To What Extent is there Method to Hamlet’s Madness?
Throughout the play Hamlet, the main character Hamlet acts in a manner of hysteria. The matter of whether it was insanity or intellect is a question of frequent debate, as his actions of both cunning and craziness act as a double edged sword for his character. However, throughout the play, Hamlet makes it aware that his madness was premeditated mania, although he does succumb to the act he performs throughout, further into the story. By looking at things such as his actions when he interacts with the ghost in Act 1, Scene 5 it points to madness. Further on in Act 2, Scene 2, while exhibiting madness, the hyperbole of his actions begins to shine through. Looking finally at Act 3, Scene 4, he delves far into madness in the moment of Polonius’ death. With this in mind, it showcases that Hamlet’s motives may have transmuted in intention as the play progressed.
During a time where literacy, and education, were short, Hamlet is a well educated, intellectual person for his time; often with how he acts he does so in a strategic manner. Hamlet proves within Act 1, Scene 5 that he is able to control his emotional impulse with logical reasoning in that moment. This is put on display when Hamlet encounters the ghost for the first time, as he mentions how he “with wings as swift As meditation or the thoughts of love, May sweep to my revenge” (1, 5, 29-31) but proceeds to plan his course of action instead of going ahead with killing his uncle Claudius. However, this does suggest the idea of madness developing within Hamlet, as the fact that the ghost provides Hamlet with a reason for revenge against Claudius is easily believed, as Hamlet wants to believe it being a heavily religious person. Nevertheless, Hamlet stated to his friends that “How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself (As I perchance hereafter shall think meet To put an antic disposition on)” (1, 5, 173-174) With the two facts of Hamlet’s intelligent thinking in mind, it supports the notion that Hamlet was intending to act mad as a method to enact his revenge. Looking at the preceding quotation from Hamlet, there was use of an aside to display Hamlet’s calculated decision to hide his act from those close to him to enact his revenge. This use of an aside relates back to the concept of the use of a strategic approach to his madness. This notion of Hamlet utilizing a strategic approach is also supported by the fact that he was the prince of Denmark, and would have learned the basics of strategy from education. Additionally, supporting this is the opinion of D.J. Snider, a reputable secondary source with a variety of publications with The Journal of Speculative Philosophy and being a publication of Penn State University. Snider states that "to carry out his end, he had to submit to the circumstances, and hence to assume the garb of the Irrational.” (Snider, 74) Furthermore, regarding the use of the word “bear,” it could be interpreted as a way to measure the weight of his future actions without directly stating to his accompaniment. Moreover, this could additionally be interpreted as foreshadowing to Hamlet being unable to bear the act of madness, and capitulating further into the play.
While he may display slight signs of madness within the first act, they are nowhere to the extent of his exertion within the second. Within the second act, Hamlet takes his madness to the extreme when talking to Polonius, where it's almost at the point where it's not believable. Hamlet’s sudden extreme shift leads him to say things such as ““Excellent well. You are a fishmonger.” (2, 2, 175) Furthermore, he perpetuates the conversation saying that “if the sun breed maggots in a dead dog, being a good kissing carrion-- Have you a daughter?” (2, 2, 182-183) At the time, this would have been presumed a diagnosis of female hysteria for Hamlet, as he creates the illusion of insanity to be over Ophelia. This would lead a reader or the audience to believe that Hamlet had gone mad at this point; however Polonius states in an aside that “Though this be madness, yet there is method in ‘t.” (2, 2, 204) This reminds the audience of Hamlet's previous suggested intentions of using madness as a disguise and is later reinforced by Hamlet stating “There is something in this more than natural, if philosophy could find it out.” (2, 2, 352-353). This idea is reinforced through reputable secondary sources, such as Tenney L. Davis, who states that “it appears as a barrier behind which he hides his thoughts and motives.” (Davis, 631) Although there are hints to his true motives, Hamlet still reinforces the idea that he is mad through use of metaphor such as “Denmark’s a prison.” (2, 2, 241) While something like the aforementioned metaphor may be determined to be a device of disguise, it could otherwise be interpreted as true madness setting in within Hamlet. There is a pattern of this that can be seen in earlier statements before his planned revenge, such as his statement about “His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God, God!” (1, 2, 132)
“If a lie is only printed often enough, it becomes a quasi-truth, and if such a truth is repeated often enough, it becomes an article of belief, a dogma, and men will die for it.” (Tremorne, 155) During Act 3, Hamlet begins to cave into madness, which is exemplified throughout several key moments; this could be noted as one of his most prominent fatal flaws or hamartia. Prime examples of Hamlet’s fall to madness are the moment of Polonius’ murder, and Hamlet’s confrontation with Gertrude. While talking with Gertrude, the ghost enters, and while Hamlet can see the ghost, Gertrude cannot, saying “Alas, how is’t with you That you do bend your eye on vacancy And with th’ incorporal air do hold discourse?” (3, 4, 117-119) This could suggest that Hamlet was mad at this time, and he wasn’t seeing a ghost in the room with Gertrude. Slightly earlier, after the killing of Polonius, Hamlet makes a comment on Polonius’ death. “Thou wretched, rash, intruding fool, farewell. I took thee for thy better. Take thy fortune.” (3, 4, 32-34) However, according to D.J. Snider, this merely may have been instinct after the murder of Polonius. Snider states that “This means merely impulse, the momentary absence of reason, else we must suppose Hamlet guilty of wanton falsehood” (Snider, 86) These specimens of evidence provide a basis for the argument of Hamlet’s madness, as he had forsaken morality and killed Polonius. Gertrude’s simile of “These words like daggers enter my ears” (3, 4, 97) is most likely used by Shakespeare to emphasize Hamlet’s madness to the audience to show how he has gradually become mad throughout. However, the statement of Hamlet holding discourse with “incorporal air” can form the interpretation of the first person narrative being used in order to make it difficult for the audience to discern whether certain events actually happened, or whether it was in Hamlet’s head.
Hamlet has displayed his intellect throughout the play, and there have been many cues as to that his madness was an intentional performance to enact his revenge, however, there are also several complications in determining the true meaning behind this complex character’s actions. Whether it be how his actions in Act 1 are moral, and logical steps to enact his revenge, or later within Act 2, where he begins to display his madness to an extreme, or in Act 3 where the flaw of being corrupted by madness is exposed. The progression to madness may have began as intentional, yet however would come to appear to be Hamlet’s flaw.
Works Cited
Blagden, Isa. The crown of a life, by the author of 'Agnes Tremorne'.. United Kingdom, n.p, 1869.
Davis, Tenney L. “The Sanity of Hamlet.” The Journal of Philosophy, vol. 18, no. 23, Journal of Philosophy, Inc., 1921, pp. 629–34, https://doi.org/10.2307/2939352.
HERNON, John. The Query “Was Hamlet Mad?” Fully Answered in Original and Critical Observations on Shakspeare's Hamlet, as Delivered at the Athenæum, Exeter, 26 February, 1862, to the Exeter Literary Society ... with Some Additional Remarks: and “The Patriot Peasant,” a Drama, in Three Acts [and in Prose]; Represented ... in January, 1863, Etc. N.p., n.p, 1864. https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Query_Was_Hamlet_Mad_Fully_Answered/b3lZAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0.
Snider, D. J. “HAMLET.” The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, vol. 7, no. 1, Penn State University Press, 1873, pp. 71–87, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25665823.
Snider, D. J. “HAMLET.” The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, vol. 7, no. 2, Penn State University Press, 1873, pp. 67–88, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25665831.
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