Shakespeare’s Hamlet has and intricate plot formed by the characters and themes throughout it. One major idea is Hamlet’s changing sanity, which fluctuates through the play as a performance and as a true madness. The other main theme which develops the play is the act of vengeance, with the delay and doubt that accompanies it. These themes, along with dramatic devices and the characters in the plot, add to the textual integrity of the play. There is a duality to the character of Hamlet, as his madness changes from a performance to true insanity throughout the play.
Insanity could be defined as “the state of being mentally ill; madness”, thus it is no surprise that writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and D. H. Lawrence beauteously integrated aspects of insanity into their stories in order to chisel the perfect piece of gothic literature, simultaneously luring the reader in to a world carved by madness and drowned in an eerie atmosphere. Portraying one as insane is a powerful gothic literary device that has been used throughout the era of the gothic, notably in Matthew Lewis' “The Monk” and Horace Walpole’s “The Castle of Otranto”. One way in which writers complement and enhance the insanity of their sadistic characters is through the psychological and mental torture that is often inflicted upon the victims
In The Tragedy of Macbeth, guilt plays an immense role in the lives of Macbeth and his Queen; guilt is the single attribute that pushes them to the edge and tests their sanity. William Shakespeare uses vivid imagery to accentuate the guilt that Macbeth and his Queen
The two texts ultimately depict the difficulties that are linked in the treatment of insanity, presenting sobering measures in which to cure the mind of madness. In the plays Equus and Hamlet [->0] of the main characters portrayed (Alan and Hamlet) are insane, "Being unable to appreciate the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of their acts." (The Legal definition) which is established through their actions and in Hamlet's case via an insight into his "madman" like thoughts. The paired texts project two different types of insanity, an event induced mental state and a "nurtured" madness. In Equus, Alan experiences the latter of the two, with it being raised in him through out his life, largely on account of his mother.
However, the biggest aspect of Macbeth that creates the true horror feeling is by giving the audience a window to view the mental torture caused by pure evil. Shakespeare creates an ominous story that gives the audience the feeling that evil is at work within the play. He has created a psychological thriller by showing us what that evil can do when it is allowed to take over the mind. Paired with the hopeless feeling guilt brings on the characters is enough to give any audience chills. Shakespeare also keeps the audience eerily close to the characters giving us a full view of their mental breakdown.
Insane & Sane Assignment Why Hamlet is actually insane Sanity can be a very difficult character trait to study and an even worse state of mind to determine. In order to evaluate a persons sanity you need to look at all aspects of the persons mind and personality. In this circumstance it has been argued throughout history whether Hamlet was insane or if he was pretending to be insane. I am here to prove that he indeed was insane. What I am going to do first is go through the certain incidents that might have put Hamlet over the edge and into insanity.
Deception is an essential element of Shakespearean drama, whether it be tragedy, history, or comedy. The deception can be destructive or benign; it can be practiced on others or, just as likely, self-inflicted. On occasion deception becomes the very foundation of a play, as is the case with Twelfth Night, Othello, and, most notably, Hamlet. The following introduction to the many instances of deception in Hamlet will help you plan your own essay on the broader topic of how this important theme relates to the play on the whole. Hamlet 1) Hamlet's madness is an act of deception, concocted to draw attention away from his suspicious activities as he tries to gather evidence against Claudius.
Sigmund Freud built the foundation for the house that is analytical thinking, and it is his theory which reveals the true meaning behind the text. In Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's most successful plays, it is this critical ideal which drives him to commit murder while blind to the progression of his setting. Freudian theory reveals psychoanalytical meaning throughout the play and it is reflected in the text, background, relationships and motives of the story, hidden within the pregnancy of the text. ! Behind every great plot lies an even greater story: that of the writer.
Hamlet Essay - Hamlet (Vol. 44) Hamlet (Vol. 44) Introduction Hamlet The psychoanalytical criticism of Hamlet is dominated largely by discussion of Hamlet's apparent oedipal issues, namely his focus on his mother's sexuality and his murderous intentions toward the father-figure in his life, his stepfather (and uncle) Claudius. In fact, Philip Edwards (1985) notes that the psychoanalytical criticism of Hamlet was sparked by a single footnote regarding Hamlet's Oedipus complex in Sigmund Freud's The Interpretation of Dreams (1900). Freud notes that "Hamlet is able to do anything—except take vengeance on the man who did away with his father and took that father's place with his mother, the man who shows him the repressed wishes of his own childhood realized."
Observing the juxtaposition in these two scenes with Polanski’s Macbeth with the influence of the witches, Lady Macbeth, and Macbeth’s role of ambition and his weaknesses. In Shakespeare, Macbeth is interpreted as being intrusive with evil as he and Lady Macbeth both make deliberate choices to do evil deeds. As a victim of fate Macbeth is deemed to some extent not accountable for his actions, but as a victim of his own actions, Shakespeare makes him subjective to the consequences by his own behaviour. Firstly, In Shakespeare’s version of Macbeth is delineated as a victim of his own actions, with his overpowering ambition and tendency to self-doubt. This is identified in Act Two, Scene Two where Macbeth converses with Lady Macbeth about the death of Duncan.