Hamlet is one of the most memorable characters created by the stalwart playwright, William Shakespeare. The playwright, however, never clearly explains whether Hamlet goes insane in the course of the play. In the beginning he says that he would pretend to be mad to carry out his retaliation without much impediment. His “antic disposition” was aimed to avenge his father’s death.
But, as the play progresses, the audience and readers are left wondering if the protagonist has become insane. He is really shaken as he comes to meet the ghost of his father. Also, during the Closet scene, his signs of insanity become clearer to the audience. Before, Horatio, Bernardo and Mercutio were able to see the ghost of Hamlet’s father. But, in this scene, when the protagonist confronts his mother, the ghost is not seen by Gertrude. The playwright also offers no explanation to the occurrence. Thus, it can be assumed by the audience that the ghost is not seen by him. It can be so that the version of the ghost is the hallucination of Hamlet.
Thus, although Hamlet took the resolution of feigning madness, his craziness in the course of the play increases, and seems to be beyond his control. Also, there is no proof in the course of events of his resolution of acting mad to be put into action.
Considerable time elapses between the first and the second acts of the play. The proof of this can be found in the conversation of Polonius with his servant that explains that Laertes should have been in Paris for a span of some weeks. Thus, it becomes clear that the lunacy of Hamlet is observed for quite a span of time. However, there is no action or words in the play that show that he put his initial plan of acting mad into action. Thus, it can be concluded that he really turned insane in the course of the play.
References
Hamlet's Antic Disposition. In shakespeare-online.com. Retrieved from
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/hamlet/antichamlet.html
(2012). Is Hamlet really mad in the play, or is merely pretending to be mad? In enotes.com.
Retrieved from http://www.enotes.com/homework-help/hamlet-really-mad-this-play-merely-
pretending-mad-335889
Shakespeare, William. (1992). Hamlet. New York: Dover Thrift Editions.
