Treachery And Madness In Hamlet
Thy Mind Be Sullied With Madness
Curtains open to a tale of madness, murder and treachery in Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The madness begins when the late King Hamlet visits his past subjects and son in Elsinore castle to warn them of his brother’s treachery. The ghost tells Hamlet “So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear” ( Hamlet: I.v.12) explaining that he must pursue revenge and kill Claudius, for he is the wrightful heir. However, the ghost continues saying “But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught: Leave her to heaven” (Hamlet: I.v.92). Revealing that if Hamlet allows his anger to control him, it will surely be his downfall. However immediately after the encounter …show more content…
He plots in the hope that it will cause Claudius to admit to his crimes as the plot of the play juxtaposes the murder. The treachery and espionage deepens after the play when Hamlet seeks council with his mother, to figure what is truly amiss, Polonius hides behind the curtain in the queen’s closet. With Hamlet’s entry, he angrily confronts his mother and when she is threatened, Polonius speaks up only to be slain. While still yelling at his mother, the ghost of his father manifests to remind him that he is not to harm her. Hamlet being the only one able to see and talk to the ghost, causes Gertrude to become more frightened and yell “This is the very coinage of your brain” (Hamlet: III.iv.157). She believing that he son his in a state of dementia, is afraid that he may kill her as well. He reaffirms his sanity to her explaining that he is not mad, but has a plan and is using the lunacy as a facade to seek vengeance against Claudius. However, Polonius’s death triggers a wave of hysteria that affects the mental state of the entire court and also prompts the return of
Curtains open to a tale of madness, murder and treachery in Hamlet by William Shakespeare. The madness begins when the late King Hamlet visits his past subjects and son in Elsinore castle to warn them of his brother’s treachery. The ghost tells Hamlet “So art thou to revenge, when thou shalt hear” ( Hamlet: I.v.12) explaining that he must pursue revenge and kill Claudius, for he is the wrightful heir. However, the ghost continues saying “But, howsoever thou pursuest this act, Taint not thy mind, nor let thy soul contrive Against thy mother aught: Leave her to heaven” (Hamlet: I.v.92). Revealing that if Hamlet allows his anger to control him, it will surely be his downfall. However immediately after the encounter …show more content…
He plots in the hope that it will cause Claudius to admit to his crimes as the plot of the play juxtaposes the murder. The treachery and espionage deepens after the play when Hamlet seeks council with his mother, to figure what is truly amiss, Polonius hides behind the curtain in the queen’s closet. With Hamlet’s entry, he angrily confronts his mother and when she is threatened, Polonius speaks up only to be slain. While still yelling at his mother, the ghost of his father manifests to remind him that he is not to harm her. Hamlet being the only one able to see and talk to the ghost, causes Gertrude to become more frightened and yell “This is the very coinage of your brain” (Hamlet: III.iv.157). She believing that he son his in a state of dementia, is afraid that he may kill her as well. He reaffirms his sanity to her explaining that he is not mad, but has a plan and is using the lunacy as a facade to seek vengeance against Claudius. However, Polonius’s death triggers a wave of hysteria that affects the mental state of the entire court and also prompts the return of