Where is the fine point between insanity and sanity? Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a tragedy about a prince of Denmark, Hamlet. First Hamlet’s father, the deceased king, is murdered by his brother, who then becomes king, and also marries his wife. Then, Hamlet’s father’s ghost appears and tells Hamlet to get revenge. In the events that ensue, Hamlet murders Polonius thinking that he is Claudius, his murderous uncle. Hamlet should be tried for murder and not be let off for insanity because he truthfully reveals to numerous characters that he is only pretending to be insane, he contemplates about murder constantly, and he has legitimate justification to commit murder.
Hamlet truthfully reveals that he is just …show more content…
It all starts when the ghost tells him to kill Claudius for the purpose of revenge. He tells Hamlet, “Revenge his most foul and unnatural murder.”(Shakespeare 1.5.27) The ghost justifies Hamlet’s quest for revenge because of the truth in his words. Hamlet’s crime being justified means that it is not a random act, which an insane person would do. The Ghost is proved correct when Claudius admits to killing him. The reasons the Ghost wants revenge are that Claudius killed him and seduced Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. This is proven true when Claudius is praying. He expresses, “A brother’s murder! Pray can I not.”(Shakespeare 3.3.84) Also, The ghost is seen by multiple people, proving that it was real. Bernardo, Horatio, and Marcellus saw it. This is proven when Horatio says, “Look, my lord, it comes!” (Shakespeare 1.4.23) The fact that the ghost is seen by multiple people is important because it proves that it is not just a figment of Hamlet’s imagination. If the ghost was only seen by Hamlet, it would suggest that Hamlet is insane but since multiple people saw it, it proves that Hamlet is sane. In the end, this information shows that Hamlet is not crazy, he was justified in his