One of the oldest tricks in the book is to pretend to be insane and, that way, some people automatically let their guards down. In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet and Ophelia goes crazy after the death of their fathers. However, one appears to be genuine, while the other is intended only to fool some people. Ophelia’s apparent insanity comes from the experience of her father’s death, while Hamlet’s is based solely on revenge. Ophelia deals with her madness alone while Hamlet uses others to deal with his madness. Ophelia’s madness reveals a more passive character while Hamlet’s madness reveals his aggressive character. Although both Ophelia and Hamlet appear insane, they differ in their reason for insanity, how they deal with it and what it reveals about their character. While both Ophelia and Hamlet are mad, the reasons for their lunacy are not the same. Ophelia’s madness is caused by the
…show more content…
Her death was doubtful,
And, but that great command o 'ersways the order,
She should in ground unsanctified have lodged
Till the last trumpet" (Shakespeare 5.1. 233 - 237)
As Ophelia is unable to deal with her insanity simply by singing, she eventually drowns herself. To summarize, in the early stages of her insanity she sings to both Claudius and Gertrude and thereby expresses herself in a non-violent passive manner. Obviously, this expression does not work out well for her as she commits suicide by drowning herself later in the play. In contrast, Hamlet’s character also displays insanity but his is a matter of choice as his intent is to take someone else’s life. During Hamlet 's madness he questions himself about whether life is worth living. He speaks out loud so that he can make his decision after hearing himself talk.
"To be, or not to be? That is the question—
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of
Her death was doubtful,
And, but that great command o 'ersways the order,
She should in ground unsanctified have lodged
Till the last trumpet" (Shakespeare 5.1. 233 - 237)
As Ophelia is unable to deal with her insanity simply by singing, she eventually drowns herself. To summarize, in the early stages of her insanity she sings to both Claudius and Gertrude and thereby expresses herself in a non-violent passive manner. Obviously, this expression does not work out well for her as she commits suicide by drowning herself later in the play. In contrast, Hamlet’s character also displays insanity but his is a matter of choice as his intent is to take someone else’s life. During Hamlet 's madness he questions himself about whether life is worth living. He speaks out loud so that he can make his decision after hearing himself talk.
"To be, or not to be? That is the question—
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of