Hamlets Sanity

In arguably one of the most renowned novels of all time, a prince of Denmark undergoes a mental struggle with his family, friends, and self. This causes an indefinite belief that Hamlet might or might not become insane because of prior events that affected his mental status. This can be looked at in two ways, one, he is in fact insane, or two, he is in fact not insane. Textual evidence from both of these standpoints will acknowledged in following paragraphs, as well as a reasoning for the acquisition of Hamlets degree of sanity.

Hamlets mental status during Hamlet underwent a drastic change. From his father's death to his own friends betraying him, his mind was pulled around like a dog on a leash. These events that he went through would undoubtedly cause him to go insane. When Hamlet first encounters his father ghost, (Act one scene five) His father reveals to Hamlet the way in which he died. Ghost: "But soft methinks I scent the morning air. Brief let me be. Sleeping within my orchard, My custom always of the afternoon, Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole with juice of cursed hebona in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour the leperous distilment, whose effect holds such an enmity with blood of man that swift as quicksilver it courses through the natural gates and alleys of the body, and with a sudden vigar it doth posset." After Hamlet heard this coming out of his own father's ghostly mouth, he became angry with his uncle and his mother. He became angry with Gertrude because the fact that she would go ahead and marry Hamlets uncle after the death of his father. "How stand I then, that I have a father killed, and a mother stained." All of this domestic issues with his family is making hamlet start to feel like he cannot trust anyone, not even his own mother. Following the loss of trust of his family, Hamlet starts to loose his next most important thing in his life, his friends. Hamlet: " Why, anything - but to th' purpose. You were sent for, and there is a kid of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to color. I know the good king and Queen have sent for you." Rosencrantz: "My lord, we were sent for." At this point in the story, (Act 2 scene 2) Hamlet finds that two of his friends have arrived at the castle. He suspects that the king and queen sent for them to find out something about Hamlet. Hamlet was right in assuming this. Now, Hamlet lost another aspect of his life, the trust of his friends. This also adds to the theory that Hamlet is in fact insane. The ghost told Hamlet that Hamlet was to avenge his father's death. Hamlet has not done anything midway through the novel to avenge his fathers death. Hamlet: "How stand I then, that I have a father killed, a mother stained, Excitements of my reason and my blood, and let all sleep, while to my shame I see the imminent death of twenty thousand men that for a fantasy and trick of fame, go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot, whereon the numbers cannot try the cause, which is not tomb enough and continent to hide the slain? O, from this time forth, my thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!"

On the contrary, it could be argued that Hamlets sanity was in the normal operating range of sane. Speeches such as "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 them, to die, to sleep-no more-and by a sleep to say we end the heartache, and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to." might indicate that Hamlet was looking for the easy way out. "To sleep-perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come." This indicates that he might not of been insane enough to not think about what the consequences are to suicide. Another example that proves that Hamlet is not so insane that he does not know what is going on is the ghost of his father. Although this was early in the play, Hamlet still proved to the audience that he was sane enough to listen to the ghost, (which could have been thought by readers that the ghost was all in Hamlets head.) Hamlet listened to what his father had to say, not telling anybody about the ghost.

By analyzing many aspects of the famous play Hamlet, one can determine on their own wither Hamlet is sane or Insane. Many supporting details and textual evidence are provided in the play to back up ones theory. Although more examples of Hamlets insanity are shown than sanity, readers of this play can decide on their own what they think about Hamlets mental state.