Insanity In Hamlet

Emily Dickinson, a highly coveted American poet, once wrote, “Much madness is divinest Sense-To a discerning Eye-“. Our perception of viewing a circumstance in which insanity is present is heavily influenced our own or another individual’s madness. Characters within the Shakespearean play, Hamlet, have expressed the true essence of madness at different levels by behaving a variety of ways which may or may not be reasonable for the situation at hand. Although the conduct of the characters, provides a more in depth understanding of them, it additionally adds to the work as a whole. For the most part, people in society have discovered forms to recover from the moment of revelation. Unlike the traditional form of dealing with the feeling of anger and shock, Hamlet, the …show more content…
Hamlet and Gertrude fight bitterly over the topic of Gertrude’s love for the late King Hamlet. Hamlet, in the middle of his rage, states how the Gertrude’s actions are “almost as bad” as her “kill[ing] a king and marry with his brother.” Hamlet’s madness causes him to vocalize both the truth and his perception of the events he has been exposed to. Shortly afterwards, still with fury in mind, Hamlet stabs wildly the nearby arras, accidentally murdering Polonius. The shock of the moment mixed with adrenaline, blinds Hamlet from seeing his mistake. In a rage, Hamlet brutally insults his mother for her apparent ignorance of Claudius's villainy, but the Ghost enters. Besides reprimanding Hamlet for his inaction and harsh words, (“O,step between her and her fighting soul: Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works”) the ghost of King Hamlet adds fuel to the fire/madness already portrayed by Hamlet. Unable to see or hear the Ghost herself, Gertrude is unaware of the authenticity of his lunacy, much like the other individuals will also be ignorant of