The Madness Of Hamlet By William Shakespeare - 1047 Words

Tate McWhorter Period: 3 The Madness in Hamlet In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, madness is a condition which is difficult to identify whether it is genuine or fraudulent. After the encounter with the ghost of Hamlet Sr. and Hamlet, Hamlet decides to put on an antic disposition. But thereafter he decides this, Hamlet s actions embody someone that is truly mad. This is how Shakespeare makes it difficult to determine if Hamlet is truly mad. Although through his feigned actions and the reactions from others the real madness of Hamlet can be revealed. There are some instances where Hamlet s madness can be view as real . As Hamlet makes a pass through the arras and kills Polonius Hamlet says, How now! a rat? Dead for a ducat, dead! (3.4, 25). When Hamlet says, â€Å"Dead for a ducat† he is meaning that he will wage a ducat that the â€Å"rat† is really dead, a ducat is an allusion to a coin used for trade.When Hamlet does not kill Claudius but instead kills Polonius, the wrong person, this shows that his madness is now no longer feigned. In addition, Hamlet murders Polonius in a very rash and blind manner, which displays that even himself does not know what he is doing. As is apparent in the beginning of the play, Marcellus and Horatio attempt to hold Hamlet back, but Hamlet rebels. Hamlet states, Still am I call d. Unhand me, gentlemen--/ Heaven, I ll make a ghost of him that lets me!/ I say, away (1.4, 84-86). In this quote Hamlet is putting himself at risk and is notShow MoreRelatedMadness : William Shakespeare s Hamlet1323 Words   |  6 PagesConnie Merer English 12 C Block 12/16/14 Madness in Hamlet Madness can be interpreted in many different ways, one of which being extremely foolish behavior. 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Due to Claudius’s usurpation of the Old Hamlet’s crown and queen, characters such as Hamlet, Ophelia, and Gertrude suffer seriously from betrayal, resentment, and enragementRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - A Feminist Criticism Lens We Can Better Understand The Origin Of Her Madness913 Words   |  4 PagesThere is a great debate surrounding what instigated Ophelia’s madness in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. By examining Ophelia through a feminist criticism lens we can better understand the origin of her madness. Ophelia spend her life devoutly obeying her father. When Ophelia attempts to describe the nature of her and Prince Hamlet’s relationship and discloses that â€Å"He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me,† (1. 3. 100-101) her father ridicules her feelings and statesRead MoreEssay on Hamlets Antic Disposition1487 Words   |  6 Pages      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In William Shakespeares famous tragedy Hamlet, the main character of the story is one majestically elaborated, aside from being quite complex. There are infinite volumes written about this character because Shakespeare leaves no firm proof of many of his character traits. Yet on Hamlets antic disposition, meaning his obviously absurd temperament or madness, Shakespeare leaves plenty of reason to believe that it is feigned, meaning that it is simply a ploy to help Hamlet carry out his