There are lots of opinions on this subject. I don't think Hamlet actually does go mad. It's true that he does jump into Ophelia's grave, but I think it's perfectly plausible to claim that he does so because his grief is so extreme. There is some evidence to suggest he truly loved her, and he couldn't be with her; he was forced to push her away in order to protect her. Then, she dies young...
There are lots of opinions on this subject. I don't think Hamlet actually does go mad. It's true that he does jump into Ophelia's grave, but I think it's perfectly plausible to claim that he does so because his grief is so extreme. There is some evidence to suggest he truly loved her, and he couldn't be with her; he was forced to push her away in order to protect her. Then, she dies young and tragically, and his emotion overwhelms him. Further, he does have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed, but he has already gotten them to confess that they came to Denmark to spy on him and report back to Claudius, and they were carrying a letter that asked for the king of England to have Hamlet killed. For all he knows, they were in on Claudius's plan to have him murdered. Seeing his father's ghost in front of his mother was not his choice, but the ghost's, and others have seen the ghost before, so we know it isn't just a figment of Hamlet's crazed mind. Finally, when he kills Polonius, he thinks he's murdering Claudius. The best way to get away with such a murder is to continue to act like someone not in his right mind; otherwise, the punishment would be death, so he hides the body and acts crazily in order to continue his ruse.
When Claudius requests that Hamlet swordfight with Laertes, Hamlet speaks at length to Horatio about whether or not he should do it. In this scene, he speaks eloquently and thoughtfully, and his apology to Laertes just prior to the duel is likewise sincere and gentlemanly. He does not speak like a madman. Therefore, I would argue that Hamlet is not really mad; he may be emotional and very stressed out -- not to mention that he is grieving for his father and angry with his mother -- but this does not make him crazy.
No comments:
Post a Comment