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Madness in Shakespeare's Hamlet

        Madness may be �mental incapacity caused by an unmentionable 

injury.� Such wounds often are not easily perceived but may be 

revealed in time of stress.  Hamlet�s question, �have you a 

daughter?�(Act II. Sc2 182) Polonius about the Prince�s emotional 

state.  What is hidden will surely be told to Cloudius by his adviser. 

Laertes� search for revenge is sharper proof that madness in degrees 

of publicity causes harm to the observers.  Claudius promise �no wind 

of blame�(Act IV, Sc.7,66) once Laertes kills Hamlet; perhaps this is 

what the uncle has sought all along for himself.  Ophelia has a 

unique, very powerful form of madness; she seems caught as a �baker�s 

daughter,"(Act IV, Sc. 5, 42) between memories of her father and 

Hamlet who ought have  spokedn to her of events on �Valentine�s 

day."(Act IV, Sc 5, 48)  She is doubly hexed and the madness she has 

infects the whole court.  Once a person�s mental state has been 

studied in public, there is no telling the injuries which may affect 

the viewers. 



        Ever since the death of King Hamlet young Hamlet has been what 

appeared to be in a state of madness.  In a discussion between Hamlet 

and Polonius Hamlet questions Polonius by asking him �have you a

daughter.�(Act II, Sc.2, 182)  In this discussion Hamlet shows antic

behavior towards Polonius by mocking him when Hamlet would usually 

show great respect for him because of he age and heis high position in 

the court.  This sudden question to Polonius has caused Polonius to 

believe that Hamlet has a form of love-sickness and that Polonius is 

sure to tell Claudius of his condition.  Hamlet also accuses Polonius 

of being the �Jephthah, judge of Israel,�(Act II,Sc.2, 399) meaning 

that Polonius would put his country in front of his daughter.  Hamlet 

has now convinced Polonius that he is in a state of madness because he 

knows that Polonius cares for his daughter very much and would never 

put her second.  By convincing Polonius that he has no consideration 

for the well-being of others, Hamlet is then hoping that Polonius will 

tell the court of his emotional madness.



        Unlike Hamlet, Laertes has developed a different kind of 

madness, a madness that is controlled by revenge.   When Laertes is 

talking to Claudius, Laertes gets so much revenge building up inside 

him against Hamlet that Laertes now wants to �cut his throat.�(Act 

4,Sc.7,125) Laertes� behavior is caused by the sudden death of his 

father who was without a due ceremony, and his sister who has been 

driven mad, has contributed to the madness that is being built up 

inside Laertes.  This madness grows even stronger when Claudius 

promises �no wind of blame�(Act IV.Sc7,66) when Laertes kills Hamlet. 

With Claudius being the puppet holder and Laertes being the puppet, 

Claudius turns Laertes into a savage beast to avenge for his fathers' 

death; perhaps this is what the Claudius has planned all along.   

Laertes has a form of madness that is escalating because Laertes knows 

that he has the capabilities and motivation to act on what he believes 

on.



        Ophelia has a unique form of madness unlike Hamlet�s and 

Laertes� because it a mixture of  love and hate.  An example of hate 

is when she sings about a �baker's daughter.�(Act IV,Sc.5,42)  Ophelia 

is referring to the way her father used to treat her before the tragic 

incident of his death.  A love within her madness is when she speaks 

about the events on �Valentine�s day.�(Act IV, Sc.5,48)  When Ophelia 

speaks about Valentines day she is referring to the events of romance 

that she was denied.  Ophelia�s madness is brought on by her lack of 

being able to demonstrate any maturity in trying to cope with her 

losses and in return can only inflict her madness on the court.



        By stating that Hamlet could have controlled his fraudulent 

madness, he then had the capability of controlling his conscious mind 

into acting traditional.  Where Laertes was very influential by others 

and had no real control over the mental state he was developing by the 

sway of  Claudius.  Ophelia was the most innocent victim of all 

because she was the side affect of everyone else�s actions and had no 

idea that she was mentally disintegrating. It can be noticed that 

within each of these three people there can be no reassurance on what 

the affect they may have on others due to their mental state in 

public.

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