John Marsden's Hamlet
In John Marsden’s adaptation of the classic novel ‘Hamlet’, Hamlet’s mental state is a controversial topic. Hamlet, from the beginning of the novel is probably not the most mentally sound person. He is an unconventional character who never really seems to fit in with those around him. As a person living in the renaissance, he acts far ahead of his time. Hamlet’s many struggles and burdens definitely had an impact on him psychologically. Due to this, Hamlet’s temperament is often inconsistent and erratic. The author purposefully portrays Hamlet in this way to portray the complexity of the human mind. ‘Crazy’ may not be the most appropriate way to describe Hamlet, rather, he seems depressed. Hamlet is often misunderstood, and although he may
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Revenge undeniably affects Hamlet’s whole view on life. When the reader is first introduced to Hamlet, he is going through grief and is very clearly suffering due to his circumstances. The memory of his late father haunts him, which is why the ghost approaches him. In Elizabethan society, the belief of ghosts was validated. Hamlet’s visions of the ghost were a very real concern and a representation of his mentality at the time. Yet, it wasn’t just the death of his father that changed him; it was the uncertainty of Hamlet’s revenge that causes his descent into ‘madness’. Hamlet is in a constant struggle between wanting to avenge his father and needing to find the right time for it. Hamlet becomes obsessed with the idea of death. His constant thoughts of revenge left Hamlet unable to ever let go of his father’s death. These feelings of torment are what make his depressive attitude towards life continue for years, because he is never able to fully recover. Hamlet frequently thinks about suicide throughout the course of the play, and he is clearly going through mental issues. This can be seen in page 113“If I were here on my own I would stab myself…” Hamlet also feels an indifference that is a symptom of depression. Shakespeare does an amazing job of showing depression and grief as different, yet related. The way that the author portrays Hamlet is very complex; he is neither mad in the way madness is portrayed in the novel nor completely
Revenge undeniably affects Hamlet’s whole view on life. When the reader is first introduced to Hamlet, he is going through grief and is very clearly suffering due to his circumstances. The memory of his late father haunts him, which is why the ghost approaches him. In Elizabethan society, the belief of ghosts was validated. Hamlet’s visions of the ghost were a very real concern and a representation of his mentality at the time. Yet, it wasn’t just the death of his father that changed him; it was the uncertainty of Hamlet’s revenge that causes his descent into ‘madness’. Hamlet is in a constant struggle between wanting to avenge his father and needing to find the right time for it. Hamlet becomes obsessed with the idea of death. His constant thoughts of revenge left Hamlet unable to ever let go of his father’s death. These feelings of torment are what make his depressive attitude towards life continue for years, because he is never able to fully recover. Hamlet frequently thinks about suicide throughout the course of the play, and he is clearly going through mental issues. This can be seen in page 113“If I were here on my own I would stab myself…” Hamlet also feels an indifference that is a symptom of depression. Shakespeare does an amazing job of showing depression and grief as different, yet related. The way that the author portrays Hamlet is very complex; he is neither mad in the way madness is portrayed in the novel nor completely