English Essays

Hamlet: Madness and Inaction

"Hamlet's madness is at the heart of his tragic flaw; inaction," Discuss.

When a character such as Hamlet is put under scrutiny, it can sometimes be difficult to determine what state he is in at particular moments in the play. Nonetheless, Hamlet merely pretends to be insane so that he can calculate his moves according to the situation at hand. The internal conflicts that give rise to his tragic flaw, procrastination, prove that his state of mind is questionable.

Hamlet is forced into his "Antic disposition," by Claudius, so Hamlet can examine the extent of his guilt, and to carry out the Ghost's demands of vengeance. The root of the desire to pretend to be mad arises with Claudius and his, "Foul and unnatural murder," However, much suspicion rises from Hamlet's plan. Claudius and even Polonius suspect that Hamlet is hiding something, as most of the characters in Denmark are. His actions, "Although strange, do not appear to stem from madness," and there seems to be, "Method to his madness," It is obvious that tensions exist between Claudius and Hamlet, however, during Hamlet's first soliloquy, the true conflict in the play is revealed to be within his mind, rather than between the two characters. The soliloquy begins with Hamlet contemplating death, "Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt / Thaw, resolve itself into a dew," He thinks of suicide, and how the world has become, "An unweeded garden," where, "Things rank and gross in nature possess it merely," Hamlet's feelings of despair contribute greatly to his delay in acting against Claudius.

Hamlet is also distracted by his mother, Gertrude, and how she cannot be trusted. His attitude towards Gertrude's behaviour is partially responsible for his tragic flaw, procrastination. He is utterly disgusted by the fact that no more than, "Two months," after his father was buried, she married Claudius with, "Wicked speed," Hamlet turns to the assumption that all women are frail, which affects his relationship with Ophelia. Hamlet reveals to his friends and his mother of his plans to pretend to act insane. He 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 also tells his mother that he is not mad, "But mad in craft." In addition to his confessions, Hamlet's madness only manifests itself when he is in the presence of certain characters. Depending on his surroundings, he can behave irrationally, or rationally.

Hamlet's reoccurring thoughts of death form as a question in another of his seven soliloquies. "To be or not to be, that is the question," He contemplates life after death, and many existentialist ideas. Words he uses, such as, "Suffer,", "Dies," and, "Heartache," suggest that Hamlet believes life is a terrible burden. These worries often converge towards the Ghost and his request. There is always doubt in the back of Hamlet's mind about the Ghost, as he could merely, "Hath the power to assume a pleasing shape," He feels as though the Ghost might be playing on his depression or, "Melancholy," in order to, "Damn," him. After battling with his conscience and his own understanding of morality and faith, Hamlet is ready to face Claudius, fulfil his filial obligation to his father, and accept his tragic fate.

Hamlet's reflections on life and the corruption he witnesses around him, lead him to more violent and illogical action. Hamlet stabs Polonius in Act III Scene IV in an act of rage. He does not react as one might expect to murdering the father of his lover. He speaks with apathy, "Heaven hath pleased it so, to punish me with this, and this with me," Even after the deaths of two of his closest school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, he claims that, "They are not near my conscience," He acts as though he is not responsible for any part of their deaths.

Hamlet believes in his sanity  at all times. He never doubts his control over psyche. There is a question, though, of what being insane really is. The reader does not know whether Hamlet's insanity is a façade, as he claims, or not, but overall, there seems to be a method to his madness.