Madness in Hamlet

Characters Hamlet and Ophelia have been carefully molded in such a way that the writer uses them to exploit madness as a character. Madness in its literal form can be defined as the mental state of instability characterized by extreme foolish conduct, chaotic as well as uncontrolled activity. People considered to be in this state are deemed to have mental challenges because of serious mental/ emotional trauma as well as other related causes. However, according to Thompson in his article, Shakespeare's first Hamlet madness can also be used in lighter terms to reference crazy or foolish ideas/ acts done by people in their right mental and physical form. Conclusively it is very difficult to define madness fully, and therefore as Thompson puts it, “there is a blurry line between genuine madness Vis a Vis wise foolishness.

Polonius is a character with a sense of self-importance in such a way that he believes anything that deprives that sense of true freedom can draw you towards madness like that deprived of Hamlet by Ophelia. Looking at madness from Horatio’s perspective the audience is able to deduce a double standard. Horatio being Hamlet’s friend is aware that Hamlet is feigning madness to seek revenge. However, he believes that the ghost that has come back is not that of Hamlet’s father but rather an agent of the devil. His reservation is that following or even listening to the ghost could lead to real madness and it is, in reality, causing Hamlet to fake madness (Keegan 166). However, opinion is very weak in the determination of true madness or display of wise foolishness.

By observation, one perceives whatever the character wishes him/ her to perceive. Qasim in his article International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences states that “Hamlet's madness was feigned. ” Hamlet made a statement where he said that though he was mad, “he could recognize a hawk from a handsaw. ”  Hamlet made this statement when Claudius exiled him to England. Shakespeare manages through this situation to blur the line between true and fake madness displayed by the character. Roberts on the Review of Shakespeare's Hamlet intimates that as time goes by, the behavior of the character Hamlet becomes “inconsistent and highly erratic. ” He tends to display the fact that his emotions control a better part of him as opposed to facing reality.

He takes time to manage situations choosing to allow emotions to overtake reality. At the funeral of Ophelia, he is involved in a physical fight with Laertes due to exposure to extreme stress. In light of this, she devotes her time to singing sad songs as well as sorrowful ones to depict her sad state. What is very evident is that she is grieving the loss of her father. As well, her madness could be jointly caused by her failed relationship with the character Hamlet. She represents the female way of handling a failed relationship as well as the grieving process (Catlett 23). She is in a mental state where everything within her environment reminds her of her late father. "Madness as Prophecy in Dystopia: Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Nietzsche’s Philosophy and Heller’s Satire of Wartime Insanity.