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I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity (Edgar Allen Poe). In the play, “Hamlet”, there are plenty of questions that confuse readers and scholars alike one being the insanity of Hamlet. He constantly fakes his negative emotions to prove that he is san. However his actions can say otherwise, and the reader knows that actions speak louder than words. No one can be a hundred percent sure of Hamlet’s true state of mind but a further look into his character can reveal that he has the tendencies of an insane person and the mind of someone full of hatred. In the play “Hamlet”, by William Shakespeare, we see that Hamlet’s past experiences throughout the book show that he is insane.
The author William Shakespeare does this through the emotion of loss when Hamlet loses the ones closest to him and his family. He also suffers a loss of mind which in turn leads him to a loss of purpose. The loss of a loved one is a very traumatic and life-changing experience. Hamlet having only parents and no siblings would feel a tight connection to his parents which he does as he mentions his father King Hamlet as the “perfect example of a man”. When both of his parents pass away in a matter of two months he is in a state of mourning and he criticizes his mother's loyalty to his father King Hamlet in his soliloquy by saying “That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature/ Possess it merely. That it should come to this! It is not, nor it cannot come to good; / But break my heart, — for I must hold my tongue!” (Act 1 Section 2, line’s 138-161). In these lines, Hamlet says that even a beast would have mourned longer for the death of a loved one. Continuing, by marrying his uncle, Hamlet does not hold the same level of respect he used to have for his mother.
The loss of a loved one can lead to thoughts that lead to even worse actions. A therapist is used in situations such as these but Hamlet’s sense of loss leads to him becoming obsessed with him trying to put his mother on the correct path and avenging his father which in turn leads to the loss of his mind. Hamlet suffers a loss of mind which is a paradox in itself. Multiple times in the book Hamlet’s actions show that he has lost his mind. These actions would not be done by someone sane but only acting to be crazy. An example of this is his conversation with Ophelia where Hamlet is being rude and unpleasant. He makes rude remarks such as “Get thee to a nunnery” (Act 3 Section 1, line 138) shows he has lost his mindset. Ophelia is Hamlet’s lover and Hamlet shows he will do anything to get revenge showing a clear sign of loss of mind. Another example of this would be the murder of Polonius. Hamlet kills Polonius with no regret and confidence which no sane person would feel when committing that act. He felt no remorse for his actions which is inhumane and shows his insanity.
After committing these acts and having destroyed Polonius’s family we can see very clearly why this point of Hamlet being insane is being proven more and more valid. Lastly, after the loss of their family and mind, Hamlet loses his purpose in life. Hamlet since the introduction was not very polite to his uncle and showed him attitude. His carelessness and lack of interest in his speech are likely because of his loss of purpose. In Hamlet’s first soliloquy, Hamlet reveals having suicidal thoughts which he blames on the death of his father and his mother's marriage to his uncle soon after the death of his father. “ O that this too solid flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself od into a dew! / Or that the Everlasting had not to fixed / His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter!” (Act 1 Section 2, line 131-134).
Hamlet’s intentions of suicide are shown and the only thing holding him back is his belief in god. Hamlet does not mention any other reason in his life besides god meaning that he is at a loss of purpose. This also means that if it wasn’t for his belief in god he would have committed suicide and be dead. His suicidal thoughts continue throughout the book and he mentions it once again in another soliloquy. “ To be or not to be: that is the question: / The undiscovered country from whose bourn” (Act 3 Section 1, Lines 63-86). Eventually, Hamlet makes another point that would have stopped him before committing suicide since he says he is uncertain if he would enjoy the afterlife any better than his present life, and that risking it is not a chance he wants to take. In modern day most people who commit horrendous actions such as mass shootings blame their reasoning on a loss of purpose. Hamlet is clearly showing signs of this loss of purpose with his actions and words. In conclusion, looking at all the facts we can conclude that Hamlet is insane. His actions and words have shown his loss of purpose and mindset which has been offset by the loss of family with his Father’s death and his mother's marriage to his uncle which leads him to eventually commit suicide.
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