Hamlet and his State of Madness

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the uncertainty surrounding Hamlet's apparent state of melancholy and madness. The paper describes his madness, reviewing how it develops, why it develops, and what purpose it serves for Hamlet.

From the Paper:

"Yet, in marrying his mother so quickly, Claudius has done something that Hamlet's conscious cannot forgive. This leaves Hamlet at a point of inaction, where his desire to seek revenge is not great enough to overcome his cowardice. The ghost of his father and the message that he brings is then a way for Hamlet to force himself to take action. In short, Hamlet cannot choose to take revenge on Claudius willingly. Instead, he has to create a scenario for himself where he believes that he has no choice. When he imagines he sees his father's ghost and is told to take revenge, he has given himself such a scenario. Another important point that reveals Hamlet's madness is the actions he takes after he is told to take revenge. After speaking with the ghost, Hamlet swears that he will take revenge. However, he does not immediately choose to take revenge. Instead, he considers his actions and falls into a state of melancholy and madness."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Crunelle-Vanrigh, A. (1997). Too much in the (black) sun: Hamlet's first soliloquy, a Kristevan view. Renaissance Forum, 2.2, 6-11. Eliot, T.S. (1922). Hamlet and his problems. The sacred wood: Essays on poetry and criticism. Retrieved May 15, 2006, from Bartelby.com. Web site: http://www.bartleby.com/200/sw9.html Lehmann, C., & Starks, L.S. (2000). Making mother matter. Early Modern Literary Studies, 6.1, 21-24. Shakespeare, W. (1987). Hamlet. New York: Penguin.

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