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Theme Of Insanity In Hamlet

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Theme Of Insanity In Hamlet
In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, the protagonist Hamlet occasionally switches between the mindset of sanity and insanity. Hamlet puts on a show when madness suits his purpose of revenge but it reverts to being logical when it’s more beneficial. In this act of switching back and forth unfortunately Hamlet relies on insanity in order to achieve his short term goals and through this process he begins to lose the sense of reality and his act of insanity rather turns into a nightmare reality. Hamlet enters the realm of insanity in order to achieve his short-term goals. He plots to use his act of insanity as a weapon so that he can reveal the true colors of his uncle and now the King. Furthermore, Hamlet acts insane towards his enemies or his enemy's allies so that he can convince the King fully of his insanity. For example, his …show more content…
But when Ophelia chooses her loyalty to her father over Hamlet that antagonizes him and he questions and degrades her. This is where we start seeing Hamlet sanity degrading and his insanity starting to empower him. Hamlet then interacts with Gertrude, whom he’s enraged at because he believes that she betrayed him and his father and played a part in his father and her former husband’s death. In his fuming anger he stabs Polonius violently thinking that it was the King. This is when Hamlet has lost his sense of reality and his act of insanity doesn’t remain just an act anymore. Hamlet gravely harms both Ophelia and Gertrude with his words of insanity, which were all unnecessary because ultimately they were innocent but Hamlet doesn’t even appear to be ridden with guilt nor does the thought of apologizing even cross his mind, all because he believes that his act of insanity will help him get the revenge that he’s obligated to get for his deceased father. His actions of insanity result in Polonius being sent to his grave but
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