Hamlet

Madness = Death

Hamlet Paper = Madness

Hamlet Paper = Death

Adam Blaylock

Mrs. Martin

January 19, 2005

Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragedy that seems to know no end. It lives timelessly in cinemas, theaters, and books around the world for reasons that many do not know, or acknowledge. The primary reason for this work's longevity is that many of the themes in Hamlet are easily related to, even in today's world. This seems particularly true when it comes to madness, which makes an appearance in every day life, even if not to the extremes of Hamlet. In Hamlet, it can be found that many characters' madness causes a resultant death.

One example of this idea is the maddening of Laertes. The death of his father, Polonius, and the apparent insanity of Ophelia brings about a fit of craziness in Laertes. His actions resemble those of a post-traumatic stress victim. This seems particularly true when Laertes states, "To cut his throat i' th' church," (Shak IV.7.144). Such a crime in this day and age would constitute an immediate "Go to Jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200" card from the local kingdom, as well as an immediate removal of any chance of going to heaven. Given the importance of religion in Shakespeare's period, such reckless disregard for the believed consequences of his actions shows the level of dementia that has overtaken Laertes. This madness, in turn, puts in motion the actions that eventually take Hamlet's, and his own, life. In Laertes's own words, "Mine and my father's death come not upon thee, nor thine on me," (V.2.162). He states this in order to prove and acknowledge that insanity brought forth these deaths.

The next character consumed by madness is Polonius. His madness, however, is caused not by stress, but by a hunger for power. This hunger for power can be shown through his attempts to control of his children. The best example of his control over his children is seen in this quotation, "Do not believe his vows, for they are brokers," (I.3.136). The later revocation of that order, when he is in position to gain the trust of the King, is induced by his hunger for even more power. This need for power brings about his demise, as he positions himself closer to the King, and listens in upon the conversation of Hamlet and Gertrude. The constant appetite for power eventually results in the death of Ophelia. Polonius eventually gets to the point where his madness kills himself, and his death eventually results in Ophelia's subsequent depression and suicide.

Ophelia is not, however, driven crazy solely by Polonius's death. Hamlet's actions also contribute to her dementia. For any character, the constant profession of love, "He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders of his affection for me," (I.3.108), to the recantations that come later in the play, "You should not have believed me, for virtue can not so (inoculate) our old stock but we shall relish of it. I loved you not," (III.1.127), would contribute only to a mood that can best be described as abysmal. This reinforced Ophelia's depression which causes her death and in turn leads to the death of her brother, Laertes.

As it seems that every character is, this work's main character, Hamlet, is also deranged. The cause for this lunacy is obviously the death of his idol and his father, King Hamlet. His reverence for his father is easily seen throughout the play, "So excellent a king, that was to this Hyperion a satyr;" (I.2.143). This death, followed by the ghosts than Hamlet sees soon following that death leads the reader to believe that Hamlet is mad. For example, "My father - methinks I see my father," (I.2.191) shows the immediate reaction that Hamlet has to his father's death - one of insanity. That others cannot truly see the ghost is further proven in that only Hamlet can interact with the ghost on the