Insane Or Not Insane

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 12th grade October 2001

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Insane or Not Insane? Hamlet is a tragedy; which is a narrative epic tale that ends in death and irony, written by author/poet William Shakespeare. In the tragedy, Hamlet performed in ways that were concluded to be actions of insanity. In observing the actions of Hamlet, the question, "Is he insane or is he not insane,"� has been inquired.

In the tragedy Hamlet, Prince Hamlet has been approached with many things that have caused him to be confused about the way things were being handled. In one incident, the spirit of Hamlet's dead father visits him. The spirit instructs Hamlet to do certain things to avenge its homicidal death. When Hamlet came in contact with the ghost, the spirit said to him: I am thy father's spirit; Doomed for a certain time to walk the night, And for the day confined to fast fires, till the foul crimes done in my days of nature are burnt and purged away.

(Shakespeare, 1.5.9-13) After hearing these words out of the being's mouth, Hamlet begins to question whether or not the spirit is really his father's or if the being is a trick of the devil. While trying to decide whether the ghost was help or a hindrance, Hamlet observed that the person who is now King of Denmark, his uncle-father, was watching him. Still unsure of the ghost's intentions, yet well aware of the watchful eyes that try to watch his every move, Hamlet puts on a show of insanity so that he would be able to set aside time to put things in the proper perspective.

After receiving instruction from the spirit, Hamlet begins to act as if he were insane. The key word in this scenario is "act."� Here, as before, never, so help you mercy, How strange or...