Zirra 1

The Theme of Madness in

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
By William Shakespeare

Motto: Words, words, words.

(Hamlet-Act II, Scene 2
Hamlet by W. Shakespeare)

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright that was baptized in the year of
1564 (the exact date of birth being unknown) and died in the year of 1616. He is regarded as the
greatest writer in the English language and the worlds most pre-eminent dramatist.
He wrote 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, several other poems, and theatre plays.
Within the list of 38 Shakespearian plays, we can find The Tempest, Richard II, Macbeth,
Midsummer Nights Dream and Hamlet.
Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and one of the most powerful and influential
tragedies in the English language. Three different early versions of the play have survived; they
are known as the First Quarto, the Second Quarto and the First Folio. Each has lines, and even
scenes, that are missing from the others.
Shakespeare based Hamlet on the legend of Amleth, preserved by Saxo Grammaticus in
Gesta Danorum.
The play, is set in the Kingdom of Denmark, and it recounts how Prince Hamlet seeks
revenge on his uncle Claudius, for murdering the old King Hamlet (Claudius's brother and Prince
Hamlet's father) and for then succeeding to the throne by marrying Gertrude (King Hamlet's
widow and Prince Hamlets mother). The play portrays real and feigned madness and explores
themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.

Zirra 2

Madness is at the heart of the play, at some parts being hard to tell if it is real or feigned.
One of the dilemmas this theme causes if whether Hamlet does go insane or it is only an act he
uses to be undiscovered while he is searching for the truth in his fathers death.
It all starts Scene 5, Act I, where after the discussion with his fathers ghost he starts
blabbering and acting weird, fact observed by Horatio who even says These are but wild and
whirling words, my lord. as a response to the evasive speech of Hamlet.
Hamlet, carefully planning his moves, runs into Ophelias room in order to do nothing but
stare at her, action which leads Polonius into thinking, in Scene 1, Act II, that Hamlet has gone
mad because of the love he has for Ophelia.
The next episode of madness is near the end of Scene 2, Act II, where Hamlet, reading a
book, meets Polonius, whom he calls a fishmonger, as part of his plan to make everyone think he
is insane. Not only that he pretends to forget who Polonius is, but he even answers Polonius,
when he is asked what he was reading, with a very confusing Words, words, words. that makes
us, the readers, smile, but scares Polonius.
As the word of his madness spreads he discovers more and more hints of betrayal around
him. When he meets the Prince of Norway, Fortinbras, he seems to be sane and without any trace
of madness.
Later, it is again questionable if his actions are caused by his madness, fury, ego, situation
or his own plan.
This can only give birth to the question Is he or is he not insane?
In the website sparknotes.com, we can find a theory which explains that At any given
moment during the play, the most accurate assessment of Hamlets state of mind probably lies
somewhere between sanity and insanity. Hamlet certainly displays a high degree of mania and
instability throughout much of the play, but his madness is perhaps too purposeful and pointed
for us to conclude that he actually loses his mind. His language is erratic and wild, but beneath
his mad-sounding words often lie acute observations that show the sane mind working bitterly
beneath the surface. Most likely, Hamlets decision to feign madness is a sane one, taken to
confuse his enemies and hide his intentions.
On the other hand, Hamlet finds himself in a unique and traumatic situation, one which
calls into question the basic truths and ideals of his life. He can no longer believe in religion,
which has failed his father and doomed him to life amid miserable experience. He can no longer
trust society, which is full of hypocrisy and violence, nor love, which has been poisoned by his
mothers betrayal of his fathers memory. And, finally, he cannot turn to philosophy, which
cannot explain ghosts or answer his moral questions and lead him to action.

Zirra 3

With this much discord in his mind, and already under the extraordinary pressure of grief
from his fathers death, his mothers marriage, and the responsibility bequeathed to him by the
ghost, Hamlet is understandably distraught. He may not be mad, but he likely is close to the edge
of sanity during many of the most intense moments in the play, such as during the performance
of the play-within-a-play (III.ii), his confrontation with Ophelia (III.i), and his long confrontation
with his mother (III.iv).
In my opinion, Hamlet is indeed insane, but that is not because he slips into insanity
during the play, or because of the trauma he suffers when he realizes how much plotting
surrounded him. I believe that he was a little mad to start with, because he seems to be a genius,
even though reckless and all geniuses have a characteristic dose of insanity.
I consider that he walks a fine line throughout the play, that of sanity and insanity, being
pushed by his characteristic dose of insanity to commit certain things, like the murder of
Polonius, or the kiss of the skull, but it also allows him to think more than a normal, sane person,
proof being the To be or not to be? monologue.
He is aware and conscious of everything he does, but young as he is, he can also be a
victim of his own impulses from time to time.
It is clear that he is a much more complex character than we would think at first sight, so
it is extremely hard to know for sure whether he is mad or not. He is just like a real person, and
not only a character, which makes him incredibly credible.
I agree with the critics opinion of the case of madness in which Hamlet seems to dwell.
Everything in the play seems to suggest that he is lost, but he may or may not be insane.
In conclusion, we cannot know for sure, because just because he acts insane and speaks
mad, doesnt mean he has fallen into that abyss.