William Shakespeares Hamlet Essay - 651 Words

One of the main arguments surrounding the famous play, Hamlet, written by Shakespeare, is focused on whether the main character Hamlet was actually insane, or just pretending to be. Shakespeare does not directly state Hamlet’s madness but rather he hints at it throughout the play and this lets the reader decide on their own interpretation. Hamlet’s insanity can be seen in his reckless decisions, extreme mood swings, and daring manner in which he speaks to the king. However it can be judged reasonable because being mad temporarily satisfies his conscience, gives him some protection from Claudius, and it buys some time for Hamlet to prove Claudius’s guilt. In the play as a whole, Hamlet’s choice to be mad characterizes him as intelligent†¦show more content†¦It provides another opportunity to threaten Claudius as well. He also claimed that â€Å"all but one† of â€Å"Those that are married† shall live, which could be seen as a potenti al threat to Claudius. Hamlet’s ability to both confuse and threaten Claudius at the same time again characterizes him as very intelligent. Hamlet’s insanity not only presents him as a cunning genius but also displays his inner turmoil associated with his father’s request that he take revenge on Claudius. Speaking to himself Hamlet questions, â€Å"Yet I, A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak Like a John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, and can say nothing! No, not for a king, upon whose property and most dear life a damned defeat was made. Am I a coward? †¦But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (2,2,573). In this deep mood swing from Hamlet he sees himself as â€Å"pigeon-livered† and this doesn’t sit well with Hamlet. This demonstrates Hamlets insanity and because he might be a â€Å"coward†, his mood plummets as again this does not settle well with Hamlet. This sudden depression also reveals to the reader Hamlet’s internal conflict regarding the act of killing Claudius and avenging his father’s murder. Another example of Hamlets insanity is when Ger trude relays the details of Polonius’ murder to Claudius, â€Å"†¦And in this brainishShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet981 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare is a historic writer that is well known and wrote many plays in his lifetime. In most of his plays, if not all, he has incorporated hidden meanings and messages. The majority of his hidden meanings are controversial topics of his time period. In Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the controversial topic that is throughout the play is religion and the afterlife. Afterlife plays a big role in Hamlet and is discussed throughout the play. 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The psychoanalytic point of view is one of the most famous positions taken on Hamlet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Psychoanalytic criticism is a type of literary criticism that analyzes and classifies many of the forms ofRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet1172 Words   |  5 PagesHamlet is a complex story that uses many literary devices to help develop the characters in Hamlet. One dominant device is irony. The main plot of the story revolves around irony. Hamlet is a witty character and loves to use irony. Hamlet’s use of irony displays how he insults people, discovers useful information, and reveals his true character. The use of irony in this story helps to add depth to each character, which is why Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most complex stories. There are three typesRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Hamlet710 Words   |  3 PagesIn Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet are very few female characters that is caused by the story - the son must avenge his fathers killer , the mother s uncle . Nevertheless images of Gertrude , Queen of the Danish and Ophelia , daughter of royal adviser Polonius , played in the tragedy very important role . In these two images are not simply embodied many typical female character traits - as worthy , and not so . In the process of communication with these women reveal deeper characters of Hamlet and