Hamlet: The Theme Of Sanity

Madness seems to be very common for most of the characters in Hamlet, it seems to tie in with revenge and is sometimes what people believe about everything at the end. Madness is the state of being mentally ill, especially severely. Madness also seems to be what people want it to be, to the person that has madness they seem to think that it is fine and or they are doing good. Madness is what drives the story of Hamlet other than revenge.

One of the first quotes in Hamlet doesn’t show exactly why he is crazy. they are talking as if he is in denial of what he has witnessed or heard. This is very common in many things that have main characters have something tragic happen to make the main character look crazy. this happens in movies, books, and other stories like local legends all the time. This example ‘Bernardo Sit down awhile, And let us once again assail your ears, That are so fortified against our story, What we two nights have seen. (Hamlet I.i.34-36).’

Hamlet seems to have a lot of madness in it. It seems to affect everyone in the book either directly or they will talk about someone else they believe has gone crazy. In the second act of Hamlet on lines one through 18; Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern start talking about a change that has overtaken Hamlet. Claudius wanted everyone as he said, ‘hasty sending’ which means he wanted everyone quickly to discuss something where this is normally considered for problems. They talk about how he was different than he was before. The group even talks about trying to lure him to talk about the possible problems that have changed him by taking him to have a good time. Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern are using this idea to see if they can figure out what is wrong and fix the problems.

Ophelia starts to talk about Hamlet. She states ‘ what a noble mind is here o’erthrown! The courtier’s, scholar’s, soldier’s, eye, tongue, sword.’ She starts talking about how and what he used to be, such as being smart, and strong. She said that he was the obvious heir to the throne. She said,’ That sucked the honey of his music vows.’ She loved hearing him talk to her and says now he doesn’t seem to think clearly. as well stating ‘To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!’ She seems to be talking about that he was handsome and had great looks. also talking about how woe she is to know what he was before he went crazy.

In Hamlet act four lines 7 through 12. Gertrude compares Hamlet’s state of mind to waves and winds in a storm in a sea. Gertrude says hamlet had madness since he took out his sword and killed an innocent man behind a tapestry.

In the end, Hamlet seems to be driven by revenge as insanity since everyone here is supposed to have already read Hamlet. The revenge part of the story should not have to be explained. So in some ways, Hamlet has been involved with the deaths of; Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern. Madness is what drives the story of Hamlet other than revenge.