Hamlets Madness

There are many issues and questions that the play leaves "open," like Hamlet's madness or his feelings for his mother. Many people believe that Hamlet's madness could be caused by his fathers murder, Claudius (his dad's brother) marrying Gertrude or it was most likely caused by his love for Ophelia. Hamlet plays two roles in the play one in fact mad, and one only acting mad to serve a purpose.

When Hamlet says he saw a ghost of his father he leads everyone except Horatio to believe he is crazy because Horatio was the only other person to see this ghost the night before. When Hamlet first sees the ghost of his father he was told to "take revenge on Claudius." While planning revenge According to an article entitled Hamlet's Madness "Hamlet explains to his best friend Horatio, who is also a guard in the kingdom, that he wants to put on a false character to help him get his revenge on Claudius." Meaning he wants to set up and replay the murder of his father to see if Claudius was the one who did it and to judge by his reaction.

We come to recognize that Hamlet is in love with Ophelia who is the daughter of Polonius. Polonius disapproves of their relationship and thinks that Hamlet is infatuated with Ophelia. Hamlets speech plays a huge part in his madness. He says "To be or not to be, that is the question -- Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep -- No more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks."

Hamlets speech gives out the impression that he thinks suicide is the answer. In this speech he contemplates weather to kill himself or not then realizes he is uncertain about what lies after death (afterlife) and concludes that at least if he's alive he will just have to deal with life here on earth while