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Example research essay topic: Act Five Scene Antic Disposition - 987 words

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... using Ophelias funeral in act five, scene one when, grief-stricken, Hamlet leaps into her grave and attacks Laertes both verbally and physically. His demands, What is he? What wilt thou do for her?

and his righteous proclamations, I love Ophelia: forty thousand brothers could normale up my sum, accompany a threatening choice of words, dangerous, rash, burning, and hysterical repetition, woot weep, woot fight, woot fast. Such uncontrolled hysteria is not seen with the antic disposition and therefore, these frantic moments are presented as a separate type of madness. As well as this contrast in language, these moments of touring passion, are the only times in the play where Hamlet offends those he loves. He abuses and upsets both Ophelia and his mother in the Nunnery Scene and the Closet Scene, respectively, and then Laertes at the end of act five, scene one, by insulting his love for his sister. However, in later moments of calm, Hamlet apologises and Shakespeare gives the clearest definition of this type of madness, What I have done that might your nature, honour and exception roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness.

Within this speech, Hamlet also confirms that this melancholic madness was out of his control and uninvited, his madness is poor Hamlets enemy, unlike the antic disposition, which was devised, embraced and used to its greatest advantage by Hamlet. Though uncontrolled, this depression is, in some respects, the most honest reflection of Hamlets contrasting emotions. It allows Shakespeare to reveal Hamlets true resentment towards his mother in the Closet Scene, would it were not so! you are my mother, embitterment towards Ophelia during the dumb show, So you mis-take your husbands and anger towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe? Final, and most obvious proof Shakespeare gives to Hamlets loosening grip on his own mind during these moments of heightened emotion, is seen in the Closet Scene with the controversial appearance of the ghost. Characteristic continuity seen with wordplay and themes in this play are disregarded as Gertrude denies being able to see the ghost with an emphatic seven repetitions, whereon do you look?

you do bend your eye on vacancy. I believe that, were the ghost real at this point, Gertrude, as Marcello, Horatio, Bernardo and Francisco were able to do in act one, would have been able to see him. With this lack of continuity, I believe it is Shakespeare's intention to use this hallucination as the most blatant support of the second, melancholic definition of madness. This definition, as close to true madness as I believe is presented by Hamlet, is used by Shakespeare to include drama into the play.

Hamlet is most famous for its much-discussed theme of madness and all elements of drama in the play: alternative madness, duelling, banishment, violence and murder, are all a result of Hamlets unstable mind. This makes the play exciting and unpredictable and, even today, draws huge crowds. In comparison to both the antic disposition and Hamlets depression, stereotypical Elizabethan madness is presented by the character of Ophelia in act four. Like many critics, I believe that Ophelia has been divided from herself. Shakespeare portrays this through her use of language and manner of communication. Shakespeare provides a clear definition of Ophelias state at the beginning of act four where it is said that she speaks things that carry but half sense, and that her speech is nothing.

This is true as, though there are constant references to both her father, with the repetition of, daughter and Hamlet Saint Valentines, her meanings are vague and lack precise consideration. In comparison to Hamlets witty wordplay, Ophelias ramblings of, Come, my coach, bear little meaning. More proof to the authenticity of Ophelias madness is seen as she is directed to sing. In previous acts we have seen that appearances and standards are incredibly important to Ophelia and so, to lose her inhibitions and to use language such as, cock, tumble, and dot, especially before the King and Queen, along with the report that she spurns enviously at straws, show that Ophelia is indeed distract. This loss of self-awareness is an unconscious echo of Hamlets loss of control during previous and later acts. Obvious comparisons can be made between Ophelias madness and both Hamlets antic disposition and touring passion.

The difference in the quality of language between the two characters is huge and, accompanied by such similarities as the cause of madness (loss of a father) which, contrastingly leads to two very different fates: swift death for Ophelia; five-act pensiveness for Hamlet, is Shakespeare's main tool in contrasting Ophelias genuine insanity with Hamlets wavering instability and sometimes solid mind. I believe Shakespeare uses Ophelias madness in order to highlight the lack of similar symptoms in Hamlet. It appears significantly in act four, after Shakespeare has already presented both of Hamlets conditions and therefore it is easy to compare to Ophelias singsong insanity. These comparisons further emphasise the drama of the theme and therefore Claudius guilt.

Other presentations of madness are seen in Polonius senility and Hamlets brief, but unseen, moment of stereotypical Elizabethan madness, doublet all unbraid his stockings found. Both this and the antic disposition serve to add many of the comic moments to the play. Like Hamlets touring passion, Laertes is also seen in moments of intense anger with such declarations as, to hell, allegiance! I dare damnation. However, the three main definitions of madness presented by Shakespeare in Hamlet explore one of the principal themes of the play. As well as adding the most exciting drama, I think that madness is used in different forms to contrast and complement each other definition.

Shakespeare's exploration of emotions, as presented by Hamlet, and the ambiguous way in which emotions cross the boundary into madness is ahead of his time and adds intriguing and passionate levels of meaning into the play.


Free research essays on topics related to: antic disposition, act five scene, ophelias madness, act four, closet scene

Research essay sample on Act Five Scene Antic Disposition

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