Consider how Shakespeare presents madness Essay

Consider how Shakespeare presents flakiness in the play and condone whether you see it does illustrate how, something is rotten in the state of matter of Denmark. One of the main themes in critical point is that of madness. Shakespeare conveys madness through not only sm every last(predicate) town just through other characters as well, such as Ophelia, to covey that that the state of Denmark is rotten. At the beginning of the play, the first thing introduced are the night watchmen seeing the spook.This is at the beginning because it is the first event in the chain that eventually leads to Hamlet seeking revenge for his mothers death. Although he was upset by his fathers death and his mothers oerhasty marriage, it was the revelation that his father was murdered that he thinks that he must take revenge. When Horatio first speaks to the phantasm he recognises that it is unnatural for it to be there What art thou that unsurpst this time of night, illustrating that he feels tha t the ghost has wrongfully seized the night.The atmosphere is unsettling and the ghosts unnatural appearance is a sign of the bad things firing on in Denmark, especially the court This bodes some strange eruption to our state. During the times that the play was written, extraordinary things that happened were seen as a sign that something was not right in the courts Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. This could be referring either to the whole of Denmark, or just the courts.It is later on Hamlet sees the ghost that he decides that he pull up stakes pretend to be mad put an antic disposition on, tho he does not want his friends to tell anyone what they encounter seen or that he is feigning madness Never make cognise what you have seen tonight, as he believes that this commission he can find means to particular his revenge on Claudius for killing his father And thy commandment all alone shall live within the criminal record and volume of my brain, meaning that all he shall have in his thoughts is how the ghost of his father told him to particular revenge on Claudius. This is the first step in the theme of madness for the play.Although Hamlet clearly says that he volition be putting on his madness, it is uncertain whether actually he does go mad during the play, as illustrated in his outbursts towards his mother and Ophelia, and the murder of Polonius. There is lots deception during the play, such as Claudius trying to footnote over the fact that he k flats that his marriage to Gertrude could be seen as incest by the Church and that Hamlet should have been the rightful heir to the throne Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature that we with wisest sorrow think on him together with remembrance of ourselves. He says that he is mourning and feels that mourning is appropriate for the old king, only he must think of himself, perhaps hinting at the fact that the death was convenient for him and he has had nice of mourning. This is charac teristic of him throughout the play as all he has done and will do is for his protest self interest, as when Hamlet asks if he can leave the castle, Claudius refuses, saying And we beseech you, bend you to rest here in the cheer and comfort of our eye.He appears to be asking him to stay for his comfort, except he actually wants to keep an eye on him because he knows that he is still a little terror to him and the throne. He at first seemed to want Hamlet to become like a son to him, but that changes as soon as he realises he could be a threat to him. He in any case continually uses the words we, our and us to establish himself as the husband of Gertrude and the King of Denmark. Polonius comments with pious action we do sugar oer the devil himself.To which Claudius replies as an aside The harlots cheek, beautied with plastering art, is not more ugly to the thing that helps it than is my deed to my most painted word. Claudius admits that he is covering up the truth, move the th eme of deception, adding to the audiences awareness of the rottenness of Denmark. As there becomes more deception and muteness throughout the play, it seems that the imagery in the language reflects the deception, and images of disease are used For the sun breed maggots in a defunct dog, being a good kissing carrion.This could be language to refer to how that state of Denmark is rotting, but also Hamlets language seems to reflect his turmoil as he tried to decide what to do about Claudius, and as he gets more frustrated with himself he becomes more offensive towards his mother and Ophelia You are keen my lord, you are keen. It would cost you a groaning to take off mine edge. He is taunting Ophelia using double meaning. Hamlet is very good at creating double meanings, like when he says to Claudius I am to much ithsun, which he says as if he is in also much sunshine but also he is saying that he feels too much like Claudiuss son.Later in the play the text says It will but skin and take aim the ulcerous place, whiles rank corruption, mining all within, infects unseen. He is saying that corruption, like infection starts within, and the corruption of Denmark will begin with the court. This also links in with madness because madness also starts from within within the mind, and perhaps it is saying that just one unstable mind could bring down all the state. Another focal point that Shakespeare presents madness in the play is through Ophelia. She goes mad after Hamlet kills her father, but also because of the way Hamlet treated her cruelly.He said to her that he have a go at itd her, and there were some hints that he had been interior(a) with her, but he treats her badly and even tells her that he does not crawl in her. She has been a victim of a corrupt society from Hamlet leaving her and from her father, such as using her as a pluck to spy on Hamlet. After she has become mad, she sings many songs. The first one that she sings is, How should I you tr ue love know. This song could be her recalling the death of her father He is dead and gone lady, he is dead and gone. This is the first thing that comes into her mind to sing about, so it must be the thing that is foremost in her mind. It could also be that she is recalling how Hamlet is now lost to her, and she is still looking for her true love, because it seems obvious that she has not found him yet. However, the rest of the songs seem to be about Hamlet, as they are about lost love and some of them imply that Ophelia had been sexually intimate with Hamlet Quoth she, before you tumbled me you promised me to wed.It seems that both her father and Hamlet are responsible for Ophelias madness, and this is reiterated by what Ophelia sings about. Ophelia was controlled all the men in her life, and this was customary for the time, but it seems that they took too much of a hold on her, with none of them considering her feelings, for her father told her to no longer speak to Hamlet as it c ould affect his career, Laertes also told her to stay away from Hamlet and Hamlet was cruel to her.She also says, after her first song They say the owl was a bakers daughter. This could just be nonsense, but it could also be referring to her father, saying that once she was the daughter of a man in the court, but now she is just the daughter of a dead old man. Polonius did help the corruption in Denmark, such as spying and trying to make sure his own career was safe, and because of him Ophelia is mad.Hamlet also said that he loved Ophelia, and whereas before he was tender, due to the corruption around him and his succumbing to it, he was a factor in Ophelias madness, which eventually led to her suicide. By the actions of people around her, Ophelia is tainted by the corruptness around, as Hamlet says in the beginning of the play says that she is pure, but later on says she is wanton like all women, and tells her to a nunnery go. This could be to send her to be protected, or it coul d be a sarcastic remark sexual relation her to go to a brothel.