Hamlet Essay -- essays research papers

Is Hamlet Mad?     "I am but mad north-north-west when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from acarpenters saw" (II.ii.369-370). This is a classic example of the "wild and go near words"(I.v.134) with which Hamlet hopes will persuade people to believe that he is mad. Thesewords, however, prove that beneath his " conjuration disposition," (I.V.172). Hamlet is sane.Under his strange choice of imagery involving points of the compass, the weather, and hunt down birds, he is announcing that he is calculatedly choosing the times when to appearmad. Hamlet is saying that he knows a hunting hawk from a hunted "handsaw" or heron,in other words, that, very far form being mad, he is perfectly capable of recognizing hisenemies. Hamlets rabidity was faked for a purpose. He warned his friends he intended tofake madness, but Gertrude as well as Claudius saw by means of it, and even the slightlydull-witted Polonius was suspicious. His public character is one of insanity but, in his privatemoments of soliloquy, through his confidences to Horatio, and in his careful plans ofaction, we see that his madness is assumed.      After the Ghosts first appearance to Hamlet, Hamlet decides that when he finds it fitting or to his advantage, he will order on a mask of madness so to speak. He confides toHoratio that when he finds the occasion appropriate, he will "put an antic disposition on"(I.v.172). This strategy gives Hamlet a chance to find proof of Claudiuss guilt and tocontemplate his revenge tactical manoeuvre. Although he has sworn to penalize his fathers murder, he isnot sure of the Ghosts origins "The spirit that I have seen / May be the devil"(II.ii.584-585). He uses his apparent madness as a delaying tactic to buy time in which todiscover whether the Ghosts tale of murder is true and to decide how to handle thesituation. At the same time, he wants to appear unthreatening and blamel ess so that peoplewill divulge information to him, much in the same way that an adult will talk more or less animportant undercover in the presence of a young child. To convince everyone of his madness,Hamlet spends many hours walking back and forth alone in the lobby, speaking those"wild and whirling words" (I.V. 134) which make little sense on the surface but in factcarry a meaningful subtext.&... ...n addition, the letter Horatio from himthrough the embassador bound for England is clear and precise and shows no signs of aconfused mind.     Finally, I am convinced of Hamlets sanity by his very normal reactions to thepeople around him. He is perfectly sane, friendly and courteous with the players, givingthem good acting tips which they appreciate and respect. When Polonius and Claudius testthe theory of rejected love by "loosing" Ophelia to him, Hamlet acts exclusively rationally.He greets Ophelia sweetly, gets a little cold when he remember s that he has not seen her"for this many a day," is very hurt when she returns his remembrances, and becomescompletely furious, insulting womankind in general, when she lies to him about her fatherswhereabouts and he realizes he is being spied on. He reacts the way any hurt youngrejected lover would. In the end, it is surprising that he is able to go along up the charade offaking madness for so long, and part of his tragedy is that it doesnt help him anyway inthe end, he avenges his father by killing Claudius not through an act of madness, but as aresult of Claudiuss own treachery.