Meaning of Madness in Hamlet

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of a noble being, in every sense of the word, placed by force of circumstances in an ignoble position.”(Armstrong page 8). After witnessing this apparition and hearing its plea to be avenged, Hamlet vows to act mad "as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on" (act 1 scene 5 lines 171-172). This false madness can be used as a veil for Hamlet to hide behind. “Shakespeare wrote the play Hamlet in 1601, in 1556 Shakespeare's only son died of an unknown illness. The death of his son was believed to be the reason of Hamlet.”(Hagar page 5). For instance people will speak more freely in his presence as they will think he is mad and therefore will think he is making no sense of their conversations. If he is caught out in any respect he can merely ham up the madness and therefore in effect get himself "off the hook". A factor to consider on the subject of Hamlet's madness and whether it is genuine or calculated, is the way in which Hamlet talks to certain ...

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goes insane and later kills herself. “A reader we are never entirely sure of the state of Hamlet's mind. We are not sure if he has slipped into real madness or whether it is all part of his cunning plan.”(Johnson page 13). Because Goneril's plan didn't work, she kills herself. At the end there is a duel between Edgar and Edmund, where Edgar murders his brother. At the end of "Hamlet" there is a duel between Hamlet and Laertes; Hamlet is successful in killing Laertes but not before being wounded with a poisoned sword - this poison eventually kills Hamlet. Madness reflects the nature of Hamlet's psychological character, and poses questions of his behaviour.
Obviously Hamlet's ...

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