The Madness Of Prince Hamlet (2180 words)
The madness of prince HamletThe madness
of prince Hamlet.
In Hamlet, Prince of Denmark the protagonist
exhibits a puzzling duplicitous nature. Hamlet contradicts himself throughout
out the play. He endorses both of the virtues of acting a role and being
true to oneis self. He further supports both of these conflicting endorsements
with his actions. This ambiguity is demonstrated by his alleged madness,
for he does behave madly, only to become perfectly calm and rational an
instant later. These inconsistencies are related with the internal dilemmas
he faces. He struggles with the issue of revenging his fatheris death,
vowing to kill Claudius and then backing out, several times. Upon this
point Hamlet teeters through the play. The reason for this teetering is
directly related to his inability to form a solid opinion about role playing.
This difficulty is not present, however, at the start of the play.
In the first act Hamlet appears to be very
straightforward in his actions and inner state. When questioned by Gertrude
about his melancholy appearance Hamlet says, ESeems, madam? Nay it
is. I know not EseemsiE (1.2.76). This is to say EI am
what I appear to be.E Later he makes a clear statement about his state
when he commits himself to revenge. In this statement the play makes an
easy to follow shift. This shift consists of Hamlet giving up the role
of a student and mourning son. Hamlet says,
Iill wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past, That youth and
observation copied there, And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain (1.5.99-103)
Hamlet is declaring that he will be committed
to nothing else but the revenge of his fathers death. There is no confusion
about Hamletis character. He has said earlier that he is what he appears
to be, and there is no reason to doubt it. In the next act, however, Hamletis
status and intentions suddenly and with out demonstrated reason becomes
mired in confusion.
When Hamlet appears again in act two, it
seems that he has lost the conviction that was present earlier. He has
yet to take up the part assigned to him by the ghost. He spends the act
walking around, reading, talking with Polonius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern,
and the players. It is not until the very end of the act that he even mentions
vengeance. If he had any of the conviction shown earlier he would be presently
working on his vengeance. So instead of playing the part of vengeful son,
or dropping the issue entirely, he hangs out in the middle, pretending
to be mad. This is shown when he says to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern EI
know not-lost all my mirth, forgone all custom of exerciseE (2.2.298-299).
Later he tells them that he is just feigning madness when he says, EI
am but mad north-north-west, when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk
from a handsawE (2.2.380-381). Admitting so blatantly that he is only
feigning madness would imply that he is comfortable with it. He also seems
to be generally comfortable with acting This is evidenced when he says,
Ethere is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it soE
(2.2.251-252). Hamlet is saying that behavior shapes reality. It is puzzling
that Hamlet is comfortable with playing at this point but not with the
role that he said he would play earlier. If he is to play a role why not
the one that his father gave him? When the players come in a short wile
later his attitude changes.
Hamlet is prompted to vengeance, again,
by the moving speech that is given by one of the players. About this speech
he says,
Whatis Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do Had he motive
and cue for passion That I have? (2.2.561-564)
In this praise of this players ability
to act, Hamlet is saying that if he were such an actor he would have killed
Claudius by now. This link between vengeance and acting that is present
here is what Hamlet struggles with until very near the end. He is then
moved to swear that he should kill Claudius when he says,
I should Eai fatted all the
region kites With this slaveis offal. Bloody, bawdy villain!
O, vengeance! Why, what an ass am I? (2.2.581-585)
He makes this big buildup of what he should
have done and how he will be revenged and he shoots it down in the next
line. This passage is the model of Hamletis cognitive dissonance. After
all of this swearing and support of the value of acting and words, he backs
out of it again. He canit decide whether to play the role or not. Words
are further condemned when he says, EMust, like a whore, unpack my
hart with wordsE (2.2.587). So he is now condemning role playing.
Being caught in the middle he decides that he needs more proof of the Kings
guilt when he says, EThe playis the thing / Wherein Iill catch the
conscience of the KingE (2.2.606-607).
Before the mouse trap is to be played,
Hamlet runs into Ophelia and makes some telling statements. Upon the issue
of Opheliais beauty Hamlet says, EThat if you be honest and fair,
your honesty should admit no discourse to your beautyE (3.1.109-110).
He is saying that Ophelia can be honest and fair, but that, honesty being
an inward trait, and fairness being an outward trait, cannot be linked.
He goes on further to say that
Ay, truly, for the power of beauty
will sooner transform honesty from what it is to a bawd
that the force of honesty can translate beauty into his
likeness. (3.1.13-15)
So not only can the inner and outer self
not be linked, but acting, or the show or exterior, will transform oneis
inner self to match the exterior show. He says this just after denying
that words and acting are important. By what he says here, if he would
only act the part he wouldnit have a problem taking action. Then he contradicts
himself yet again when he says EGod hath given you one face, and
you go make yourselves anotherE(3.1.146-147). He just said that appearance
is all and now chastises women for changing it. He is bouncing back and
forth between supporting acting and denouncing it. Whenever he is in support
of acting he is also ready for vengeance. When he swings back to support
acting again he says,
It hath made me mad.
I say we will have no more marriages. Those that are married already-all
but one-shall live. (3.1.149-151)
The EoneE Hamlet is referring
to must be the King. So it returns to vengeance and acting going together.
In the next scene the conflicting action is similar, but less obvious.
When Hamlet is advising the player on how
his lines should be read he says, ESuit the action to the word, the
word to the actionE (3.2.17-18). If Hamlet would follow his own advice
he would not have a conflict. This shows that he is not consistent within
himself. Hamlet is saying one should not distinguish between word and actions,
but he does maintain this separation. Yet when Hamlet speaks with Horatio
he praises him for being objective, levelheaded, and for having a consistent
character. He is praising Horatio for being true to himself, not being
an actor. Hamlet says,
Give me that man That
is not passionis slave, and I will wear him In my heartis core, ay,
in my heart of heart, As I do thee. (3.2.69-72)
Hamlet is saying this because he wants
Horatio to watch the King at the play. He is unsure of his uncleis guilt,
and he wants proof. He wants it from someone who he thinks is honest throughout.
It comes back to acting and vengeance or in this case he has failed in
his vengeance and needs Horatio to agree with him. Hamlet says to Horatio,
Observe mine uncle. If his occulted
guilt Do not itself unkernnel in one speech, It
is a dammed ghost we have seen, (3.2.77-80)
Proof, however, does not have any thing
to do with the role Hamlet is supposed to play, but there is more to it
than that. The interesting thing is that his uncle will be judged by how
he acts during the play. If the King is a good actor, and does not show
his guilt, he will most likely not be killed. However, the King is not
a good actor and when he rises Hamlet responds with, EWhat, frighted
with false fire?E(3.2.254). Itis as if Hamlet is saying itis only
a play, itis not real. He does say something to this effect a few lines
before. EYour majesty, and we that have free souls, it touches us
notE(3.2.229-230). This new proof drives Hamlet to use more words.
He is again to talk of killing, and he says, ENow I could drink hot
bloodE (3.2.379). He again associates this with a role, that of Nero.
EThe soul of Nero enter this firm bosomE (3.2.383). Later Hamlet
again talks himself out of character and does not kill the King. He puts
it off until later and says,
When he is drunk asleep, or in his
rage, At gaming, swearing, or about some act That has no relish
of salvation init, Then trip him that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be dammed and black (3.3.89-94)
He is waiting until Claudius fits the
part of a villain. His action is paralyzed whenever something does not
fit the part. He needs his revenge to be dramatic so that he may get into
it and finally play it out, and it takes him the next scene and an act
to finally do this.
After Hamlet backs out of killing Claudius,
Hamlet says to his mother, EO shame, where is thy blush?E(3.4.72).
He is voicing his distaste for Gertrude not only for marrying his uncle
but for not being true to herself, she should show some shame for her sins
but does not. Hamlet is contradicting himself in this. He has been duplicitous
and untrue for two thirds of the play. At this point he is still not sure
as how he is to proceed. Hamlet is caught in the middle of acting and objectivity.
Hamlet finally gets his act together, and decides to act the part his father
had given him, after he sees the soldiers going off to war to die.
The imminent death of twenty thousand
men That, for fantasy and a trick of fame, Go to their graves
like beds, fight for a plot Whereon the numbers cannot try
the cause, Which is not tomb enough and continent To hide the
slain. O, from this time forth My thoughts be bloody or be nothing
worth! (4.4.51-57)
Those soldiers fight and die for an insignificant
plot of land, and they do it because they are soldiers, no other reason.
Hamlet realizes that he should do what his role dictates strictly because
it is his role. He does not falter in his conviction after he returns and
fully embraces the act. Upon confronting Laertes he says EThis is
I, Hamlet the DaneE (5.1.53-54). The EDaneE, meaning the
King. He is claiming his right to the throne. This is the appropriate action
for someone as wronged as he, albeit late. In reaction to Opheliais death
he is again behaving as he should have. She was his love interest and as
such he should have loved her more than her brother. This is shown when
Hamlet says EI loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers /Could not,
with their quantity of love,/ Make up my sumE (5.1.256-258). Hamlet
should have loved her, but he did not. Had he loved her he would not have
not treated her so poorly earlier. He is now committed to acting, and loving
Ophelia fits the role.
In the rest of the play Hamlet does not
mess around. He barely has time to tell his story of escape to Horatio
before he is challenged. He does not refuse the challenge because as nobility,
which he is finally claiming to be, he cannot refuse and keep his honor.
Hamlet goes to the match and because he has now accepted the role he does
not hesitate to kill the King when prompted to.
It would seem that being a good actor is
paramount to survival in this play. Polonius could not stick to the role
of adviser and was trying to convince the King that Hamlet was in love
with his daughter. This leads him to spy on Hamlet, and because he could
not do that right either, is killed. Ophelia could not handle the role
of mourning for her father, goes mad and dies as a result. The King could
not cover up his guilt, so Hamlet has the proof he needs to spur him on.
Finally Hamlet, who if he would have acted as the ghost instructed him
to in the first place, instead of flip flopping, would have killed Claudius
outright. Had Hamlet been truly comfortable with acting, Claudius would
have been the only causality.
