Hamlet- Truly Mad, for Freigned Madness Essay - 1237 Words

Hamlet Essay- Truly Mad, for Feigned Madness ? Throughout Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, the main character, Hamlet, must seek revenge for the murder of his father. Hamlet decides to portray an act of insanity, as part of his plan to murder Claudius. Throughout the play, Hamlet becomes more and more believable in his act, even convincing his mother that he is crazy. However, through his thoughts, and actions, the reader can see that he is in fact putting up an act, he is simply simulating insanity to help fulfil his fathers duty of revenge. Throughout the play, Hamlet shows that he understands real from fake, right from wrong and his enemies from his friends. Even in his madness, he retorts and is clever in his speech and has full†¦show more content†¦Hamlet says that he knows the difference between a hawk and a handsaw, in other words, he is very far from being mad, and he is perfectly capable of recognizing good from bad, right from wrong, friends from enemies. Hamlet shows that he understands his actions, and co nsequences through his thoughts and words. Hamlet shows that he is not crazy through his actions, even in his madness, he retorts and is clever in his speech and has full understanding of what if going on around him, and through his conversation with Horatio, Ophelia and more. Soon after finding out about his fathers death, and in order to further develop his plan to murder Claudius, Hamlet talks to Horatio and tells him he will put on an act of antic disposition. You can see this when Hamlet says â€Å"But come— Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, How strange or odd someer I bear myself— As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on— That you, at such times seeing me, never shall, With arms encumbred thus, or this headshake, Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase, As Well, well, we know, or We could, and if we would, Or If we list to speak, or There be, and if they might, Or such ambiguous giving out, to note That you know aught of me—this do swear, So grace and mercy at your most need help you.† (1.5.168-170) Hamlet is able to toy with people through speech, confusing them and