Is Hamlet mad or is he sane? Discuss the possibilites, referring to specific scenes and lines in the play.

-- hyster (hysterchan@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002

Answers

Oh dear. Don't give me your teacher's address will you?

The short answer is, Hamlet is sane. I mean really, would there be any point to at least half the play otherwise?

There are lots of thoughts for this under the question titled WAS HAMLET MAD? (Anat 1999) in this forum, as well as references under other questions.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.

dude, he's sane look at when he talks to horatio; he is perfectly normal then. It's only when he talks to the other charecters that he's crazy. he sent two letters also right befor he came back from england. One to horatio explaining what he's doing, and one to the king that shows he totally looped just to scare the king

-- crystal (dickinsone@kent-school.edu), October 16, 2002.

yeah but think about it! when hamlet is in his motherschmber only he sees the ghost! and yet when he sees him earlier in the play other people see the ghost too! so why didnt gertrude notice the ghost her son was apparently speaking to? could it be that he is just imagining the ghost at that point and that he is in fact insane?

-- lynsey robinson (lillypops@fsmail.net), November 13, 2002.

But in the conversation immediately following with his mother he is oh, so sane, and cool, calm and collected to boot. More likely, the ghost doesn't let Gertrude see itself because it thinks 'Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works': she's freaking out as it is, and the ghost knows she couldn't cope with seeing it, so it doesn't let itself appear to her. In any case its mission is with Prince Hamlet. It appeared to the men in I.i because it needed them to tell Hamlet to come see it one night. But it only spoke to Hamlet, in private. THE Ghost does not do any more than that allowed by its mission. To appear and speak to Gertrude would be outside its mission.

BLOODY HELL, THIS GUY IS SANE, ALL RIGHT???!!!

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), November 16, 2002.

AMEN, ANY1 KNOW ANY OTHER REASONS HE WAS SANE?

-- Barry I (bigbaz1985@hotmail.com), November 18, 2002.

What about the Elizabethan belief that if you pretend to be something long enough, eventually you will become it. This idea is illustrated in Ben Johnson's "Volpone", where the title character pretends to have various illnesses throughout the play and in the end he dies from one such illness. Perhaps Hamlet's trick gets the best of him; as he says in Act 5 Sc 2:"What I have done . . . I here proclaim as madness." Ln 213-215

-- Morris Cort (morriscort@aol.com), November 22, 2002.

We've been there already. Anyone, if you're reading under this question, go look at "Was Hamlet mad" as well. And specifically in this instance, point C) of my response of 17th November, 2002. So. Under such a belief, in theory Hamlet's trick could have got the better of him. The point is, it doesn't. I haven't actually heard of it as a standard belief; but if it were one, it would only be in a possibility not a rule. Edgar in LEAR pretending to be mad, Iago in OTHELLO pretending to be a sweetie, even Claudius in HAMLET pretending ditto, Viola in TWELFTH NIGHT pretending to be male, Rosalind in AS YOU LIKE IT ditto, several others ditto, Oberon and Titania in MIDSUMMER pretending not to love each other, the list goes on. None of them become what they pretend to be.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), November 22, 2002.

when he appears to ophelia all ruffled and his clothes undone he truly shocks her and causes her much distressand yet he claims to love her! sorry but u dont go around mucking up the people you love! when ophelia confronts him about his love for her he denys it to her face although again at theend when he and laertes are fighting in her grave he tells everyone he loved her more than laertes did! NUTTER!!!1!

-- lynsey robinson (lillypops@fsmail.net), November 24, 2002.

Can't you understand that Hamlet is caught between so many conflicting relationships and emotions? Plus he believes he has to pretend to be mad, to her as well as to everybody else, which is why he is dressed as she describes. He hurts her, yes, but she hurts him too. Sorry, but even people who are not in his sort of mess do go round mucking up the people they love. Lovers often read each other wrongly, misunderstand each other, argue, hurt each other, sometimes even intentionally, break up with each other, get back together again. I even know of a GP who said any couple that doesn't have the odd barney has more problems than the couple that does. Why, as soon as such realistic humanity gets on the stage, do we have to call it lunatic? And how on earth is telling a everyone you love a girl more than her brother lunatic? That's not even a logical argument. You might as well say Laertes is equally nutty for asserting how much he loved her.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), November 25, 2002.

wow! ok calm down! u have a fair point and it probably would have been seen like that if he hadnt been doing so many other things to point to the fact that he was already insane! how many times does his mood change in the course of the play? he has violent outbursts towards his own mother! he tells everyone polonius is being eaten and refuses to tell them where his body is! and also what i said about his behaviour towards ophelia! and what is he on when he starts telling everyone that a King can go through the guts of a beggar? i mean he is mucked up! yes som points could argue that it was all just good acting but dont u think there is a fine line there where the acting stops and he actually convinces himself to the point of no return??

-- Lynsey Robinson (lillypops@fsmail.net), November 28, 2002.

Thanks, I am calm. The tone is intended to be rhetorical, but I believe my argument is sound.

The play covers a period of about five months. Don't know about you, but my mood can change a lot in five months too, and I don't think I'm lunatic. They are traumatic months for Hamlet, but that doesn't in itself prove that he must go nuts. It's the way he deals with the traumas which could do that; but the way he deals with them shows that he doesn't.

Again, don't know about you, but a lot of sane people yell at their parents when they're really pipped off with them or with something they've done. Hamlet bottles it up for three of four months, then lets fly one night after a rather trying day and evening. It's natural, even normal, not nuts.

Hamlet's understanding and usage of language is very sophisticated, even for his time, when even the simplest, poorly educated people often understood and spoke/wrote in metaphors. Have you never seen a cryptic crossword: people who set them, and people who do them, aren't insane. Hamlet is being cryptic when he speaks of Polonius and the king going through the guts of a beggar. But if you understand what's going on and the symbolism of what he's saying, which I don't think you do, then you realize that it all has a meaning in the context of the play, and in the context of the action of the scene. Hamlet is playing for time, yet in a witty in a way that gives him himself some facetious amusement. Plus it all takes the mickey out of Claudius. Plus it continues the play's discourse generally on the real equality of all people regardless of earthly rank. Death the great equalizer and all that. I've addressed some of the meanings of this scene under the question "How could hamlet's jokes be treasonous if he weren't "supposedly" insane?" in this forum.

I think I already answered what you said about Ophelia. As I said, Hamlet is pretending to be mad with her, so is dressed (or rather, undressed) oddly; and hurting someone you love doesn't mean you are insane: lots of sane people do it.

He's only mucked up as much as any of us would be in the same circumstances, or lesser ones, even. Can you honestly tell me that you don't make mistakes, say something you don't mean, hurt people ever, lose your temper, yell at someone or at least want to, lie, say something flippant to cover up what you really feel.

Finally, he can't very convince himself he's mad if he doesn't think he is, now, can he?

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), November 28, 2002.

the real question is does ghosts exist ??? hell no ! equals hes mad or he is seeing stuff that are not there meaning hes on drugs or the dude is totaly insane ! he said some pretty intelligent stuff ... ai! but remember many, many of the chapps writing turn insane dwelling about life and death. Acctually most of the poeple turning insane after their 20 by like not eating poisinous mushrooms ect :) are poem writers and book writers which write about life and death. but then again hamlet did not write a book but he could have.

-- Håvard (yoyomofo@online.no), January 21, 2003.

He's both. Insane and sane. Here's a little monologue from the skit Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about Hamlet's madness: Some men hold That he's the sanest, far, of all sane men--- Some that he's really sane, but shamming mad--- Some that he's really mad, but shamming sane-- Some that he will be mad, some that he was-- Some that he couldn't be. But on the whole (As far as I can make out what they mean) The favorite theory's somewhat like this: Hamlet is idiotically sane With lucid intervals of lunacy. (W.S. Gilbert in his skit Rosencrantz and Guildenstern)

He is temporarily insane when he kills Polonius because he has no idea who he is killing and is caught up in the moment of passion, but he is also pretending to be mad because of how he wants time (procrastination) to find out if the ghost was actually telling the truth and he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern he is only mad when he wishes to be ("I am mad but North-North-West") I don't think a sane person would have also been able to come up with a plan to see if the ghost was telling the truth and it wasn't just his passion, because insane people would have just don it. ("I'll have these players Play something like the murder of my father Before mine uncle. I'll observe his looks... ...If he do blench I know my course" II.ii)

Other characters see the ghost so in that sense Hamlet is quite sane. Also in the Nunnery Scene (III.i) and II.iii, I don't think Hamlet is really sane. Although in the second act Ophelia describes Hamlet as being disheveled and acting crazy, it is most likely his reaction to Polonius making her break off her relationship with Hamlet as well as his first move in acting mad.

By Hamlet acting mad, it allows him to find out things that he otherwise would not know and let's him get away with many things.

-- Caz (caz@ididitmyway.com), February 02, 2003.

he isn't crazy and everyone in the play seems to know that. claudius says "actions although strange, do not appear to stem from madness." and even polonius thinks there's a "method" to his madness. he tells horatio that if he notices any strange behavior from him it's because he's putting on an act. and he tells his mother that he is not mad, but "mad in craft." so there is no way that he is crazy.

-- meghan lishchynsky (pryncess228@yahoo.com), March 16, 2003.

I agree, but at the same time Hamlet was certainly off balance. His behaviour in the Nunnery Scene and in the Closet Scene was NOT forced and showed Hamlet well and truly caught up in a maelstrom of emotions and at his uttermost darkest.

-- Patrick Walker (criesandwhispers666@yahoo.com), March 17, 2003.

Although Hamlet is certainly mad with grief, anger, and despair, I think that he is only pretending to be insane. Throughout the play, he is overwhelmed, confused, and agitated , but nevertheless, he is, for the most part, in control of his faculties. It is only when Hamlet kills Polonius and when he alone sees his father's ghost in his mother's chamber that we could say that Hamlet acted truly insane. In Gertrude's chamber, I think that either the ghost chose not to reveal himself to his former wife, or Gertrude, in her self- deceiving nature, convinced herself that the ghost was not there. When Hamlet kills Polonius, the prince seems to “lack the ability to determine right from wrong” and “have no concept of the consequences of his actions” both of which are characteristics of insanity. In this case, I feel that Hamlet was temporarily insane and lost touch with reality and therefore lost control of himself. It could also be that Hamlet thought that his uncle was behind the curtain, and felt that the murder was justified on the grounds of revenge.

Throughout the play, Hamlet and the other characters say certain things which lead us to believe that Hamlet is not really insane. Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to fake insanity saying: “how strange or odd soe'er I bear myself, as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on.” Hamlet also tells his mother, “I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft.” Hamlet acts insane when he is with some characters, and perfectly sane when he is with others. Even though Hamlet acts mad in the presence of of Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain says of Hamlet's state, “though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.” True madness, such as the madness manifested in Ophelia, has no method to it, which shows that Hamlet must be pretending to be mad. I think that Hamlet pretends to be mad in order to keep the other characters off his back to gain the time and freedom to go about his business and develop his plan of action. Even Claudius says: “what [Hamlet] spake, though it lack'd form a little, was not like madness.”

-- Erin James (Erin1.James@ucourses.com), March 26, 2003.

Hamlet is inte the beginning of the play sane, and through the 5 months that the play describes he turns mad. But if Hamlet was mad is more a question of how do you define madness? Hamlet did not suffer from a mental sickness, he was fully aware of the things happening around hom. i qoute as Antonin Artaud, summarised:

"And what is an authentic madman? It is a man who has preferred to go mad, in the sense in which society understands the term, rather than be false to a certain superior idea of human honour ... a madman is also a man to whom society did not want to listen and whom it wanted to prevent from uttering unbearable truths."

If this is true, Hamlet was mad.

-- Janniaka Normansson (dumle@hotmail.com), April 08, 2003.

About the ghost part, have you ever considered the fact the ghost only wanted Hamlet to see him for he wanted him to avenge his death? I don't think Hamlet was mad, it was all façade so that he had the abilty to observe people's behaviour from the safety of his own thoughts. Such as in 'the mouse trap,' where he appeared to be innocently mad so that he could observe Claudius' reaction towards the scene he re-wrote in the 'play within a play'. The scene he re- wrote matched that of his father's murder and the idea is that Hamlet plays mad so that he can plot against Claudius without anybody ever realising he knows the truth behind his father's death, that is... until he wants them to. You also have to question the part of appearance and reality. What is madness and how can we be sure Hamlet was mad when we don't know what it is? Shakespeare presents us with this problem so that we may question our own behaviour... am i sane or normal and what are they? It gets to the point (if you read into it) where you start to question your own sheer existance and humanity full stop!

Anyway thats all i gotta say about that!

-- Sam Lewis (Swir_lee@yahoo.co.uk), April 22, 2003.

yeah whatever sam lewis said

-- eric aka e-rock (croatansurfer@hotmail.com), April 23, 2003.

dear YOUNG people-for a million reasons-i am 64yrs of age and DOING Hamlet and the Ros and Guil thing. PUULLEEAASSEE can one of you very bright people give me reasons that i can put into an essay on 'show the ways that hamlet is insane'. h.y.

-- helen young (helen17838@hotmail.com), April 29, 2003.

I think Hamlet was slightly mad. I think even when he was pretending he was enjoying every minute of it, which makes me believe that he did slip into feigned madness that kept him in a world away from his great sadness and depression. The only reason Gertrude could not see the ghost of her former husband was because she was never meant to be apart of this avenged murder plot. She was never meant to know anything and it was the ghost that said to Hamlet "taint not thy mind nor let thy soul contrive against they mother aught. Leave her to heaven".

-- Karen (muttleys_numba1@hotmail.com), August 23, 2003.

He is insane! Hes obsessed with the murder of his father and his mum and uncles marraige. Look at when he kills polonius, hes carries on talking about his father to his mum just ignoring there is a dead body on the floor. That is not normal behavior at all, how can he be sane. When people are mad they dont realise it do they. How often do you get someone saying 'hang on i dont act like normal people i must be mental'so he pretends to act mental to polonius cos he dont realise he actually is!!!! That is the answer.

-- kelly (fun_n_funky@handbag.com), October 10, 2003.

You must keep in mind that this is a play, and in Elizebethan times, it wasn't that uncommon to see dead bodies. "Normal behaviour" back then was different that today. Hamlet, who was most likely a soldier as his father conquered Fortinbras before he died, would probably seen more than a few mangled and dead bodies lying around a battle field. Just because he was talking to his mother while Polonius was dead doesn't mean he was insane. Hamlet's genius allowed him to devise a plan to act insane so he could mislead Claudius into thinking he was upset over his love for Ophelia, instead of his fathers death TO WHICH HE MIGHT SEEK VENGEANCE. Use your head.

-- Alexander (doinmybest@hotmail.com), October 16, 2003.

we think that he's strange and freaky coz why would u pretend ur insane ur just showing ur insanity without realising it.

Why i think he's insane! By Stacy Hamlet appears to act mad when he hears of his father’s murder. At the time he speaks "wild and whirling words." Hamlet’s behaviour throughout the play, especially towards Ophelia is very mixed up.

He professes to be the only one who truly loves her, during the fight with Laertes in Ophelia's grave, but he tells her that he never loved her, when she returns his letters and gifts. His mood changes abruptly throughout the play. He jumps aboard a pirate ship without anyone to back him up. He jumps into Ophelia's grave, and fights with Laertes in her grave.

He has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed, even though they were not part of his revenge-against-his-father's-murder plan. He alone sees his father's ghost in his mother's chamber. Every other time the ghost appeared someone else has seen it. During this scene he finally shows his madness, because his mother does not see the ghost. He has violent outbursts towards his mother. Hamlet tells Laertes that he killed Polonius in a "fit of madness". He kills Polonius and will not tell anyone where the body is.

---------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------

Why he's not insane!By chris Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to "feign madness," and that if Horatio notices any strange behaviour from Hamlet, it is because he is putting on an act.

Hamlet's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves irrationally. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, The Players and the Gravediggers, he behaves rationally.

Claudius confesses that Hamlet's "actions although strange, do not appear to stem from madness."

Polonius admits that Hamlet's actions and words have a "method" to them; there appears to be a reason behind them, they are logical in nature.

Hamlet's madness in no way reflects Ophelia's true madness, his actions contrast them. Hamlet tells his mother that he is not mad, "but mad in craft." Hamlet believes in his sanity at all times. He never doubts his control over psyche

-- chris baker and stacy parker (thunderbolt_218@hotmail.com), November 22, 2003.

Thanks, I am doing an essay on why i think Hamlet is not gone mad. So all your responses have helped me out quite a bit..

-- Stephanie (blue_nailpolish15@hotmail.com), November 23, 2003.

Hey, i'll write a paper on Hamlet's being both sane and insane at the same time. Thanks for your help.

-- Sylvia Borkowska (gwiazda14@yahoo.com), November 30, 2003.

I think hamlet is sane. he tells Ophelia to go to a nunnery. he loves her.

-- I dont have one (as@cox.net), January 21, 2004.

IS HAMLET MAD? WHY OFCOURSE HE IS!!!!! THE WAY HE TREATED THE MOST IMPORTANT WOMEN IN HIS LIFE THAT HE WAS SUPPOSED TO LOVE AND CHERISH WAS TERRIBLE. TO ME HE CLAIMED TO BE INSANE BECAUSE HE ALREADY THERE. AGAIN STATED HE WAS AT THE POINT OF NO RETURN!!!

-- DeeDee Hart (dch@mylifeline.net), March 01, 2004.

Can't you understand that Hamlet is caught between so many conflicting relationships and emotions? Plus he believes he has to pretend to be mad, to her as well as to everybody else, which is why he is dressed as she describes. He hurts her, yes, but she hurts him too. Sorry, but even people who are not in his sort of mess do go round mucking up the people they love. Lovers often read each other wrongly, misunderstand each other, argue, hurt each other, sometimes even intentionally, break up with each other, get back together again. I even know of a GP who said any couple that doesn't have the odd barney has more problems than the couple that does. Why, as soon as such realistic humanity gets on the stage, do we have to call it lunatic? And how on earth is telling a everyone you love a girl more than her brother lunatic? That's not even a logical argument. You might as well say Laertes is equally nutty for asserting how much he loved her.

-- catherine england (catherine_england@hotmail.com), November 25, 2002.

-- (booya@hotmail.com), March 14, 2004.

dudes, i think Hamlet is not mad. he may act a lil crazy, but like a lot of u ppls have said, hes got his reasons. tho, i guess we'll never know what the truth is.

-- Ashton Gallagher (ray_69_70@hotmail.com), March 28, 2004.

you know what guys? knowbody knows the answer "is Hamlet was mad or isane or sane?". Shakespeare hasn't provided explanations or "cheater notes" to explain the meanings of his plays. You can beat around the bush with an idea but in truth nobody is right or wrong because nobody knows the truth but the author himself- he's dead!so it will remain a mystery!

-- smithers (smithcare_14@hotmail.com), April 03, 2004.

I have to answer a question similar to this for my senior english project, and you all got good points. But i think simply put, he may not have been mad through the entire play, but at one point he lost sight of what he was aiming for. Hamlet got way too wrapped up in revenge and forgot that, ya he loved his dad and all, but he hurt his mom, Ophelia, and everyone eventually died! I think (aside from the mass deaths) Hamlet's character perfectly reflects human nature in a nutshell; He planned to do what he thoght was right, and dedicated himself to his goal. Unfortunately he went overboard... he screwed up and eventually dug not only his own grave, but everyone elses. Hamlet's "madness" was when he neglected to realize that he was no longer acting, but when he began making irrational decisions he couldnt undo.

-- Carrie W (Cbabe8102@msn.com), April 06, 2004.

Hi some of you guys havve got great points. as i'm doing an essay on this question you helped me a lot thanx for all your comments on that topic!

-- Toby (chillmaa@web.de), May 11, 2004.

No opinion... just thanks to all worthwhile contributions!! Very helpful for getting the cogs turning in the old rusty for my major eng. assessment. Cheers

-- The Chad (justomac@hotmail.com), August 20, 2004.

Here, here lovely people, Hamlet is sane only because he pretends to be crazy. Or that is what we think. There have been cases where crazy people have pretended to be sane, I guess they aren't so crazy after all. Maybe, yes, Hamlet gets a bit swept up in his own acting, but don't we all sometimes? I think that is what makes a good actor great, yet we must remember to pull ourselves from the world we have built around us. Hamlet is a great reminder that looks can be decieving. And not all actions speak louder than words. If the insane can fool people to think they are sane, then why not the sane to be insane?

-- Raven Demoines (QuinnAngel00@yahoo.com), November 03, 2004.

Im a 16 year old writing a Hamlet essay and my question is, why does Hamlet not tell anyone where Polonius's body is?.He metions that it is being eaten...but why does he not tell any one about its where abouts?..Does this contribute to the fact that he may be insane..or gone mad?!

sony daves

-- sony Daves (xx_lil_sagittarius_xx@hotmail.com), November 07, 2004.

It might make a few people a bit more sure that he is mad, but doesn't mean that he is. He's probably trying to buy a little time: without a body, it's a bit hard to prove that the body's owner has been murdered and punish the murderer.

-- catherine england (catherine.england@arts.usyd.edu.au), November 07, 2004.

As a grade 12 english student, I REALLY wish Shakespeare had written a gawdamn essay on Hamlet so I wouldn't have to. This is seriously bothering me.

Personally, I think Hamlet's a touch off center. But hey, that's why I love him. Placing it in an objective light, though, I wouldn't say he's "crazy" or "insane". Those are words that imply a loss of reason, and Hamlet clearly retains his reason throughout (most of) the play. But his state of mind isn't what a psychologist would call sound, and at times the line between acting crazy and being crazy gets just a little too blurred to be believed. He's disturbed. His father is a ghost, his mother is married to the murderer and his girlfriend has abadoned him, and--

Whoops, mom's home. Must help with groceries. Will continue this later. =D

-- Mo (punchxdrunk@hotmail.com), November 10, 2004.

hamlet is perfectly sane. He is Us cant u see that. in him lie the characteristics that we hate most about ourselves, thats why although we sometimes hate him e love him at the same time. Although the situations that he faces are different to the ones that we face we can still relate to him because at some points of our lives we are all challanged to make choices that we dont want to make. In order to aviod these choices he has to pretend to be someone who is isnt. He is perfectly normal in his soliquays he just puts un acts and masks when he is talking to other characters. He just wants to hide away from the world until everything gets better. He is questioning the values of the world in which he finds himself in. He wants to know he is. The bad thing is he can never know all the answers. This unfortlunatly consumes him but he is not insane. He is just REACTING in his own way to his situation

-- (free_spirit_forever_@hotmail.com), November 11, 2004.

But in the conversation immediately following with his mother he is oh, so sane, and cool, calm and collected to boot. More likely, the ghost doesn't let Gertrude see itself because it thinks 'Conceit in weakest bodies strongest works': she's freaking out as it is, and the ghost knows she couldn't cope with seeing it, so it doesn't let itself appear to her. In any case its mission is with Prince Hamlet. It appeared to the men in I.i because it needed them to tell Hamlet to come see it one night. But it only spoke to Hamlet, in private. THE Ghost does not do any more than that allowed by its mission. To appear and speak to Gertrude would be outside its mission.

-- Adam (spunking_milt@hotmail.com), December 03, 2004.

What the ... ? Why are you quoting me here?

-- catherine england (catherine.england@arts.usyd.edu.au), December 04, 2004.

Wow, Good friggin points! I appreciated this forum! I have to say, I agree with Hamlet. I think the entire idea of the play was that he was devising a plot to seek revenge, and consequently led to his own doom... Unfortunate...

Thanks guys. You all are disgustingly intelligent.

-- Kronik (poet_by_birth@hotmail.com), December 04, 2004.

I believe Hamlet is sane. Shakespeare sets up the play to show many instances that Hamlet is sane. The reason that Hamlets buddies can see the ghost in the first scene is because Shakespeare does not want any doubt that the ghost is real. Im not sure as to why Hamlet needs to put on an act of madness to avenge his fathers death but I cane either gues it is to hide his emotions or to confuse Claudius. One of Hamlet's flaws is that he, unlike Fortibras, is not a man of action. He uses many ploys to delay his father's avenge. Hamlets is able to use people, such as Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Polonius, and Osric as tools to find out Claudius' plot. These manipulations are crafty and show sanity. Hamlet has the most asides and soliloquies than any other character is shakespeare's works. This is becuase we can only know Hamlets true thoughts when he is alone. He is clearly sane when he is alone. But if this is not enough, I believe true madness should be measured by actions rather than words! Hamlet stays one step ahead of Claudius. He knows that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are only looking to gain favor in the king's eye and that they are not his friend. He knows he is being watched when he talks to Ophelia in act 3 scene 1. He even confirms what the ghost has said by having actors act out a play similar to the death of his father. He is able to steal the king's order to kill Hamlet in England and switch it with another scroll that order's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's death. When he returns to Denmark, he knows that the "duel" between himself and Laertes is rigged but sees it as an opportunity to avenge his father's death. He confides in Horatio before that scene, telling him all that has happened. He even brings the Kings order to kill him as proof of the king's guilt and wrongdoing. He goes into the duel by apologizing to Laertes, because he knows he could very well die. Even on his death bed, Hamlet orders Horatio to stay alive so that his story will be told. Hamlet is clever in how he found out information. It takes a sane man to outwit his conspirators. Hamlet's acts mad to Ophelia because he believes that she cannot be trusted. She is a woman and Hamlet, having seen his mother's loyalty (or lack there of) does not see a reason to confide in her. Hamlet does not know how his actions towards Ophelia affected her until after she was dead, which he then feels terrible. Just because Hamlet is sane, does not mean he doesn't make mistakes though. His mistakes, such as underestimating how much he hurt Ophelia, killing Polonius (he clearly thought that Claudius was behind the curtain), and not killing Claudius when he had to chance (OH THE IRONY IN THAT SCENE!), should not be mistaken as madness. So that was my brainstorming for my english paper I have to write about hamlet's sanity, hope you find it usefull!

-- Natalie S. (Nchikity@hotmail.com), December 07, 2004.

i also agree that hamlet is sane, after just witnessing the appearance of the ghost, he claims that he'll 'feign madness' and will 'put on an antic disposition' as well as, 'i am mad when the wind is north-north-west, when its southerly, i know a hawk from a handsaw' and almost immediately afterwards, he pops up in ophelias closet, with his 'knees knocking together' etc, this is surely done to introduce his fake madness?? we also know that he switches 'states of mind' as when osrick arrives, (i have to say, robin williams was ace playing osrick :) ) hamlet mocks him, about his hat and whether it shud be on or off, before hamlet results in saying, 'the wind is northely' and as horatio is there (to whom he originally sed about the wind thing) he's hinting that he's switching 'mental states' in from of osrick, as he knows it'll get back to claudius. does anyone else agree, or is it just me? lol :) i hope this can help someone, as u guys have helped me tons within my hamlet essay, so thank you x

-- laura (: (pinkeyedpixie@hotmail.com), December 11, 2004.

I think that Hamlet is sane. There is evidence for both sides, but way more for being sane than crazy. Firstly, Horatio and the guards saw the ghost of the old king, therefore the ghost does exist. When the ghost reappears in Gertrude's chambers, Gertrude isn't intended to see him, and hence she doesn't. Some people say that Hamlet is insane here because he can see the ghost, but it doesnt tell him anything new. It only says what it has already told him, to kill Claudius and to leave his mother to heaven. Since he's seen the ghost before (with other people who also saw it) and it told him the same things, we can discount the fact that Hamlet is insane here. Next, Hamlet switches moods too often to be insane. He goes from "antic" around Polonius an Ophelia to normal with Horatio and the Players, to antic with Claudius and Gertrude during the play, to normal with Horatio and Guildenstern after the play and so on and so forth. If you're insane, you don't jump back and forth between rational thinking and insanity, you stay with insanity.

When Hamlet appears in Opelia's chambers, ruffled up and etc., he could have four possible reasons; a) She's dumped him and he's upset over that b) Ophelia's father is close to the king, hence if he makes her think he's insane, she'll tell Polonius who will in turn tell Claudius. Since amlet wants people to think that he's insane, this is a good way to spread the word, making sure it gets to the biggest gossiper in the court (Polonius). c) He's testing her to see if he could trust her with any of his plans, etc. Since she runs toher father, he sees that he can't. d) He truly loves her, and by scaring her away Hamlet hopes to keep her out of the eventual turmoil he's going to start. Any of these answers are plausible, pick your favourite.

When Hamlet kills Polonius would be the only time I might stretch to say that he could've been mad, but for the most part I think that it was just poor thinking on Hamlet's behalf. I think he was thinking that Claudius was behind the curtain, and doing something treacherous (spying) at the same time, making Hamlet think that Claudius' soul would go to Hell if he killed him then. Killing Rosencrantzand Guildenstern shouldn't have been a problem for Hamlet when he is sane because he knows they betrayed him to the King and that they're taking him to his death in England. I'd have killed someone plotting behind my back and taking me to my death too.

Hamlet is sane throughout the entire play, though i agree that at times he may be a bit off centre, but who isn't every now and then?

-- Chris Van Steelandt (farmboy_vansteelandt@hotmail.com), January 02, 2005.

The YES, HE WAS MAD side:

Hamlet appears to act mad when he hears of his father’s murder. At the time he speaks "wild and whirling words." [Act I, Scene v, lines 127-134]

Hamlet’s behaviour throughout the play, especially towards Ophelia is very erratic.

He professes to be the only one who truly loves her, during the fight with Laertes in Ophelia's grave, but he tells her that he never loved her, when she returns his letters and gifts.

His mood changes abruptly throughout the play.

He jumps aboard a pirate ship without anyone to back him up.

He jumps into Ophelia's grave, and fights with Laertes in her grave.

He has Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed, even though they were not part of his revenge-against-his-father's-murder plan. He alone sees his father's ghost in his mother's chamber. Every other time the ghost appeared someone else has seen it. During this scene he finally shows his madness, because his mother does not see the ghost. [Act III, scene iv, ~ line 105]

He has violent outbursts towards his mother.

Hamlet tells Laertes that he killed Polonius in a "fit of madness". [Act V, Scene ii, lines 236-250]

He kills Polonius and will not tell anyone where the body is.

The NO, HE WAS SANE side:

Hamlet tells Horatio that he is going to "feign madness," and that if Horatio notices any strange behaviour from Hamlet, it is because he is putting on an act. [Act i, Scene v, lines 166-180]

Hamlet's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. When Hamlet is around Polonius, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he behaves irrationally. When Hamlet is around Horatio, Bernardo, Francisco, The Players and the Gravediggers, he behaves rationally.

Claudius confesses that Hamlet's "actions although strange, do not appear to stem from madness." [Act III, Scene i, lines 165-167]

Polonius admits that Hamlet's actions and words have a "method" to them; there appears to be a reason behind them, they are logical in nature. [Act II, Scene ii, lines 206-207]

Hamlet's madness in no way reflects Ophelia's true madness, his actions contrast them. Hamlet tells his mother that he is not mad, "but mad in craft." [Act III, Scene iv, lines 188 -199]

Hamlet believes in his sanity at all times. He never doubts his control over psych

-- blondie (socalblondie712@netscape.net), January 09, 2005.

I am doing a reserch paper on this very subject. Hamlet sane or insane and i am not much of a Hamlet buff, so i was wondering if any of you guys could give me some ideas. my email is wallw@hragrave.edu

-- William Wall (wallw@hargrave.edu), January 11, 2005.

Hey, I am also doing a research paper on whether or not Hamlet was sane or insane. I would say it could go either way, but please help me out! It means passing my English class sine it is half the grade.

-- Rob Miller (millerr@hargrave.edu), January 11, 2005.

But I think we've already all put our ideas out there.

-- catherine england (catherine.england@arts.usyd.edu.au), January 11, 2005.

hamlet is sane because look he talks as if any normal human even though his actions are strange he is very much sane!!!!

-- Rebekah Faith Tucker (cutieepie2002@msm.com), January 13, 2005.

HAMLET IS SANE it is just so totally obvious i have been studying it at the moment and at this present time im writting a piece of coursework on it. is Hamlet mad or sane, it is so obvious he is sane. he even says he is acting out his madness and his change in character from madness to sanity just shows you how it is true..

-- sophie jayne ackers (1069@stonyhurst.ac.uk), January 25, 2005.

Duh! Well knock me down with a feather. If only 400 years of literary scholarship had your gift of observation this "simple" matter could have been avoided. God, "it's so obvious". Sigh.

-- Patrick Walker (the_right_hand_of_doom@msn.com), January 25, 2005.

I believe that for the vast majority of the play Hamlet is sane but at times he seems mad because he is putting on an 'antic disposition'. Due to his father's death and Claudius and his mother's marriage, his emotional state is somewhat unbalanced, he feels deep sorrow, anger and frustration. In certain occasions he crosses the line where he becomes ruthless, remorseless and careless of his actions. For example I think him killing Polonius was not due to madness but to rash and unlogical thinking, however after Polonius' death Hamlet shows no sign of regret which could suggest that Hamlet was experiencing madness. In conclusion I am not implying that Hamlet is mad, just that he may have experienced mad streaks.

-- Jason Leversha (s.leversha@ntlworld.com), January 27, 2005.

I personally think that Hamlet is very much sane, but through his theatrics of his feigned madness, he appears to be insane. However the play would not have been very interesting, if there were not enough evidence to show that he maybe mad, but facts indicate him to be sane. He's only 'mad' when he's around charcters such as Gertrude, Claudius and Polonius who have no idea that he's seen the ghost, but only around those who do know that he has i.e. Bernardo, Horatio etc. Additionally, he does say that he is going to put on an 'antic disposition' showing that his madness was only a means ogf getting to the truth, and getting the truth out. One person says that when he is with gertrude in her chambers he's the only one who sees the ghost. yes this could be a suggestion of his madness, but that would mean that Francisco, Horatio Bernardo and others who saw the ghost firt are also mad. Futhermore, we were told via Horatio that ghosts only appear to the living when they have either something to reveal or that they have come across treaure, in the initial stage of the play, suggesting that there is definitely somethign worng, so all evidence proves that Hamlet is in fact sane, the only thing as according to Andrew Cecil Bradley (Shakespearean Tragedy 1904)that indicates insanity, is the 'melancholy of his fathers death that he suffers from.' The fact that he has to do something against god's will also troubles him, he says that he wishes his too too sullied flesh to melt, so he is sane enough to think logically as he reflects biblically on 'self slaughter' thou shalt not kill. So indications show that he is sane.

-- Yackeisha Scott (mikid2003@hotmail.com), February 09, 2005.