Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - Has Hamlet Gone Mad? :: Shakespeare Hamlet Essays

 Has Hamlet Gone Mad?       Hamlet was the prince of Denmark, son of the assassi-nated queen regnant Hamlet andQueen Gertrude, and nephew to Claudius.  Hamlet, (during the play) goes throughsome very troubling situations in which he seems to act in an insane manner.But I am convert that he was not in madness, but mad in craft.  I alsobelieve that he was a man of high moral standards, in fact higher than most ofthe people in Denmark at that time.         Hamlet was bombarded by many situations at the start of the play whichhis psyche had to deal with.  He was very up-set (as any other person would be)with his fathers murder and, at the same time, his mothers hurried remarriage.      HAMLET Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears had odd the flushingin her galled eyes, she married.  O, most wicked speed, to post with suckdexterity to incestuous sheets  He then heard from his good f riend Horatiothat they had seen a skin senses during the night watch.  Hamlet was shocked at thedescription of the touching and he said to him-self My fathers spirit-in arms?All is not well.  I doubt some corrupt play.  Would the night were come  Hamletsper-sonality underwent severe stresses due to the situations en-countered andconsequently, he had to find a way to solve the apparent problems.         In Act 1, Scene 5, Hamlet charm talking to his fathers ghost was urgedto avenge the fetid murder, but to leave his mother out of it as her guilt wouldbe punishment enough.  GHOST Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.  Leave her to heaven, and to those thorns that in her bosom lodge to prick andsting her.  The ghost of the previous king gave Hamlet the solution that heneeded.  The ghost also be-seeched Hamlet to Let not the royal bed of Denmarkbe a couch for luxury and damned incest.  This showed that Ham-le t wasrequired to not only concern his honor, but to re-store the honor of all ofDenmark as well  The added burden upon his shoulders caused him to clear fromhis mind all but what was necessary to solve his dilemma.  This would haveallowed him to think in a rational and sane manner.  It also explains why laterhe is unable to pursue his relationship with his true love Ophelia, and insteadtries to make her magnanimous in him so that again, he may concentrate on thetasks athand.  Hamlet used his cunning when he devised a plan to see if his