Approximately 18.5% of adults in the United States population experience a mental illness in a given year (NAMI 1). Although this statistic can often vary, it is quite staggering. It was unclear whether or not Hamlet’s madness was truly real, but it greatly affected the content and the outcome of Hamlet. Not only was this a problem for Hamlet himself, but also for each character that encountered him and the kingdom that they were living in. Whether it was because they had to listen to his dramatic claims of seeing a ghost or because Hamlet was the main reason for their death. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet contains imagery, symbolism, and appropriate diction to express how diseases and deaths affect the decaying of the beloved Denmark. In
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The speaker portrayed Hamlet’s madness by the diction used throughout the play. The speaker introduced Hamlet’s madness early in the play when Hamlet learned of his father’s death. “And so, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit that we shake hands and part, you, as your business and desire shall point you, for every man hath business and desire, such as it is, and for my own poor part, I will go pray” (Act I scene v 128-132). Horatio referred to Hamlet’s words as wild and whirling, yet promised to Hamlet that he would keep the spotting of the ghost a secret. This enabled the readers to pick up on Hamlet’s actions and ‘madness’ and keep an eye out for other examples throughout the rest of the play. For example, when Ophelia was alive, Hamlet took her love for granted and told her that he never loved her when she returned with his letters and gifts. However, when Ophelia committed suicide, Hamlet fought with Laertes in her grave over who loved her most. Although this can be seen as a normal reaction to the death of a ‘loved’ one, the diction chosen by the speaker to utilize Hamlet’s character helped justify that his madness was
The speaker portrayed Hamlet’s madness by the diction used throughout the play. The speaker introduced Hamlet’s madness early in the play when Hamlet learned of his father’s death. “And so, without more circumstance at all, I hold it fit that we shake hands and part, you, as your business and desire shall point you, for every man hath business and desire, such as it is, and for my own poor part, I will go pray” (Act I scene v 128-132). Horatio referred to Hamlet’s words as wild and whirling, yet promised to Hamlet that he would keep the spotting of the ghost a secret. This enabled the readers to pick up on Hamlet’s actions and ‘madness’ and keep an eye out for other examples throughout the rest of the play. For example, when Ophelia was alive, Hamlet took her love for granted and told her that he never loved her when she returned with his letters and gifts. However, when Ophelia committed suicide, Hamlet fought with Laertes in her grave over who loved her most. Although this can be seen as a normal reaction to the death of a ‘loved’ one, the diction chosen by the speaker to utilize Hamlet’s character helped justify that his madness was