that Gertrude drank during the duel and died, as he was fighting with Leartes. The last evidence for Hamlet faking madness is his relationship between Leartes and Ophelia. Firstly, reader notices that Ophelia loves Hamlet without question but it is not still sure if Hamlet loves Ophelia truly.

It is noticeable that his feeling for women after he meets Ghost is disgust. This might probably a part of his plan to hide his aims against Claudius. As he says, Ophelia "... Get thee to nunnery/Farewell. Or if thou wilt needs marry, marry/ a fool; for wise men know well enough monsters/ you make of them... " (a. 3. s. 1. L. 138-141). These lines imply us that, he is trying to hide his love for Ophelia as he is trying

to hide his love for taking his revenge from Claudius. Because, if did not hide his love for Ophelia, and if he did not pretend to be like a son who had a huge downfall.

Consequently, he would not be able to avenge his father's death, as he would be a loyal boyfriend of Ophelia. If we look at the dialogues between Leartes and Hamlet, the reader could again observe that Hamlet is acting the lunatic. Before their duel, Hamlet asks for a forgive for killing Leartes' father, Polonius, however it is very doubtful that he thought Claudius was spying his speech with his mother but not Polonius. "... If Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it/ Who does it them? His madness.... His madness is poor Hamlet's enemy... " (a. 5, s. 2, L. 208-210).

To conclude, it can be acclaimed that Hamlet's acts against Leartes and Ophelia are clearly evidences for Hamlet's fake insanity. After observing some numerous quotes from the play and some statements about the plot, as they are parallel with the quotes, shows that Hamlet is faking madness in order to hide his hatred and revengeful thought about his uncle. Because a mad man could not behave logically and could not have, the ability to talk normally to some people but madly to others. It is clear that he is determined to hide his revenge and he does this very effectively by acting a mad prince who had a downfall after his father's death.