Hamlet, By William Shakespeare Essay

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet, the main character, is perceived by the audience as mad and he purposely tries to make an impression on the audience as well as the characters around him as insane. However, no one is actually aware when Hamlet 's bouts of insanity are real and when they are not. His sanity is also questionable because one does not know if Hamlet 's sanity is a cover for his insanity or if his sanity is the reality and his insanity is the act. Additionally, Hamlet 's madness is a concept that is debatable since it is created by society therefore is madness what we classify actions that are different from our own? This implies a great deal about systems of rational thought and the development of modern society. Shakespeare also explores between notions of reason and emotions in that could the outcome of Hamlet been different if Hamlet 's emotions or even his reasoning had not gotten in the way, influencing his actions. The audience is first made aware of Hamlet 's madness when he says,“O, that this too too solid flesh would melt/Thaw and resolve itself into a dew,/Or that the Everlasting had not fix 'd/His canon 'gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!/How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable/Seem to me all the uses of this world!” Here, Hamlet is in a state of extreme grief over his father 's death which is understandable because the norm of society is to grieve or be irrational which causes a loop where the irrational becomes the rational.…