Hamlets Journey from Antic Disposition to Actual Insanity - Essay Example

Hamlet’s Journey from Antic Disposition to Actual Insanity Hamlet is unanimously regarded to be one of the most powerful and influential characters in the history of English literature, which leaves indelible impact of his strengths and flaws existing in his personality trait, and deciding the tragic end of the protagonist character of the play and his rivals ultimately. Created by the illustrious Sir William Shakespeare as the central figure of his tragic play Hamlet, the protagonist pretends insanity in order to detect the murderer(s) of his father in order to take revenge from them for assassination of the King of Denmark in cold blood. Since Hamlet is guided by the ghost of the previous king about his murder by poisoning him into the ear while sleeping in the orchard, the protagonist appears to be determined to retaliate to his uncle i.e. King Claudius and mother Queen Gertrude eventually. He this seeks relief in pretending insanity, but subsequently appears to be becoming real insane out of sheer rage and fury in the wake of the disclosure made by the ghost in the beginning of the play. However, his insanity, either pretended or actual, has been a matter of great interest for the critics and analysts alike, where it becomes very difficult whether his real mental disorder begins after the end of his pretending the same, or he is in full senses till he encounters his fatal end. In addition, the curiosity also arises about the temporary state of insanity he undergoes, which maintains close proximity with real mental retardation instead of the feign kind of lunacy. Hamlet’s insanity appears in the play in Act I scene V, immediately after the revelation made by the ghost, which invites Hamlet’s arousal, who looks resolute to enquire whether the ghost is justified in its claim or not. However, he is confident about the truthfulness of the statement made by the ghost; it is therefore he declares the queen as the most pernicious woman and a villain as well (Act I, Sc. V, line 105), which would not wait for even few weeks to remarry with the new king after the assassination of her previous husband. One of his first soliloquies also elucidates the same that even a beast could mourn more longer the death of a spouse than his mother has done (Act I, Sc. II, lines 150-151); consequently, he declares frailty as synonymous to woman (I, ii, line 146). Consequently, the situation of his father’s murder and his mother’s second marriage disturbs Hamlet in such a way that everything looks drab, dull and dismal to him. Eventually, he decides to take any step, even committing suicide to bring his life to an end. However, he decides pretending insanity, in order to punish the culprits involved into the conspiracy of his father’s murder. Hamlet settles his mind on wearing black clothes while attending the royal court in order to demonstrate his melancholy over his father’s sad demise as well as make protest against the assassination through his words, acts and gestures. Since his inner sorrow is so great that his dour appearance is merely a poor mirror of it (I.ii.68), so he would prefer to stay in nightly color in order to realize the queen about the graveness of the sad incident. In addition, he also takes his friend Horatio into confidence by informing him that he would observe feign madness and finding anything odd and strange in his behavior would be just putting on an act (I, v, 166-183). The play, arranged by Prince Hamlet within the play, reveals that he has not observed real madness till he had hired the services of the actors. It is therefore he states that the play is the thing where he would catch the conscience of the king (II, ii, 600-601) by keenly witnessing his expressions at the death scene of the player king. He also plays the same trick on the queen by noticing her expressions, while the player queen views: A second time I killed my husband dead, when second husband kissed me in bed (III, ii, 179-80). Thus, Hamlet in a state of normal mental condition makes plan to detect the murderer and ensnares him into the mouse trap in a clever manner, which refutes the possibility of his suffering from insanity altogether. At one time, Hamlet observes lunacy while rejecting the advancements made by Ophelia; and instead of accepting the love of his beloved, he insists her to join nunnery instead of becoming the breeder of sinners (III.i.122–123). It not only hurts Ophelia to a great extent, but also invites the curiosity of Claudius, Gertrude and Polonius in respect of the mental condition Hamlet has been suffering from. Thus, the royal couple concludes that the prince Hamlet should be sent to England for the change of environment as well as for treatment. Somehow, Polonius remains in suspicion about his mental condition, and urges the queen to enter into dialogue with Hamlet (III, iv, 1-5). As a result, the queen appears to be determined to meet her son, and to enquire about the reasons behind his illness. However, Hamlet enters and starts talking to his mother without noticing the presence of lord Polonius behind the curtain. Hamlet begins rebuking and censuring the queen, and condemns her for humiliating her first love with his father i.e. the dead king (III, iv, 91-103). As a result, Gertrude looks convinced about his madness, and just takes pity on such a miserable state of affairs the prince has been undergoing (III, iv, 106). Hence, she laments over the killing of some unseen fellow, and does not know it is Polonius behind the curtain. Hamlet’s madness is also evident at the eve of his noticing Polonius’s eavesdropping at the dialogue carrying bitter words. Thus, he observes madness while unconsciously killing Polonius hiding behind the curtain, and overhearing the conversation between him and the queen (III, iv, 21-25). However, Prince Hamlet, while killing Polonius acknowledges the very fact that someone is doing mischievous act by foul playing against him. Such a irrational act is seldom performed in the state of complete sanity. The same mad wittiness is also evident at the eve of the burial of his beloved Ophelia, where he expresses intellectual and philosophical views while discussing the matter of life and death with the clowns and grave-digger in the graveyard (V, I, 156-198). In addition, he also demonstrates his exceptional love for Ophelia while arguing with the angry and agonized Laertes that he states: forty thousand brothers could not with all their quantity of love makes up my sum (V, I, 264-266). Nevertheless, the prince exercises prudence while deceiving the conspirators, including Guildenstern and Rosencrantz, who had been appointed by Claudius to kill Hamlet during his voyage to England. However, the prince made alterations in the letter written by Claudius and meant for the King of England, and thus caused the killing of both the courtiers by saving his skin and ensuring his escape eventually, as the first ambassador announces in the presence of Fortinbras that Guildenstern and Rosencrantz are dead (V, ii, 376). Hence, Hamlet skillfully removes his rivals from his way, and safely returns Denmark, to the astonishment of both of his enemies i.e. Laertes and Claudius. To conclude, it becomes evident that the death of his father had caused gloom to Hamlet, though disclosure of the ghost about the murder of the king at the hands of Claudius, and his mother’s entering into matrimonial relationship with Claudius within few weeks after his father’s death upset him in such a way that the idea of revenge captured his mind, and disturbs his mental faculties to a great extent. He was so distressed and disappointed that he could not respond to Ophelia’s love, which led to her woeful end by committing suicide eventually. In addition, his abnormal mental state stopped him from killing Claudius while praying, as his soul, according to hamlet move to heaven straight. Hence, his insanity not only brings death and destruction to the family of Ophelia, where her father Polonius and brother Laertes are killed at the hands of Hamlet, but also Hamlet is also killed during the duel between him and Laertes eventually. Work Cited Shakespeare, Sir William (1998) Hamlet Paperback Revised Read More