Why Shakespeare has Hamlet and Ophelia go mad and show signs of insanity
While reading through the Shakespearean composition about Hamlet, the theme that lends itself to further scrutiny is that of deception. Each of the characters in the composition is used in one way or another to develop the theme, and Hamlet and Ophelia are not exceptions to this. For Hamlet, on the one hand, Shakespeare intends to epitomize deception through this character, and the approach he uses is that of feigning madness. When someone pretends to be mad, there is a reason for the pretense. It might be surmised that the individual does so to escape their responsibilities, to avoid being incarcerated for a crime they might have committed, or simply to see how far they can go with the ruse before being revealed as a deceptive person. Nevertheless, an attempt at figuring out the reason for Hamlet’s madness would cause a digression since it would not be the reason for the author to have caused him to be as such. Shakespeare in his creative wit intends to show his audience that he knows how to pretend to be insane, and not only so but also how to spot a person who is under the guise of madness having been brought about by (what others might assume to be) tragic events. Shakespeare pits Hamlet’s madness against that of Ophelia, essentially making both of the characters to be insane, so that for a studious audience they might pick the nuances by comparing and contrasting the behaviors of the two characters to reveal the legitimately crazy character and sequestrate the pretender. Through further analyses, one may then be able to see the acts of the pretender before the onset of “madness” and acts after that, which further expose the individual as a deceptive person. Comparison and Contrast of Ophelia and Hamlet’s madness Whereas Ophelia makes no prior announcement of her being prone to act strangely, Hamlet’s preconception of strange behavior is quite evident from his conversation with Horatio when he says, “How strange and odde ere I beare my selfe…” (Shakespeare, 386), before he intimates the likelihood of his putt[ing] “an Anticke disposition on” (Shakespeare, 386). …show more content…
It is quite unlikely that one will be told he or she is mad, and the individual acquiesces to such declarations. Most often, they will burst out in a rage with the statement that they are not mad. Deceptive Hamlet, on the other hand, gladly welcomes the suggestions from people who sense a change in the manner in which he behaves, even going as far as preempting them toward his “madness”. While in a conversation with Guildenstem, Hamlet says he is mad “North-North-West” (Shakespeare, 562), making an allusion to the winds bringing on the madness. Ophelia, on the other hand, cannot deny being insane, because during the Renaissance pregnant women were often diagnosed with hysteria (Maki, n.p.) – a form of madness. Whereas Hamlet’s madness acts as a cover-up for his murdering Polonius, it is taken as though the madness came about after Ophelia rejected him (Mabillard, n.p.). However, Ophelia’s madness is the culmination of being eluded by the marriage she would have wanted to Hamlet, as well as the uncomely behavior of Hamlet (Mabillard, n.p.). Realness versus feignedness of madness Madness may be thought of as an unstable mind, and the degree of instability varies from one individual to another. For a person to feign madness, he or she is attempting a tight-rope antic that could eventually tip the balance between what is considered normal and abnormal. By and by, pretending to be mad could eventually lead to madness per se, such that it becomes unclear whether or not the individual is insane. The preceding argument stems from the idea that when a lie is told several times over, there comes a time when it is taken to be the truth. Such is the path of deception. Concerning Hamlet, the question about his madness being real or made up requires further fine-tuning in the sense that to a certain point it may be regarded as a ruse, but from that point onward, it assumes a life of its own. Therefore, Hamlet’s madness was initially feigned, and as such unreal, but as the plot progressed,
While reading through the Shakespearean composition about Hamlet, the theme that lends itself to further scrutiny is that of deception. Each of the characters in the composition is used in one way or another to develop the theme, and Hamlet and Ophelia are not exceptions to this. For Hamlet, on the one hand, Shakespeare intends to epitomize deception through this character, and the approach he uses is that of feigning madness. When someone pretends to be mad, there is a reason for the pretense. It might be surmised that the individual does so to escape their responsibilities, to avoid being incarcerated for a crime they might have committed, or simply to see how far they can go with the ruse before being revealed as a deceptive person. Nevertheless, an attempt at figuring out the reason for Hamlet’s madness would cause a digression since it would not be the reason for the author to have caused him to be as such. Shakespeare in his creative wit intends to show his audience that he knows how to pretend to be insane, and not only so but also how to spot a person who is under the guise of madness having been brought about by (what others might assume to be) tragic events. Shakespeare pits Hamlet’s madness against that of Ophelia, essentially making both of the characters to be insane, so that for a studious audience they might pick the nuances by comparing and contrasting the behaviors of the two characters to reveal the legitimately crazy character and sequestrate the pretender. Through further analyses, one may then be able to see the acts of the pretender before the onset of “madness” and acts after that, which further expose the individual as a deceptive person. Comparison and Contrast of Ophelia and Hamlet’s madness Whereas Ophelia makes no prior announcement of her being prone to act strangely, Hamlet’s preconception of strange behavior is quite evident from his conversation with Horatio when he says, “How strange and odde ere I beare my selfe…” (Shakespeare, 386), before he intimates the likelihood of his putt[ing] “an Anticke disposition on” (Shakespeare, 386). …show more content…
It is quite unlikely that one will be told he or she is mad, and the individual acquiesces to such declarations. Most often, they will burst out in a rage with the statement that they are not mad. Deceptive Hamlet, on the other hand, gladly welcomes the suggestions from people who sense a change in the manner in which he behaves, even going as far as preempting them toward his “madness”. While in a conversation with Guildenstem, Hamlet says he is mad “North-North-West” (Shakespeare, 562), making an allusion to the winds bringing on the madness. Ophelia, on the other hand, cannot deny being insane, because during the Renaissance pregnant women were often diagnosed with hysteria (Maki, n.p.) – a form of madness. Whereas Hamlet’s madness acts as a cover-up for his murdering Polonius, it is taken as though the madness came about after Ophelia rejected him (Mabillard, n.p.). However, Ophelia’s madness is the culmination of being eluded by the marriage she would have wanted to Hamlet, as well as the uncomely behavior of Hamlet (Mabillard, n.p.). Realness versus feignedness of madness Madness may be thought of as an unstable mind, and the degree of instability varies from one individual to another. For a person to feign madness, he or she is attempting a tight-rope antic that could eventually tip the balance between what is considered normal and abnormal. By and by, pretending to be mad could eventually lead to madness per se, such that it becomes unclear whether or not the individual is insane. The preceding argument stems from the idea that when a lie is told several times over, there comes a time when it is taken to be the truth. Such is the path of deception. Concerning Hamlet, the question about his madness being real or made up requires further fine-tuning in the sense that to a certain point it may be regarded as a ruse, but from that point onward, it assumes a life of its own. Therefore, Hamlet’s madness was initially feigned, and as such unreal, but as the plot progressed,