Analysis Of William Shakespeare s Hamlet - 952 Words

Title Here Madness is a central theme in Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Hamlet’s â€Å"antique disposition† (1.5) is used as a tool of manipulation. He acts mad in order to gain the upper hand over his enemies; he makes them believe his mind is elsewhere to distract them from his long-term goal of avenging his father with Claudius’s death. Hamlet’s portrayal of madness varies depending on which character he interacts with; with Polonius, he focuses on wordplay to make him seem outside of the situation. With the women in his life, he is much more aggressive; he verbally abuses his mother, and verbally abuses Ophelia. His abuse of Ophelia adds to her madness, as well. Ophelia is used as an object by everyone in the play; the adults use her as bait to try to figure out what is wrong with Hamlet and Hamlet uses her as a scapegoat for his madness. Her femininity and sexuality are the tool in which the others direct her—Claudius and Gertrude choose her for her roman tic association with Hamlet, Hamlet uses that romantic association to disguise his goals, and also attacks her sexuality in order to enhance his â€Å"madness†. Because of this focus on her potential impurities, Ophelia’s madness sought to highlight her innocence. She reverts to a childlike state of detachment and ultimately takes her own life. Hamlet explicitly states that he is going to act mad on purpose; Ophelia’s actions are not as obviously calculated. Despite the other characters disregarding her actions as uselessShow MoreRelatedWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet : A Critical Analysis1511 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare s Hamlet: A Critical Analysis of Act V Regarded widely as an immutable element of classical literature, Shakespeare s Hamlet broke the proverbial bindings of dramatic convention in its time and hitherto continues to provoke careful consideration of the dramatic issues explored therein. As varied as they are extreme, the themes that Shakespeare s Hamlet explore continue to spur intense debate due to the ambiguity of dramatic elements present in-throughoutRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s Hamlet By William Shakespeare1259 Words   |  6 Pages In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, human agency is demonstrated by the actions of Polonius and Claudius throughout the play. 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