Essential Question # 7

Do you think that Hamlet has created his own insanity or has he lost his sense of reality completely?



I think Hamlet has created his own insanity because he made a decision to fake madness. He fakes his madness so that the other character do not find out the reason behind his behavior. Hamlet does not want anyone to know that he plans to avenge his father's death, he rather people think that he is going mad. The people around him believe that he is mad and attempt to manipulate him, but he acknowledges their true intentions, "They fool me to the top of my bent" (Act iii sc. ii 345-346). I would not call Hamelt's actions insane, rather confused and disturbed. Although Hamlet states how he is insane sometimes, but knows where his head is, "I am but mad north-north west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw" (Act ii sc. ii 361-362). He takes his insanity to far by telling Ophelia that he never loved her, which only lead Claudius to suspect him more. Faking his insanity can ruin him because he truly does love Ophelia. Hamlet shows no signs of insanity in when he is having a conversation with Horatio, but when he encounters Claudius and Gertrude he begins to act insane again, in which depicts that he creates his insanity.