Why Is Hamlet Mad

A strong sign pointing to Hamlet actually being mad is his change in behavior after seeing the ghost of his father, King Hamlet. He began to speak to himself about odd things as he walked the lobby at the same time every day. Often when he was encountered, others could not make sense of what he was saying. Shakespeare’s more detailed content of the play points to the argument that Hamlet is merely pretending to be mad. First, the ghost is seen by other men in Act 1 scene i. Secondly, the character of the ghost has lines and appears to the audience, hinting that Shakespeare did not intend for King Hamlet’s ghost to be a figment of his son’s imagination, but a real character playing an obviously understood roll. Hamlet tells his mother “…I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft” (Shakespeare 3.4.209-210). …show more content…
These are known from his time at college and excitement for the players that visit during the play. The combination of these two facts very well point to the conclusion that Hamlet is not mad. But instead he is pretending to be mad during the time he plots to kill his uncle in order to avenge his father. This makes further argument for his sanity. To live with the man who killed his father, let alone be related to him would cause a considerable amount of stress and anxiety to come upon a young man like Hamlet. He also deals with the stress of planning a murder, but before he goes through with it, he must confirm his uncle’s actions before bringing a sword on