Though this be madness, yet there is method in’t. (II.II.204-205)
This quote is significant to the play because Polonius says it in aside, mid-conversation with Hamlet. He is listening to Hamlet speak, and thinks that though his descriptions are a little outrageous, they do in fact make sense. Polonius does not realize, however, that Hamlet is making fun of him, and therefore Hamlet is proving that he can act mad and still have his way with the other characters of the play, without them realizing it.
Hamlet: How is it with you, Lady?
Queen: Alas, how is it with you... (III.IV.117-126)
This quote is significant to the play because it shows us that Hamlet is possibly becoming more and more insane. When the ghost enters Gertrude’s bedchamber and starts talking to Hamlet, Gertrude cannot see the ghost; just the doorway, thus freaking her out and leading her to think that her song might be mad, though she was reluctant to believe it before.
That I essentially am not in madness but mad in craft. (III.IV.189-190)
This quote is significant to the play because Hamlet is speaking to Gertrude in her bedchamber, about her marriage to Claudius, just having killed Polonius minutes before. After he murders Polonius, Hamlet vents to his mother and urges her not to return to Claudius’ bed. In midst of this, he says this line, almost as a last attempt at hinting to his mother that he’s not crazy though his actions deem him so.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Characters In Relation To Madness
Hamlet.
The theme of madness is most prevalent through Hamlet’s character. We see that in the start of the play Hamlet decides that he is going to but on the facade of being mad in order to obtain the information he needs from Claudius to prove that Claudius killed his father.
Even though Hamlet says that he put on the facade of being mad, we must ask if Hamlet did in fact go mad. We must ask if he had gone insane in Act 3, Scene 4, where he kills Polonius. Hamlet hears a noise behind the tapestry and seemingly stabs at nothing. When asked, he asks if it was the King. This makes us question how mad Hamlet seems to have gone. He is beginning to stab at everything and anything just in case he has the chance to stab the King and avenge his fathers death.
As well, Hamlet could seemingly be mad because he begins to become obsessed with avenging his father’s death. It begins to consume his everyday actions, and everything he does. Hamlet’s actions begin to revolve around gaining revenge as instructed by the ghost. As well, he begins to try and do everything in his power to get Claudius to admit to the killing of King Hamlet. This begins to consume him and causes him to possibly go mad.
Hamlet tends to over think things, and then perhaps does not go mad.
But Hamlet’s madness could be existent or non-existent, it is a personal interpretation.
Ophelia.
Ophelia seems to be sane for the most part of the play. It is not until her father’s death that she slowly begins to lose sanity. As well, she lost Hamlet, who seemingly was a possible future husband at the start of the play, to his possible madness.
In Act 4, Ophelia has lost her sanity. She seems to be wandering along the river when she falls in. But she puts up no struggle. She floats and sings. Did she commit suicide? Or did she not realize what was going on.
Ophelia has gone mad, and it is easily recognizable. The question of madness relies upon what caused the madness and how the madness changes the outcome of the play.
Laertes
Laertes’ madness commences when he finds out about his father’s death. When he finds that Hamlet’s madness caused Hamlet to kill Polonius, he becomes obsessed with revenge. Laertes is almost like Hamlet in the fact that they both wish to avenge their fathers’ deaths. They wish to gain some feeling of conclusion.
Laertes then begins to work with Claudius on a plan to kill Hamlet, and Laertes begins to calm down because he knows that he will gain closure and avenge his father’s death.
Then we must ask the question if avenging his father’s death would have made Laertes’ madness disappear.
Representation of the Ghost
In Hamlet we see that the ghost of King Hamlet is the one that instructs Hamlet to exact revenge for his death. In my belief, I am unsure to as if the ghost does truly exist. Hamlet is alone when the ghost instructs him to exact revenge, and therefore no one else is sure that the ghost does exist or that the ghost did say to exact revenge upon his death. This happens again when Hamlet is in Gertrude’s bedchamber and he “sees” the ghost, but Hamlet does not. We must then ask if Hamlet has truly gone mad and is beginning to imagine that his father asked him to exact revenge upon his death.
The theme of madness is most prevalent through Hamlet’s character. We see that in the start of the play Hamlet decides that he is going to but on the facade of being mad in order to obtain the information he needs from Claudius to prove that Claudius killed his father.
Even though Hamlet says that he put on the facade of being mad, we must ask if Hamlet did in fact go mad. We must ask if he had gone insane in Act 3, Scene 4, where he kills Polonius. Hamlet hears a noise behind the tapestry and seemingly stabs at nothing. When asked, he asks if it was the King. This makes us question how mad Hamlet seems to have gone. He is beginning to stab at everything and anything just in case he has the chance to stab the King and avenge his fathers death.
As well, Hamlet could seemingly be mad because he begins to become obsessed with avenging his father’s death. It begins to consume his everyday actions, and everything he does. Hamlet’s actions begin to revolve around gaining revenge as instructed by the ghost. As well, he begins to try and do everything in his power to get Claudius to admit to the killing of King Hamlet. This begins to consume him and causes him to possibly go mad.
Hamlet tends to over think things, and then perhaps does not go mad.
But Hamlet’s madness could be existent or non-existent, it is a personal interpretation.
Ophelia.
Ophelia seems to be sane for the most part of the play. It is not until her father’s death that she slowly begins to lose sanity. As well, she lost Hamlet, who seemingly was a possible future husband at the start of the play, to his possible madness.
In Act 4, Ophelia has lost her sanity. She seems to be wandering along the river when she falls in. But she puts up no struggle. She floats and sings. Did she commit suicide? Or did she not realize what was going on.
Ophelia has gone mad, and it is easily recognizable. The question of madness relies upon what caused the madness and how the madness changes the outcome of the play.
Laertes
Laertes’ madness commences when he finds out about his father’s death. When he finds that Hamlet’s madness caused Hamlet to kill Polonius, he becomes obsessed with revenge. Laertes is almost like Hamlet in the fact that they both wish to avenge their fathers’ deaths. They wish to gain some feeling of conclusion.
Laertes then begins to work with Claudius on a plan to kill Hamlet, and Laertes begins to calm down because he knows that he will gain closure and avenge his father’s death.
Then we must ask the question if avenging his father’s death would have made Laertes’ madness disappear.
Representation of the Ghost
In Hamlet we see that the ghost of King Hamlet is the one that instructs Hamlet to exact revenge for his death. In my belief, I am unsure to as if the ghost does truly exist. Hamlet is alone when the ghost instructs him to exact revenge, and therefore no one else is sure that the ghost does exist or that the ghost did say to exact revenge upon his death. This happens again when Hamlet is in Gertrude’s bedchamber and he “sees” the ghost, but Hamlet does not. We must then ask if Hamlet has truly gone mad and is beginning to imagine that his father asked him to exact revenge upon his death.
The Significance Of Madness In Hamlet
Shakespeare’s look into madness through Hamlet brings the questions of fair life or death. Through the mystery of death, “the undiscover’d country” (III. i. 80), the rotten state of Denmark, Hamlet’s ‘play’ of madness, fair Ophelia’s madness through death and love, Laertes’ revenge of his father, and the King’s corrupt manner. The significance of madness is the heart of the play.
When Hamlet is contemplating life or death in the famous “To be, or not to be” (III. i. 58) soliloquy, he brings a lot of attention of the significance of madness. When you’re questioning your own mortality, usually it meant that there wasn’t something worth living for – or to die and ‘sleep’. With Hamlet’s speech, it brought a whole level of depth to Shakespeare’s character. Hamlet represents madness – so it madness to question your life? Perhaps facing uncertainty and dream would be genius against misfortune but there’s no immediate reason for Hamlet’s choice to live.
Another theme of madness found through Hamlet’s craves for honesty and his dislike for deception. It brings a lively twist to our understanding of how he goes about his play for the truth. Hamlet is stuck in a world of deception in political corruption (the murder of Hamlet’s father and Gertrude’s remarriage) which kills Hamlet. His madness later on represents the treachery that each character goes through due to their manipulation in the state of decline in Denmark.
"And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man” (I. iii. 78 - 80).
Here, the advice given to Laertes from Polonius describes the situational irony of the state of Denmark indirectly as Laertes is about to go to university in France.
“Why then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison” (II. Ii. 250 – 251).
Here Hamlet is talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (where Claudius sent them to spy on his “antic disposition”). Hamlet describes Denmark as a prison – but says something relating to madness. Hamlet’s thinking is his prison and because he’s stuck with his mother (who married his uncle after his father died in such short time) and his murderous uncle. He sort of hoping for ignorance with bliss because if you think it to be bad, then it’ll be bad, but if you think it to be good, it’ll be good.
As with Hamlet, madness itself turns into all Hamlet plays and for Ophelia (after her father’s death at Hamlet’s hand) madness turns into her own death. Though, her madness represents true madness for its genuine. She lost her father and she feels lost Hamlet’s love. After she sings about death and love, her madness becomes clear. With the death of Ophelia, Hamlet’s heart is torn and with nothing more than the death of his father and his mere mortality.
When Hamlet is holding Yorick’s skull he comes to terms with death – from a great to a common man, death is our fate. This is a turning point for Hamlet as it liberates him. In the last scene of the play, Hamlet’s at peace with death. He apologizes to Laertes, who defends his honour but takes it with love, and yet duels. He took the situation blindly and it’s almost the classic movie scene where we watch the ‘hero’ die, and yet we know what’s going to happen, but it warms our hearts.
The significance of madness in Hamlet is presented as the defining heart of the play. Without madness, Shakespeare could not explore the certain character of that of Hamlet – how he thinks more rather than acting out of passion and honour. Hamlet is madness that puts everything together and represents the inner conscience of human from when he goes to distraught play writer to a sincere man of apology and peace. When you compare the Hamlet we’ve known throughout the play to the few moments he’s left to live, you know somewhere he accepted death and that Hamlet is a story to tell.
Works Cited
“Hamlet Theme of Lies and Deceit.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/lies-deceit-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
“Hamlet Theme of Mortality.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/mortality-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
“Hamlet Theme of Revenge.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/revenge-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
“Hamlet Theme of Madness.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/madness-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
E Notes. http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/nothing-either-good-bad-but-thinking-makes Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
When Hamlet is contemplating life or death in the famous “To be, or not to be” (III. i. 58) soliloquy, he brings a lot of attention of the significance of madness. When you’re questioning your own mortality, usually it meant that there wasn’t something worth living for – or to die and ‘sleep’. With Hamlet’s speech, it brought a whole level of depth to Shakespeare’s character. Hamlet represents madness – so it madness to question your life? Perhaps facing uncertainty and dream would be genius against misfortune but there’s no immediate reason for Hamlet’s choice to live.
Another theme of madness found through Hamlet’s craves for honesty and his dislike for deception. It brings a lively twist to our understanding of how he goes about his play for the truth. Hamlet is stuck in a world of deception in political corruption (the murder of Hamlet’s father and Gertrude’s remarriage) which kills Hamlet. His madness later on represents the treachery that each character goes through due to their manipulation in the state of decline in Denmark.
"And it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man” (I. iii. 78 - 80).
Here, the advice given to Laertes from Polonius describes the situational irony of the state of Denmark indirectly as Laertes is about to go to university in France.
“Why then 'tis none to you; for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison” (II. Ii. 250 – 251).
Here Hamlet is talking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (where Claudius sent them to spy on his “antic disposition”). Hamlet describes Denmark as a prison – but says something relating to madness. Hamlet’s thinking is his prison and because he’s stuck with his mother (who married his uncle after his father died in such short time) and his murderous uncle. He sort of hoping for ignorance with bliss because if you think it to be bad, then it’ll be bad, but if you think it to be good, it’ll be good.
As with Hamlet, madness itself turns into all Hamlet plays and for Ophelia (after her father’s death at Hamlet’s hand) madness turns into her own death. Though, her madness represents true madness for its genuine. She lost her father and she feels lost Hamlet’s love. After she sings about death and love, her madness becomes clear. With the death of Ophelia, Hamlet’s heart is torn and with nothing more than the death of his father and his mere mortality.
When Hamlet is holding Yorick’s skull he comes to terms with death – from a great to a common man, death is our fate. This is a turning point for Hamlet as it liberates him. In the last scene of the play, Hamlet’s at peace with death. He apologizes to Laertes, who defends his honour but takes it with love, and yet duels. He took the situation blindly and it’s almost the classic movie scene where we watch the ‘hero’ die, and yet we know what’s going to happen, but it warms our hearts.
The significance of madness in Hamlet is presented as the defining heart of the play. Without madness, Shakespeare could not explore the certain character of that of Hamlet – how he thinks more rather than acting out of passion and honour. Hamlet is madness that puts everything together and represents the inner conscience of human from when he goes to distraught play writer to a sincere man of apology and peace. When you compare the Hamlet we’ve known throughout the play to the few moments he’s left to live, you know somewhere he accepted death and that Hamlet is a story to tell.
Works Cited
“Hamlet Theme of Lies and Deceit.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/lies-deceit-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
“Hamlet Theme of Mortality.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/mortality-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
“Hamlet Theme of Revenge.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/revenge-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
“Hamlet Theme of Madness.” Shmoop Beta. http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/madness-theme.html Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
E Notes. http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/nothing-either-good-bad-but-thinking-makes Accessed on Tuesday, April 20, 2010.
Madness In Relation To The Plot Of Hamlet
It is not hard to recognize that many characters in Hamlet become emotionally unstable and lose their rationality. The first character, Hamlet himself, loses his emotional stability with the death of his father and the quick remarriage of his mother, making preposterous claims that his mother, Gertrude did not love Hamlet’s father.
In the eyes of other characters, Hamlet appears to be in a state of madness, simply because he is not capable of withholding his emotions. This is obvious to Hamlet’s uncle, King Claudius, who recognizes that Hamlet has not been able to absorb his father’s death.
In addition, Hamlet questions others if they are able to see the ghostly figure at the starting of the play. Realizing that it was Hamlet’s father wanting his son to exert revenge on Claudius for his death, Hamlet is reluctant at first, because he cannot distinguish if the ghostly figure is real or fictional. It was only until when Hamlet noticed Claudius’ foul reaction to the reenactment of King Hamlet’s death that Hamlet was convinced that Claudius committed these horrible deeds.
Hamlet quickly develops a plot where he can cover his emotional distress and develop a plan where he can execute his vengeance for his father’s unnecessary death.
Blinded by emotion, Hamlet stabs the silhouette figure behind the curtain, assuming it was Claudius spying on him. Realizing that he had not killed the hopeful target, Hamlet shows no emotions towards the death of Polonius.
The death of Polonius ignited the madness in two other characters, Laertes and Ophelia.
Hamlet’s irrational actions sparked similar madness in Laertes: avenge the death of the murdered father. Unlike Hamlet, Laertes is not reluctant to hesitation, as he does not question who the real murderer is and seeks revenge immediately thereafter.
Ophelia on the other hand, could not bear the death of her father, resulting in her own death from suicide. Hamlet’s madness compared to Ophelia’s is very different. Hamlet’s madness is very similar to that of Laertes, madness in aggression and violence while Ophelia’s is more childish.
Hamlet’s strategic claims of madness prove to fail on his behalf, as he draws more attention rather than diverting away from him. Although he claims that he is not mad, the audience begins to see that the lie protecting Hamlet has begun to absorb him, slowly rendering him mad.
Madness as a whole plays a significant contribution to the plot of the story. As an initial lie to cover Hamlet’s emotional despair, Hamlet’s irrationality and desire for revenge causes him to act precariously, resulting in Polonius’ death. Hamlet’s Madness spread throughout the High Ranks of the state of Denmark, resulting in a struggle for power, while at the same time causing death to numerous victims.
Conclusively, madness has spread through the State of Denmark, resulting in various symptoms. While some manage to resist, others die of their illness.
In the eyes of other characters, Hamlet appears to be in a state of madness, simply because he is not capable of withholding his emotions. This is obvious to Hamlet’s uncle, King Claudius, who recognizes that Hamlet has not been able to absorb his father’s death.
In addition, Hamlet questions others if they are able to see the ghostly figure at the starting of the play. Realizing that it was Hamlet’s father wanting his son to exert revenge on Claudius for his death, Hamlet is reluctant at first, because he cannot distinguish if the ghostly figure is real or fictional. It was only until when Hamlet noticed Claudius’ foul reaction to the reenactment of King Hamlet’s death that Hamlet was convinced that Claudius committed these horrible deeds.
Hamlet quickly develops a plot where he can cover his emotional distress and develop a plan where he can execute his vengeance for his father’s unnecessary death.
Blinded by emotion, Hamlet stabs the silhouette figure behind the curtain, assuming it was Claudius spying on him. Realizing that he had not killed the hopeful target, Hamlet shows no emotions towards the death of Polonius.
The death of Polonius ignited the madness in two other characters, Laertes and Ophelia.
Hamlet’s irrational actions sparked similar madness in Laertes: avenge the death of the murdered father. Unlike Hamlet, Laertes is not reluctant to hesitation, as he does not question who the real murderer is and seeks revenge immediately thereafter.
Ophelia on the other hand, could not bear the death of her father, resulting in her own death from suicide. Hamlet’s madness compared to Ophelia’s is very different. Hamlet’s madness is very similar to that of Laertes, madness in aggression and violence while Ophelia’s is more childish.
Hamlet’s strategic claims of madness prove to fail on his behalf, as he draws more attention rather than diverting away from him. Although he claims that he is not mad, the audience begins to see that the lie protecting Hamlet has begun to absorb him, slowly rendering him mad.
Madness as a whole plays a significant contribution to the plot of the story. As an initial lie to cover Hamlet’s emotional despair, Hamlet’s irrationality and desire for revenge causes him to act precariously, resulting in Polonius’ death. Hamlet’s Madness spread throughout the High Ranks of the state of Denmark, resulting in a struggle for power, while at the same time causing death to numerous victims.
Conclusively, madness has spread through the State of Denmark, resulting in various symptoms. While some manage to resist, others die of their illness.
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