Hamlet Knows Exactly Where He Is Going Essay Example For Students

Hamlet Knows Exactly Where He Is Going Essay Hamlet Knows Exactly Where He is GoingMadness fascinated William Shakespeares contemporaries, perhaps in part because it was still not entirely clear how or when madness as a disease was to be distinguished from demonic possession or spiritual ecstasy. Mad characters were a staple of William Shakespeares stage and such figures were particularly associated with revenge plays. Hamlets distraction, then, is notable in part because it is feigned. In Hamlet is the exploration and implicit criticism of a particular state of mind or consciousness. Shakespeare uses a series of encounters to reveal the complex state of the human mind. Critics who find the cause of Hamlets delay in his internal meditations typically view the prince as a man of great moral integrity who is forced to commit an act which goes against his deepest principles. On numerous occasions, the prince tries to make sense of his moral dilemma through personal meditations. Seems, madam! nay, is; I know not seems.Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother,Nor customary suits of solemn black,Nor windy suspiration of forced breath,No, nor the fruitful river in the eye,Nor the dejected behaviour of the visage,Together with all forms, moods, shows of grief,That can denote me truly: these, indeed, seem,For they are actions that a man might play: (I ii 130-38)How is an audience to believe a character who immediately says what he is to be truly mad? Insanity in present-day terms is often noted by denying ones state of mind and self. Yet, Hamlet acknowledges himself constantly and recognizes who and what he is and is doing. Hamlet reveals himself in the most unaffected sense, as an actor upon the stage, and as an actor within the play. The prince speaks in terms of playing, pretending. He even accuses others of not playing their roles well enough, therefore not playing whatever character each character has assumed well enough, there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour (II ii 282-285). If Hamlet considers his life as a play (as he well might) then there is nothing to say that he is continuously acting a part, even the part of the madman. He is essentially costumed in grief. His actions cannot represent the workings of his mind nor demonstrate what he feels. Later, Hamlet reminds the audience that he is an actor in both senses, and a poor one at that. If Hamlet the pretender were really talented, would there be any question as to his sanity? His O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!? (II ii) soliloquy finds the tragic prince suffering for a character who hasnt been well played, and he compares himself to the impassioned Player of the visiting troupe. If this were not sufficient and immediate evidence of sanity, Hamlet informs Horatio and the others that I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on. (I v 171-72) The Prince of Denmark is revealing his plan, one of pretentious madness, suggested by Horatio himself ;What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord,Or to the dreaded summit of the cliffThat beetles oer his base into the sea,And there assume some other horrible form,Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason,And draw you into madness? (I iv 68-72)Horatio could well be the spark of Hamlets scheme for artificial madness. Seeing the ghost privately against Horatios advisement gives him a greater argument for insanity. Even though he has told Horatio and the guards that he will play the madman, Hamlets first manipulation begins here, with those who know the design for deception. Therefore, both the audience and his fellow actors have been produced to the character as just that- a character, an actor, a deceiver. Hamlet.my uncle-father and aunt-mother Guildenstern.In what, my dear lord?Hamlet.I am but mad north-noth-west: when thewind is southerly I know a hawk from a hand-The Fine Line Between Genius and InsanityA procrastinator? Who does me this, ha? (II ii 585) Hamlet is the farthest thing from a procrastinator. Waiting is not procrastinating. Hamlet is by contrast a worthy schemer, one who is circumspect and prudent. Hamlet does not want to rush into something whose consequences for being wrong and rash could be more than he could abide. His contemplation of the immortal soul and Hell are evidence enough that the Prince of Denmark does not wish to abide in eternal hell for answering his fathers call for retribution. This becomes evident when he chooses not to kill Claudius when he is at prayer, when he speaks of Gods aversion to suicide, or when he considers his mothers feelings for Claudius. His conscience is of great importance to him, though he does accuse his conscience of making him a coward. Hamlet is not afraid of exacting revenge, just of the consequences of being personally responsible for their deaths. His regard for collected, rational revenge is important to him. Claudius himself summarizes Hamlets attitude;My words fly up, my thoughts remain below:Words without thoughts never to heaven go. (III iii 96-7)Hamlet is a man of observation. He studies people, tents them to the quick (II ii 608), and bases his decisions and his actions on the things he learns. Concern for conscience and a taste for precaution suggests clarity and utmost rationality, not a mind consumed with disease. Critics have argued that Hamlet is a man of inaction, which is not entirely the case. How better to ruin your enemies than to devise schemes of self-destruction? Revenge would taste sweeter if Hamlet didnt have to lay a single finger against those whom he is to dispatch. His conscience then would ultimately be clean in a religious sense- his soul would be free to go to Heaven. Hamlet knows all too well that the supposd ghost of his murdered father could only be a devil tempting him as he notes in Act II Scene ii. Inaction, then, is Hamlets method of acting. By observing, he allows a natural flow of events to occur. Ingenuously, Hamlets timely remarks often influence the course of events in his favour, yet he cannot be considered a guilty party of the events that occur: responsible, but not guilty. Hamlets wait and see attitude allows his peers to realize his madness (however false), considered traitors like Ophelia, Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to be unmasked, and Gertrudes realizati on of her own guilty part of the rotten game in Denmark. Is Hamlet intelligent? Beyond the shadow of a doubt, bordering on the lines of absolute brilliance. Who else could manipulate the closest people in his life as if they were chess pieces on a board? It is not a dull person who could recognize his friends and family as the greatest betrayers of his life and to recognize carefully hidden lies. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, long time friends of Hamlet, are almost instantly pegged as Claudius spies. The Prince of Denmark feels them out, talking of Denmark and waits for their response, which is too innocent for Hamlets liking. Hamlets shrewdness allows him to see his friends (and his enemies) for what they are, and to catch them in their lies;sent for; and there is a kind of confession in your queen havelooks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour: I know the good king andsent for you. (II ii 282-286)Hamlet has the mental capacity and the acting capability to set his enemies on completely the wrong trail, to divert them from the real truth. Hamlet comments that he is too much in the sun (I ii 67), is being observed in the wrong fashion. If he knows that he is being watched, then he must make his observers believe the wrong thing about them. Doing thus, he draws out his enemies and the truth. His mind has the capacity to think quickly, to mince words, exchange cutting wits with his enemies, fool them, lead them, and ultimately destroy them. When Hamlet discovers Ophelias infidelity (or rather, loyalty to her father and brother as opposed to him), he uses her as an ultimate means to convincing the others of his madness. If she, the woman he loves (and for the sake of this argument, he does love her), is to be used and abused so poorly, then Hamlet must truly be mad. Ophelia is the first step to convincing Polonius Hamlet is mad;I will be brief: your noble son is mad: (II ii 91)Ophelia, additionally, is a threat to Hamlet. She, if anyone, must be c onvinced of his madness to convince others of it. Prince Hamlet can then be accused of cruelty and cold calculation/manipulation, but not of madness. Ultimately, Hamlets brilliant manipulation of people (to be discussed further) destroys them without laying complete guilt upon himself. How are we to believe that Shakespeare intended the audience to feel pity for a mind to which we were meant to bow?That I, the son of a dear father murderd,Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words (II ii 593-596)Of any Shakespearean character, Hamlet speaks the most. What he says versus what he does are two entirely different actions. Critics have often believed Hamlets tendancy to verbosity to be a sign of his procrastination, of his constant deliberation and inordinate thinking. As discussed, Hamlet does not procrastinate. His wordiness is a method of tantalizing those who listen, even when he seemingly speaks alone. It cannot be assumed that Hamlet is ever alone (there is always an audience). His soliloquies are moments to remind himself of the plan, to rework the plan, or to evaluate his performance. Or, they are to plant information and accentuate or affirm his mania. Hamlet is aware that he is constantly being watched, or he would not have made that brilliant move with his To be or not to be speech. How better to convince those watching that you are mad if you speak of mad things even when you are alone (or are supposed to think you are alone)? Does Hamlet want to die? Not exactly. He says to Polonius (which should have been the first clue that his to be or not to be soliloquy was a setup);You cannot, sir, take from me any thing that Iwill more willingly part withal. except my life,except my life, except my life. (II ii 217-19)He is duplicitous when he contemplates suicide, though is startlingly honest when he ponders the afterlife and the immortal soul. It is often difficult to know when Hamlet speaks the truth, or exactly w hom he is manipulating at any given moment. It cannot simply be assumed that his moments alone are the most honest, for Hamlet seeks to fool all audiences. His occasional falling out of character from time to time, in and out of his affected madness, can be attributed to his emotional stake in the games he plays. Even the most intelligent of people are often cracked by stress, and Hamlet is no exception, giving credibility to his sanity. Bottle nosed dolphins EssayOphelias madness is derived completely from Hamlets baiting. Not an unintelligent woman, Ophelia does discover the cause for Hamlets feigned insanity. However, this knowledge is apparently too much for her weak mind, and she is driven to madness and eventually suicide. If youll excuse the lack of formality, Two down, the royal family and Laertes left to go.The final scene is where and when Hamlets schemes combine to fulfill his revenge. Claudius is wary of Hamlet, whose madness he is not entirely convinced. We begin to see cracks in Hamlets performance after Ophelias death. Hamlet grapples with Laertes in Ophelias grave, and speaks in verse. Throughout the entire play, there are limited occasions when Hamlet speaks in verse. His mad character has always spoken in prose, and this shift and emotional outburst definitely opens Claudius eyes to Hamlets ruse. Claudius already fears the revelation of his deed, which is why he sent Rozencrantz and Guildenstern t o England with Hamlet: for his murder. That failed, and Ophelias realization of Claudius guilt, make the king a little uneasy. Hamlet has to be dispatched. Yet Hamlet is always a step or two ahead of the rest of the players. Anticipating a plot, Hamlet does not drink of the poisoned cup and allows his mother to drink. Gertrude, suspecting the wine is poisoned and drinking it against Claudius advisement, then has committed some sort of suicide. Hamlet allows her to drink, relieving her of her misery and guilt. With Gertrudes death, Claudius realizes his own game is falling apart, yet he is not yet exposed. Hamlet must suspect the poisoned sword Laertes wields, or would not have struck Laertes with a mortal blow. Additionally, Hamlet allows himself to be wounded by the same poisoned sword. Struck with a pang of conscience, a dying Laertes confesses the treacherous plan concocted by Claudius (as Hamlet knew he would), thus exposing Claudius crimes (as the queen dies off to the side). H amlet then is a free man to take his revenge on Claudius. Heres the rationale: Hamlet is a murdered man (even though he knew the foil was poisoned therefore planning his own murder). Yet while he still has breath in his lungs, he can kill the sinning king in clear conscience, knowing Claudius will go to Hell by the touch of his own poison and for the gravity of his past crimes. Hamlet will go to Heaven, having avenged his father by killing all those sorely affected by or involved in the murder, and not having laid a hand against all but one. Hamlet is also, technically, a murdered man, giving him another free pass into Heaven. It couldnt have been executed more brilliantly unless it were planned by a sane man. Why would Hamlet allow himself to die if he performs his fathers revenge? It all boils down to the responsible but not guilty attitude Hamlet toys with throughout the game he plays. Hamlets responsibility for the death of his family, the woman he loved and her family are thing s he cannot live with. Yet as discussed, Hamlet is unwilling to be responsible for his own death. This is why he had to plan his own murder, or rather, manipulate someone else into killing him. He could have allowed Rozencrantz and Guildenstern to have killed him earlier, as a maniacally depressed and insane man would have permitted, yet Hamlet was keen enough to know that it wasnt yet time to die. Though an emotional character, Hamlets mind is almost continuously collected and exceptionally sane. As a character, he has fulfilled his raison detre and therefore cannot exist beyond the limitations he has created for himself. Hamlet lives and dies as a sane, brilliant, scheming character whose capacity for acting, manipulation, and character assessment are beyond compare. Bibliography:Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Oxford Edition.