Hamlet by Shakespeare

Hamlet's Sanity

Hamlet appears to be insane, after

Polonius's death, in act IV scene II. There are indications, though, that

persuade me to think other wise. Certainly, Hamlet has plenty of reasons to

be insane at this point. His day has been hectic--he finally determined Claudius

had killed his father, the chance to kill Claudius confronted him, he comes

very close to convincing Gertrude that Claudius killed his father, he accidentally

kills Polonius, and finally the ghost of his father visits him. These situations

are enough to bring Hamlet to insanity, but he remains sharp and credible.

Hamlet

is able to make smart remarks to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, comparing then

to sponges, "When he (Claudius) needs what you have gleaned, it is but squeezing

you and, sponge, you shall be dry again," (pg 98, 20). This is random and

unexpected, as many of his actions, but the comparison makes sense; Rosencrantz

and Guildenstern soak up all the kings favors, only to become dry again after

they mop up the King's mess (spying on Hamlet, and getting Polonius's body).

Later, with Claudius, Hamlet tells how lowly a king can be by saying, "A man

(beggar) may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish

that hath fed of that worm," (pg 99, 29). This also makes sense, and is not

quite as random; when Hamlet confronts Claudius, and the king asks where Polonius

is, Hamlet immediatly begins the comparison by telling Claudius that Polonuis

is at supper (the worms are eating him for supper, and so on). This proves

that Hamlet had some kind of planning for this!

degrading comment, and that

his

thoughts are not scattered and he is able to stay focused.

There is

a question of what being insane really is. Since it is agreeable that Ophelia

was crazy, it's possible to use her as a guide to make this argument valid.

Hamlet and Ophelia both shared the trait of having calculated thoughts, Ophelia's

singing and Hamlet's verbal attacks. They also shared calmness before their

deaths. But was Hamlet spraying rude remarks to everyone before he died, as

Ophelia had sung floating down the river? No, in-fact Hamlet was the opposite

of what he was before. If he were crazy, like Ophelia, he would have remained

hectic and random up until the time of (and after) the duel. Hamlet, though,

was not--he even reasoned what death for him was, finishing his question of

whether life was worth living for. Hamlet can truley be seen to be sane, and

not. The facts that Hamlet was smart and swift thinking, and in such a reversal

of emotions (from after Polonius died) in the end, leads strongly to the opinion

that Hamlet was not insane.