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Prithvi Arulraj
Mr. Downey
ENG4U1
8th November 2024
Character Analysis of Hamlet - “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare
It is difficult to know if someone is truly mad or faking it. If someone claims not to be
mad; but is a murderer and also believes they saw a ghost, how does one know what to believe?
William Shakespeare explores the ambiguity of madness in “Hamlet”. The audience follows
around Hamlet, a young man who learns about the murder of his father from a ghost. He goes on
to fake being mad so his family and relatives aren't suspicious about his plans to take revenge,
but many critics believe Hamlet descends into true madness over the course of the play. That
being said; there are many instances in the play where Hamlet proves he is not mad, but his lack
of action and fascination about death make it seem like he is.
Hamlet’s procrastination to exact revenge on Claudius is his hamartia. He is aware of his
cowardice and asks himself “Why yet I live to say, “this things to do,”/ Sith I have cause… To
do’t” (4.4.43-45). The audience knows his plans to “put an antic disposition on” (1.5.173) to
conceal his intentions from everyone else; but this backfired against Hamlet as he put off killing
Claudius for a while, and in the meantime people started to think he was plain crazy; either from
the rejection of Ophelia’s love, or from the grief of his fathers death. The people’s suspicions
grew after Hamlet killed Polonius; which was nothing more than an accident, but could not have
come at a worse time. So how does this prove Hamlet is not mad?. Throughout the play, it is
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clear Hamlet is conscious of his thoughts and has not lost touch with his morals either. He felt
bad for killing Polonius and “do(es) repent” for doing so (3.4.175). In the same scene, He reveals
to his mother that he is “essentially not in madness/ But mad in craft” (3.4.189-190); The
audience already knows that he is faking his madness, but him admitting it to his mother proves
he hasn't lost himself trying to fake it. Hamlet has a clear goal to kill Claudius, but his inaction is
delaying the process and inadvertently increasing suspicion that he has become truly mad.
People who are truly mad possess two, out of many, distinct qualities which are the
nihilistic views towards life and their unconcern of consequences. Hamlet may seem to fit these
qualities at first glance; he is a depressed guy and certainly isn't worried about keeping
appearances with anything or anybody, but he proves otherwise. One such instance is when
Hamlet admires Fortinbras and his army's fighting spirit to protect their land and honor; an effort
that may seem futile, but one he recognized as an effort led with “divine ambition” (4.4.48).
Hamlet still has faith in humanity and recognizes the glory in human endeavor. True madness
doesnt see the merit in doing anything at all, which leads to suicidal tendencies. Hamlet’s “to be
or not to be” soliloquy (3.1.57-89) is about him contemplating suicide, but he has a purpose to
live, to avenge his dead father. Although he doesnt actually want to commit suicide, he ponders
about the uncertainty beyond death and is ruled by his fear. One effect of madness is that fear no
longer crosses one’s mind. When Ophelia, who the audience knows is definitely mad, falls into
the river - showed zero fear of drowning; it was almost like she was unaware that her life was in
danger, or what may come after. Hamlet on the other hand questions “For in that sleep of death
what dreams may come… Must give us pause” (3.1.67-69); showing he is clearly conscious of
his thoughts. He also believes that “the Everlasting had fix’d/ His canon ‘gainst self slaughter!”
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(1.2.131-132), which means his death would be considered a mortal sin and then he would be
sent to hell. Now, is there heaven and hell in the first place? There is no proof; But the fact that
he considers the possibility of eternal damnation shows he understands the potential
consequences of taking one's own life.
While it is difficult to know for sure if someone is truly mad, an individual's character
and actions give insight into their mind. Hamlet is a fascinating character as the uncertainty of
his madness can be connected to real world scenarios; for example, a criminal is on trial for
murder but claims madness, how does the court know the truth? They look at their motives and
character to get an idea if they are lying or not. In the end, Hamlet did not descend into madness
because he stayed true to his goal, and most importantly, to himself.