Hamlet's Madness

Hamlet's Madness

Act 3

Act 1

Act 3

"Angels and ministers of grace defend us!

Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,

By thy intents wicked or charitable,

Thou com'st in such a questionable shape

That I will speak to thee. I'll call thee Hamlet, King..." (Shakespeare, Act 1 Scene 2, pg. 26, Lines 39-45)

• "Ay, there's the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams many come, when we have shuffled off this mortal coil" (Shakespeare, Act 3 Scene 1, pg. 64, Lines 66-68)
• "When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage...Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven, and that his soul may be as damned and black as hell where it goes" (Shakespeare, Act 3 Scene 3, pg. 87, Lines 89-95).
• "Ecstasy? My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time, and makes as healthful music. It is not madness that I have uttered. Bring me to the test, and I the matter will reword, which madness would gambol from" (Shakespeare, Act 3 Scene 4, pg. 93, Lines 146-151).
• "Not this by no means that I bid you do: Let the bloat king tempt you again to bed...Make you to ravel all this matter out that I essentially am not in madness, but mad in craft" (Shakespeare, Act 3 Scene 4, pg. 94-95, Lines 188-195).

Act 2

"Hamlet: If thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool,

for wise men know well enough what

monsters you make of them...I have heard of your

paintings too, well enough. God hath given you one

face and you make another. You jig, you amble

and lisp... and make your wontonness your ignorance.

Ophelia: "O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrone!"

• Ophelia: "And with a look so piteous in purport As if he had been loosed out of hell To speak of horrors- he comes before me."(Act 2 scene 1 Lines 84-86)

Hamlet: "You shall see anon

how the murderer gets the love of

Gonzargo's wife."

"As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on-

That you, at such times seeing me, never shall,

With arms encumbered thus, or this headshake

Or by pronouncing of some doubtful phrase

As "Well, we know," or "We could, and if we would,"

Or "If we list to speak," or "There be, an 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."

(Shakespere, Act 1 Scene 5, pg. 34-35, Lines 180-189)

Hamlet: " 'Come, come and sit you down;

you shall not budge. You go not till I set you up

a glass where you may see the inmost part of you.' Gertrude: What will thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, ho!'""

"Gertrude: To whom do you speak this?

Hamlet: Do you see nothing there?

Gertrude: Nothing at all, yet all that is I see.

Hamlet: Nor did you nothing hear?

Gertrude: No, nothing but ourselves."

Is Hamlet really mad, or is it all an act?

Act 5

Act 4

Act 4

O'er whom his very madness, like some ore among a mineral of metals base, shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done."(scene 2 lines 25-27

"Ay, marry, why was he sent into England?"(149, Scene 1, pg. 127)

"You do remember all the circumstance?"(2, Scene 2, Pg. 132)

"Then Hamlet does it not, Hamlet denies it. Who does it then. His madness. If 't be be so, Hamlet is of the faction that is wronged; His madness is Hamlets poor enemy" (234-238, Scene 2 pg. 141)

Throughout the play, Hamlet displays signs of madness and sanity both at the same time. On the left bundle of circles is proof of Hamlet's Sanity, and on the right is proof of Hamlet's Madness.

HAMLET: "In heaven. Send hither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i' th' other place yourself." (scene 3, 35-39)

"How all occasions do inform against me, and spur my dull revenge! What is a man if his chief good and market of his time but to eat and feed"

scene 4

scene 3

scene 2

Thesis Statement

Through Hamlet's ability to see the Ghost of King Hamlet along with others, statement of his madness being an act right in the beginning of the play, ability to think, reason, and acknowledge his mistakes, Hamlet displays his overall sanity.

Throughout the play, Hamlet displays signs of madness through his outbursts and actions caused by his overpowering emotions from the murder of his father and his mother's actions, hallucination of the Ghost of King Hamlet in his mother's room, and sudden and inappropriate change in his behavior/character.