Steven May
Critical Theory Essay 2
“To be, or not to be, that is the question...” (Act III, Scene I) It seems rather that when
talking about the character Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one of the most famous
plays of all time, crazy or not crazy is the question. Hamlet transforms throughout the play into a
character whose future actions are unpredictable. This play takes place in a time when not much
was known about mental instabilities or disorders but looking at Hamlet with our present-day
knowledge we can begin to try and reason as to what caused Hamlet’s outbursts and unorthodox
behavior and make a modern day diagnosis. Hamlet has been thought of as anywhere from crazy
to troubled to depressed. When determining whether or not someone is truly “crazy” or not you
must look much deeper into their personalities before coming to a conclusion; you must look into
their thoughts, actions, and experiences in life which all play a factor. Many of the people we
think of as “crazy” in our everyday lives could be suffering from mental issues unknown to us
which causes them to act in the way they do. Instead of being a character known as “crazy” I
believe Hamlet’s actions are due to a mental disorder meaning we should look at his character
with more sympathy than disgust during the play.
There is a certain criteria a patient must meet in order to be diagnosed with a mental
disorder. And when someone is declared with a mental disorder it does not necessarily mean they
are “crazy” because “crazy” is a word we must be careful with due to its numerous connotations.
In order to see if Hamlet is “crazy” we must first see if he meets the symptoms for any of the
mental disorders according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth
Edition (DSM-5). The disorders Hamlet is being tested for are the ones most commonly
associated with people declared “crazy”. For the Mood Disorder, Hamlet meets four of the
symptoms listed such as having a sad mood often, a feeling of worthlessness and guilt, problems
concentrating and making decisions, and constant thoughts of death and suicide. At least five of
the symptoms must be met to be diagnosed so in this case we can scratch the Mood Disorder off
the list of possibilities. (Transmedial Shakespeare)
We see Hamlet worrying often in the play yet he does not avoid situations that cause him
to worry. He confronts the ghost of his father as it appears to him. “HAMLET: A king of shreds
and patches---Enter GHOST----Save me, and hover o’er me with your wings, You heavenly
guards! What would your gracious figure?” (Act III, Scene IV) Due to this behavior by Hamlet
we cannot diagnose him with any sort of Anxiety disorder. (Transmedial Shakespeare)
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5)
characterizes panic attacks by intense apprehension, terror, and feelings of impeding doom
(Kring, Johnson, Davison, Neale, 2012). Hamlet is seen experiencing these panic attacks
throughout the play yet he does not fear or worry about more attack occurring in the future,
therefore Hamlet cannot be diagnosed with a Panic Disorder. (Transmedial Shakespeare)
The next mental disorder analyzed is the Acute Stress Disorder. In order to be diagnosed
with this a person must meet at least eight of the symptoms since some sort of trauma occurred.
The trauma experienced in Hamlet’s case was the event of his father being murdered and then
finding out it was Claudius.
GHOST: Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder. HAMLET: Murder? GHOST:
Murder most foul, as in the best it is, But this most foul, strange, and unnatural...The
serpent that did sting the father’s life now wears his crown HAMLET: O my prophetic
soul! My uncle!” (Act I, Scene V)
Hamlet experiences only three of the listed symptoms: hyper vigilance, irritable or aggressive
behavior, and restlessness which lead us to conclude that Hamlet does not have Acute Stress
Disorder. (Transmedial Shakespeare)
Dissociative Identity Disorder results from when people have alters or different identities.
These people tend to live under different names, change their personal information, and have
multiple personalities. We do not declare Hamlet with Dissociative Identity Disorder because
even though he shows different behaviors throughout the play, he keeps the same identity the
whole time. (Transmedial Shakespeare) This is another mental disorder we can scratch off the
list of options for Hamlet.
Next we test Hamlet for the disorder that many people associate with “crazy” people,
Schizophrenia. The symptoms for this disorder include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized
speech, abnormal psychomotor behavior, and negative symptoms such as blunted affect. Hamlet
does not experience any delusions during the play. As for the hallucinations, it depends if Hamlet
really saw the ghost of his father or not, but for the purpose of the play it is assumed he really
did. He seems to have pretty organized speech during the play, he even stays on topic when on
his outbursts. The abnormal psychomotor behavior described by DSM-5 is Catatonia which
consists of repeated gestures which Hamlet does not typically perform. He does not associate
with the blunted affect either which is not expressing emotion whereas Hamlet does so
frequently. (Transmedial Shakespeare) Hamlet therefore cannot be diagnosed with
Schizophrenia.
Lastly is the manic and hypomanic episodes otherwise known as Bipolar Disorder.
Hamlet had an irritable mood often in the play along with unusual talkativeness, racing thoughts,
and excessive involvement in activities with undesirable results. Hamlet portrayed many of these
symptoms throughout the play and because of that it is likely that he had Bipolar Disorder. Many
people think of those with Bipolar Disorder as “crazy” due to their explosive episodes and rants
so due to this some may think Hamlet is truly “crazy” but I do not think that is the case after
taking a closer look. (Transmedial Shakespeare)
Through his actions displayed in the play and along with the criteria given for the
numerous mental disorders it seems as though Hamlet’s modern day diagnosis is Bipolar
Disorder. So does that mean Hamlet is “crazy” or just suffering from this disorder? Bipolar
Disorder may run in families through genetics but it is believed to mainly be affected by
environment and lifestyle issues and Hamlet has experienced a great deal of issues. (WebMD) He
was not allowed to return to college, his father got murdered, his mother got remarried quickly,
and he was in an off-and-on relationship with Ophelia; all of these events may have greatly
played a role in Hamlet’s actions. Individuals who suffer from Bipolar typically have episodes of
extreme depression or mania. One symptom of depression is lost in interest in things such as
appearance. Hamlet speaks as though his attire and appearance are not on his list of priorities
anymore and his clothing cannot describe how truly depressed he is (“Hamlet’s Modern Day
Diagnosis”).
QUEEN: Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted colour off, And let thing eye look like a
friend on Denmark… HAMLET: Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, Nor
customary suits of solemn black, Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, No, nor
the fruitful river in the eye, Nor the dejected haviour of the visage, Together with
all forms, moods, and shapes of grief, That can denote me truly. These indeed
seem, For they are actions that a man might play; But I have that within which
passeth show, These but the trappings and the suits of woe. (Act I, Scene II)
It is clear Hamlet is struggling with depression in this episode with the queen. Many people who
suffer from depression also resort to suicide as an escape. Hamlet mentions risking suicide in the
play, “HAMLET: O, that this too too sullies flesh would melt, Thaw and resolve itself into a
dew, Or that he Everlasting had not fix’d His cannon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! God!” (Act
I, Scene II).
As for the mania episodes, they happen often in the play and range from very severe to
slightly disturbing. One of Hamlet’s first mania episodes happens when he first encounters the
ghost of his father while Horatio pleads in fear to him not to talk to the ghost. “HAMLET: Why,
What should be the fear? I do not set my life at a pin’s fee; And for my soul, what can it do to
that, Being a thing immortal as itself? It waves me forth again;--I’ll follow it.” (Act I, Scene IV)
Hamlet is not reasoning or thinking clearly and decides to follow the ghost on his instinct. People
during a mania episode are known to feel as though nothing can harm them and Hamlet displays
that here. (“Hamlet’s Modern Day Diagnosis”) Violence is another characteristic that is
associated with people during their mania episodes and that is clearly displayed later in the play
when Hamlet grabs Ophelia’s wrists and shakes her while she states that he is being too rough. In
Act II while speaking with Polonius, Hamlet clearly displays more symptoms of mania according
to DSM-5 which is pressured, loud, rapid, and difficult to interrupt speech. (“Hamlet’s Modern
Day Diagnosis”) “HAMLET: You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more/ willing
part withal,--except my life, except my life, except my life.” (Act II, Scene II) Hamlet is
constantly showing episodes of mania and depression during the play which clearly displays that
he has the Bipolar Disorder. Taking another look at the play, I believe many look at Hamlet with
disgust and horror due to his “crazy” behavior but I believe after diagnosing him with the Bipolar
Disorder we should look at him more in a sympathetic perspective.
Hamlet deserves the sympathy because he is not “crazy” but rather struggling with a
serious mental disorder. People with mental disorders are not “crazy”, having the disorder just
means they have a concern that is negatively impacting how they live their life. That concern can
cause a person a great deal of distress and many problems with relationships in their life. (Psych
Central) This gives reason to why Hamlet could never hold a firm grasp on Ophelia and their
relationship. This gives reason to why Hamlet had constant fights with his mother and his uncle.
This gives reason to why Hamlet decided to follow and believe the word of the ghost of his
father. This gives reason to why Hamlet accidently killed Polonius. This gives reason to all of
Hamlet’s actions including all his outbursts and episodes. Hamlet has gone through many
tragedies in his life but his actions are not because he is “crazy” but rather because he is
struggling with a serious mental disorder, Bipolar disorder. In return we should give Hamlet our
sympathy rather than judging him in a negative way and labeling him as “crazy.”
Works Cited
"Bipolar Disorder Causes: Genetics, Brain Chemicals, Environment, and More." WebMD.
WebMD, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://www.webmd.com/bipolardisorder/guide/bipolar-disorder-causes>.
"Character Analysis of Hamlet: Psychological Disorders." Transmedial Shakespeare. N.p., n.d.
Web. 2 May 2014. <http://transmedialshakespeare.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/characteranalysis-of-hamlet-psychological-disorders/>.
"Hamlet's Modern Day Diagnosis." Hamlet's Modern Day Diagnosis. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 May
2014. <https://christinamarraccini.wordpress.com/2010/05/31/hamlets-modern-daydiagnosis/>.
"» 9 Myths of Bipolar Disorder - World of Psychology." Psych Central.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2
May 2014. <http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/06/12/9-myths-of-bipolar
-disorder/>.