Hamlet by William Shakespeare is full of themes. One of these themes is appearance vs. reality within the play. This is shown by the argument between Hamlet's sanity and insanity. There are two different ways to look at Shakespeare's meaning.

One way critics determine Hamlet's state of mind is sanity. Hamlet acts like he's crazy, but he really isn't. He only acts that way because it's his way of dealing with his problems. His mother is now married to his uncle, and her undying love for his father is gone. At least this is what Hamlet thinks. All of the other character's can see Hamlet's grief and from the way he is acting think that he has gone mad. He's always thinking out loud to himself, and the other characters often overhear this. When his own mother is alone with him, she says right out "Alas, he's mad" (Ham. III. iv. 107). But Hamlet always insists that he's not insane. He tries to tell her that he's fine. He tells her, "My pulse as yours doth temperately keep time, and makes as healthful music. It is not madness that I have uttered. Bring me to the test, and I the matter will re-word, which madness would gamble from" (Ham. III. iv. 144-148). This shows that Hamlet knows that he's not insane.

Even though Hamlet knows that he's not insane, some critics still believe that he is. A man saying that he's insane doesn't necessarily mean that he's not. Hamlet is often overheard muttering things when no one else is around. This causes the king to come out and say to Poloneus, "Madness in great ones must not unwatched go" (Ham. III. i. 185). So the whole town thinking Hamlet's mad vs. only Hamlet saying he's not seems to point to his insanity.

Even though critics disagree, it would seem that despite all of the evidence pointing to Hamlet's craziness, he is really just putting on an act. Hamlet is angry at basically the whole world. He wants them to believe that he's insane so he can finally get the king in the end. After all, who would think that a madman is capable (and smart enough) to kill a king? He's too messed up to intelligently plot anything, so how could he possibly prove the king guilty of treason and murder if he's just a mad idiot. Hamlet realizes this all along and uses it to his advantage.

This is one of the deepest themes in the whole novel. Is Hamlet crazy, or really smart enough to make everyone else think he is? Whether or not it will definitely be solved is still a question. It seems that if critics after hundreds of years of arguing can't come up with a decision, then there will be arguing for hundreds of years to come.