Haley Hopkins
Ms. Nichole Wilson
AP Literature and
Composition
14 November 2013
Hamlet Literary
Analysis: “Words, Words, Words…”
One definition of
madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior arising from
it." But Emily Dickinson wrote: “Much madness is divinest/Sense-To a
discerning Eye.” Novelists and playwrights have often seen madness with a
"discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a character's
apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role. Then write a
well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric
behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the
significance of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely
summarize the plot.
I have read and understand
the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason High School's
Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title page of my
paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the process of
completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or plagiarism did
take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the possible consequences
of the act, which could include a "0" on the paper, as well as an
"F" as a final grade in the course.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet puts on an “antic
disposition,” supposedly to aid him in the quest to avenge the death of his
father. However, this façade eventually leads to Hamlet’s true insanity, which
can be seen through the disintegration of his relationships with his mother and
Ophelia, and in his impulsive murder of Polonius. It is this true insanity that
causes other characters in the play to seek vengeance and, eventually, leads to
their demises.
Hamlet is emotionally unstable due
to the loss of his father and the betrayal of his mother; therefore, it seems
reasonable that he makes the decision to feign insanity in an attempt to avoid
suspicion during his quest to avenge his father (Musick). The first time Hamlet
admits his façade is when Rosencrantz and Guildenstern visit Elsinore at the
request of not only Claudius, but the queen, who fears for her “too much
changed son” (1.1.36). Hamlet reveals that he is simply pretending to be mad in
front of his mother and uncle. He says to his friends, “my uncle-father and
aunt-mother are deceived” (2.2327-328). When asked how they are being tricked,
Hamlet responds by saying, “I am but mad north-north west…” (2.2.330). Essentially,
Hamlet is only acting mad when he is in front of those who might suspect him of
wrongdoing. After making this
confession, Hamlet learns that a group of travelling actors will also be in
Elsinore. It is this news that allows Hamlet to formulate a plan when he is
alone. In a rage, he swears to bring Claudius to justice by showing him a play
that depicts the murderous acts he committed.
“The play’s the thing,” he says, “wherein I’ll catch the conscience of
the king” (2.2.523-533). Now that Hamlet has a plan to avenge his father, he
must keep up his façade so that nobody questions his motives for creating the
play. With this information, some may argue that Hamlet is sane because he is
aware of his deception and has a plan in mind; however, as his relationships
with his mother and Ophelia begin to deteriorate, it becomes apparent that he
is not.
Hamlet’s loyalty to his elaborate
façade forces him to put on his “antic disposition” (1.5.173) around Ophelia,
which eventually causes their relationship to crumble. When Ophelia returns the
gifts he had given her, Hamlet states, “No, not I; I never gave you aught”
(3.1.95-96). He is pretending that he never gave Ophelia anything, which in
turn makes it seem as though he never had feelings for her. Hamlet then further
adds to the confusion as he first proclaims “I did love you once”
(3.1.112-113), but follows up with “I loved you not” (3.1.116). Ophelia is
hurt, admitting that she was deceived by him, and he quickly flies into a rage.
He tells her to “get…to a nunnery” rather than “be a breeder of sinners”
(3.1.118). His madness builds with his rage as he begins to denounce women in
general. Ophelia is appalled by Hamlet’s words; after he leaves, she mourns the
loss of a man with “a noble mind” and “the courtier’s, soldier’s, scholar’s,
eye, tongue, sword…” (3.1.140-141). After this encounter, it is apparent that
Ophelia and Hamlet’s relationship will never be the beauty it once was; and it
is not the only relationship at jeopardy.
Hamlet’s harbored internal anger,
when coupled with his acts of deception, not only ruin his relationship with
his mother, but could also be argued as the cause of Polonius’ death. Gertrude
calls Hamlet into her room to chastise him for his recent behavior; what she
doesn’t expect, however, are his responses. “Mother, you have my father much
offended,” (3.4.9) he tells her – a clear expression of his distaste of her
hasty marriage to his uncle. The two argue until Gertrude fears for her safety
and calls out for help. Polonius, who has, as usual, been spying, follows suit.
Hamlet believes it is Claudius who is behind the curtain, though, and
impulsively kills him. This is what could be argued as Hamlet’s transition from
feigned insanity to true insanity; his decision to kill who he thought was the
king was a rash one, and it is acts like those that define the term “insanity.”
Hamlet’s actions toward his mother seemed to be a mix of true anger and his
façade – and these lead to her cries for help, and therefore, Polonius’
death. The theme of vengeance and death
is also presented; Hamlet’s quest to avenge his father has now caused the death
of Ophelia’s father, and it does indeed lead to major consequences.
The death of Polonius proves to be
the turning point of Hamlet, as it
continues to support the theme of vengeance and death through the demises of
the rest of the characters. The domino effect is seen clearly in the final acts
of the play: Ophelia descends into madness and eventually dies, and in the
ultimate depiction of vengeance, Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude all
meet their demises. All of the men in this final act are seeking some sort of
revenge. Hamlet’s final act of vengeance – the murder of Claudius- is simply
his way of bringing his father’s murderer to justice. Even Laertes says that
the king is “justly serv’d” (5.2.291). Therefore, his actions could be
justifiable, because he wants to fulfill his father’s wishes by getting rid of
the man who shouldn’t have come to power in the first place. He is also,
arguably, in a state of true insanity, brought about by spending far too much
time pretending to be mentally ill (Mohamedali). The gruesome scene that
Fortinbras ends up discovering was brought about by vengeance – first Hamlet’s,
and then Claudius’ and Laertes’. Their
madness encompassed them, overtook them, and eventually, killed them.
Hamlet’s “antic disposition” may
have started out as simple deception, but it proved to be much deadlier. Fueled
by his desire to avenge his father, Hamlet committed impulsive and deceptive
acts that not only ruined the only stable relationships he had, but led to
multiple deaths – including his own. Hamlet’s transition from feigned to real
madness proved that seeking vengeance can only ever lead to your demise.
Works Cited
Mohamedali,
Yasyf. "Something Rotten? An Analysis Of Hamlet's Antic Disposition."
Yasyf Mohamedali. VanIsland Sites, 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Musick, Erich. “Antic Disposition.” ErichMusick.com. Erich
Musick, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.
<http://erichmusick.com/writings/03/antic_disposition.html>.
No comments:
Post a Comment