“I am but mad North-North- West. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw”. Hamlet is a graduate student, returning to Elsinore because his father died. When he returned he found out that his mother , Gertrude, married his uncle, Claudius, which makes Claudius king. Later Hamlet’s dead father appears, him wondering if it was in fact him or an evil spirit. The ghost of his father tells him that Claudius killed him with poison. The ghost told him he must kill Claudius. Hamlet decided to “act” crazy, so Claudius would not suspect anything. Hamlet thought acting crazy was the only way to take revenge. He was insane, unable to differentiate between reality and illusion even, though he continued to claim his behavior was just a pretense of madness.
The primary reason for why Hamlet is crazy is because he was letting his mind take over and seeing the ghost of his father. For instance, in Act 2, Scene 2, lines 627-632 he says, “The spirit that I have seen may be a (devil,) and the (devil) hath power t’ assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps, out of my weakness and my melancholy, as he is very potent with such spirits, abuses me to damn me.” The ghost plays a major role in Hamlet’s insanity, he is worried that the ghost might be the devil and hoping in tempting him to kill Claudius without cause. Although, the guards were who first saw the ghost. For example in Act 1, Scene 1, lines 51-55, “ Most like. It (harrows) me with fear and wonder…. Together with that fair and warlike form.” The guards, Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcellus, saw the ghost wearing armor and they were afraid wondering if it would cause trouble. Nevertheless, Hamlet has been the only person who has actually spoken and heard the ghost which is something no has. To demonstrate in Act 3, Scene 4, line 132-141, “How is it with you, Lady? Alas, how is’t with you, that you do bend your eye on vacancy and with th’ incorporal air do hold discourse? Forth at your eyes your spirits wildly peep, and, as the sleeping soldiers in th’ alarm, your bedded hair, like life in excrements, start up and stand an end. O gentle son, upon the heat and flame of thy distemper sprinkle cool patience! Whereon do you look?” The ghost appears and starts speaking to Hamlet in Gertrude’s bedroom while she was confused since she saw and heard nothing. Hamlet lost his insanity, being the only one to talk and see the ghost because of his mad imagination.
In addition Hamlet speaks to women in his life with hatred and making them fear him demonstrating his madness. For example in Act 3, Scene 1, lines 146-152, “If thou dost marry, I’ll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, farewell. Or if thou wilt needs marry, marry a fool, for wise men know well enough what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go, and quickly too. Farewell.” Hamlet is insane in the way he talks to women telling Ophelia, his lover, that she needs to go to a nunnery because all women are cheaters and monsters. However his mother did break his trust by marrying his uncle. As seen in Act 1, Scene 2, line 162-164, “She married. O, most wicked speed, post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets! It is not, nor it cannot come to good. But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue.” Not only does Hamlet feel betrayed, but is also disgusted of how he sees the situation as incest. However, he still continues to disrespect women including his own mother. For instance in Act 3, Scene 4, Line 26-29, “What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help, ho! What ho Help! How now, a ra? Dead for a ducat, dead.” Gertrude was fearful of Hamlet calling out for help hoping Polonius would safe her. Then, Polonius yelled for help leading to Hamlet killing him. Not even having any remorse for who had killed hoping it was Claudius. He was mad not caring for another being.
Hamlet was insane, unable to to separate reality from his mad imagination. He was seeing and speaking to his dead father, which is very unhealthy. There was no one but him being able to speak to the ghost, like the guards and his mother. As well as his actions towards women, being unnatural and mad. He lost grip of reality and his behavior was crazy.
