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Example research essay topic: Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Man And Wife - 1,233 words

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The madness of Hamlet is one of the most oft-debated aspects of William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Was Hamlet really mad, or was he feigning madness the entire time as part of his plan to kill Claudius? Through Hamlets conversations with Horatio it is seen that he plans to pretend to be mad, but his actions later in the play call the reality of his madness into question. After finding out that Claudius killed his father, Hamlet vows revenge.

In order to further this plan, he tells Horatio he will put on an antic disposition. The first explanation for Hamlets strange behavior is spurned love. Ophelia tells the story of how Hamlet came to her looking very disheveled, and simply ran his hand down her arm, stared at her, and left. Polonius immediately reasons that love for Ophelia has made Hamlet mad and tells the king of his discovery.

Polonius decides to test his theory and plants Ophelia in the path of Hamlet, before speaking to Hamlet himself. When speaking to Polonius, Hamlet sounds mad, although Polonius does admit Though this be madness, yet there is some method int. Hamlets ranting may sound mad, but he uses this conversation to warn Polonius to keep his daughter away from the king (the sun) as well as to insult him. These veiled insults and warnings seem to suggest that his madness is a face. Also, when speaking to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet drops some of the mad characteristics he displays with other characters, and tells them that I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw. He then proceeds to quote a large portion of a monologue he had heard some time before when the players arrive on the scene.

He also shows complete lucidity when speaking to himself in his soliloquies, where he plots revenge and plans how to test the guilt of the king. He goes about this by inviting the king and queen to a play which mirrors the murder of his father, and uses his madness to make sly remarks which are meant to prick the conscience of the king. The remarks are seen by the spectators as mad ramblings, but they have the ring of truth which, coupled with Hamlets previous and subsequent remarks to Horatio, show that the madness was completely feigned. Also, his asides show that the madness is indeed an act to provoke responses from the king. There is, however, cause to question whether his mind is completely stable.

When Ophelia tries to return his letters to her, he asks where her father is, and at her reply of at home, he becomes enraged at her deceit, claiming It hath made me mad. Whether he meant this literally as madness meaning insanity, is up to debate. It is however, obvious that Hamlet has lost control of himself, a sign that he is not as mentally stable as he believes. Another example that could be interpreted to show that Hamlets insanity is more than an act is in his encounter with Gertrude after the play. Again, he loses control of his temper and begins to become enraged with his mother. He is brought up short, however, by the appearance of the ghost of his father.

The first time the ghost was seen by Hamlet, it was also seen by the night watchmen and Horatio, but this time, only Hamlet seems to see the ghost. Gertrude is completely baffled as he stares into nothing and insists that she sees nothing. If the ghost could be seen by all present the first time, this suggests that the ghosts either did not wish to be seen by Gertrude, or that the ghost was a figment of Hamlets imagination. However, Hamlet then tells his mother not to dismiss his words as lunacy and clearly tells her that he is not mad and tells her what her actions should be henceforth.

Near the end of the play, Hamlets lucidity can truly be questioned, as he evinces bursts of complete madness, then complete sanity. He cold-blooded ly murders Polonius and, showing no remorse, drags the corpse away and hides it. This is contributed to madness, but when he is brought to the king to answer for his actions, his remarks, while seemingly strange and disjointed, are actually logical, such as his statement that the king is his mother- father and mother is man and wife; man and wife is one flesh; and so, my mother. Gertrude claims he is mad as the sea and the wind, but whether these are her true feelings or her attempts to protect her son are uncertain. Claudius sends Hamlet away to avoid repercussions over the murder of Polonius, but gives Rosencrantz and Guildenstern orders to have him killed.

Hamlet seems to be uncannily aware of everything that is going on and anticipates this move, responding by replacing the orders for his death with orders for the death of those who carry the letters. This shows careful planning and sanity, which is continued when Hamlet returns to Denmark. He carries on a serious conversation with one of Fortinbras captains and banters with the gravedigger. Immediately after this, however, he again loses control of himself. After realizing that Ophelia is dead, he reveals himself and throws himself into her grave, giving up any advantage a surprise return to Denmark could have given him. He seems to compete with Laertese as to who can show the most grief and says I'll rant as well as thou.

He then asks What is the reason that you use me thus? , showing either lack of perception or a definite distraction of thinking; even Gertrude calls his actions mere madness. Once again, however, he seems to vacillate between madness and sanity as he gives Laertese an apology before the duel that they are to fight. He realizes that he has, indeed, wronged Laertese and apologizes for hurting his. He also gives a reason for his actions-madness. He seems to admit that he truly was mad, saying What I have done, that might your nature, honour and exception roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness. He claims that his madness is both of their enemies and, therefore it is his madness, not Hamlet himself, that is the enemy of Laertese.

This could either be Hamlets acknowledgement that his madness was not completely an act, or it might have simply been a way for him to excuse his actions. Throughout the duel, however, Hamlet shows no sign of madness, and does not mention the subject again, instead showing his wit and skill with weapons. At his death, Hamlet is completely lucid and once again shows foresight by giving his support to Fortinbras as the next ruler. It is impossible to categorically state that Hamlet was or was not mad. He says that he will feign insanity, but at the end of the play blames his actions on madness. With some character Hamlet seems completely insane, yet with others he shows wit and intelligence.

It is possible that his madness was entirely feigned, but it is also possible that the combination of his fathers death, his mothers marriage, and the death of Ophelia caused him to actually go mad, as he at times claims. It is up to the reader to interpret whether Hamlet was truly mad, or mad in craft.


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