Theme of Madness in Hamlet free essay sample

It is debatable whether Hamlet’s apparent madness is natural, due to the series of previous events, or whether he feigns his madness. The first line of the play- ‘who’s there? ’ immediately creates a sense of the unknown, and this is supported by the fear of a potential invasion from Norway on Denmark at the time the play is set. The first sign of Hamlet’s madness is evident when the Ghost departs after speaking of the terrors of hell. It is clear that Hamlet is extremely disturbed by the visit from his father, from the beginning of his first soliloquy Scene 2, Line 129, ‘O, that this too too sullied flesh would melt’; showing that the death of his father along with the marriage between his mother and Claudius have led him to feel that life is not worth living. The soliloquy also includes repetition and Hamlet occasionally corrects himself, displaying that his thoughts are unstructured and confused. We will write a custom essay sample on Theme of Madness in Hamlet or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The last line of the soliloquy, ‘But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue’ implies to the audience that if he locks up all the anger and heartbreak he has just displayed in the soliloquy, he will grow insane because of his inability to express these emotions. Even when talking to his good friend, Horatio, Hamlet uses grotesque imagery when speaking of his mother’s wedding, ‘the funeral baked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables’. Hamlet is referring to the fact that because his mother’s wedding was so soon after his father’s funeral, they could have used the leftover meat from the funeral to feed the guests at the wedding. It is evident the only things on Hamlet’s mind are his feelings of bitterness and disgust towards his mother and Claudius. Shakespeare reminds the audience of Hamlet’s madness in Scene 4 through the use of questioning from Hamlet, ‘With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls? Say, why is this? Wherefore? What should we do? Hamlet’s thought processes are disarrayed and the audience begin to doubt his sanity. Hamlet is apprehensive and is now unable to compose himself as well as he did during his first encounter with the Ghost. The theme of madness is further displayed when Hamlet follows the ghost (Scene 4 Line 88) and Horatio and Marcellus have a short discussion about Hamlet and are evidently concerned about him, ‘He waxes desperate with imagination’, meaning his irrational thoughts have led him into a state of recklessness. Hamlet’s second soliloquy is extremely important in conveying the theme of madness in Act 1. Shakespeare has used a lot of question marks, exclamation marks and repetition to display his uncertain and eccentric thoughts. He also speaks of Heaven, God and the ‘globe’, revealing the enormity of his emotions and how his life is now devoted to avenging his father’s death. In Act 1, Scene 5, Line 172, Hamlet tells Horatio he is going ‘To put an antic disposition on’, meaning he is going to appear mad to everyone around him, as he believes this will make his actions more acceptable. In Act 2, Scene 2, Line 166, Hamlet enters with a book. At the time, reading a book was considered to be a sign of insanity. This would have been a very obvious representation of Hamlet’s madness for the audience. Hamlet’s language in this scene is confusing and wild; however there are signs of his sane mind working skilfully beneath the surface. This links back to his previous decision to ‘put an antic disposition on’, as he is deliberately trying to irritate Claudius, showing that there are still signs of rational thought processes. The death of Hamlet’s father and the events surrounding this have resulted in Hamlet acting this way throughout Act 1. The second visit from the Ghost, Act 1 Scene 5 further emphasises this when he talks of his experiences in hell. The Ghost uses particularly disturbing language to describe this, I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood. As the son of the Ghost, it is deeply upsetting for Hamlet to have to hear his father describing to him the suffering and trauma that he is put through each night, thus presenting another reason behind Hamlets insanity.