Hamlet's Insanity.

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Hamlet's Insanity

In the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is described as daring, brave, loyal, and intelligent, but he is consumed by his own thoughts. Hamlet's inability to deal with his father's murder, his mother's marriage, and his uncle assuming the throne are all evidence of Hamlet madness, and does not know what is going on in his own life. Shakespeare uses literary devices such as metaphors, and imagery to show Hamlet's madness.

In one of Hamlet's encounters with the ghost the line "Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder," is spoken. The fact that Hamlet's uncle had murdered his father has him left mad and confused. Even though Hamlet senses something is wrong in Denmark, he starts to question whether or not there is any truth in what the ghost had revealed to him. Hamlet pushes aside what needs to be done in order to think about his personal problems.

One example of this is when Hamlet finds himself with a knife to Claudius' head ready to kill, but then talks himself out of doing so. In place of murdering Claudius, Hamlet decides to create a play in which the story that the ghost told Hamlet is reenacted in front of Claudius to prove that he did in fact kill King Hamlet. The play is performed and Hamlet realizes, or proves, his uncle's guilt and still doe not act on it. Hamlet had the perfect opportunity to seek his father's revenge, however he seems more interested in taking credit for the play that he had created. Hamlet's initial reaction to the ghost's story was to act upon it quickly by avenging the death of his beloved father. He states "Haste me to know't that I with wings as swift ... May sweep to my revenge." However at...