Roberto Santos Journal III Hamlet “Hamlet’s Unknown Madness” The marriage of the king and queen within two months of the death of Hamlet’s father had left Hamlet disillusioned, confused, and suspicious of Claudius, the King of Denmark. In Act I, Scene V, Hamlet’s belief in his father’s “real ghost” had him in an outrage and, he thus vows to avenge his father’s death. Ophelia encountered Hamlet in her private chambers and observed that he was disturbed. She was very disturbed and afraid because, “Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbrac’d; no hat upon his head; his stockings foul’d ungart’red, and down-gyved to his ankle; pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other…” (1409). Hamlet truly loves Ophelia, but at that particular moment, he did not want to express his feelings to her. Ophelia tells her dad, Polonius, about her meeting with Hamlet and Polonius concludes that Hamlet is nothing but a love struck fool who has gone mad. Polonius wanted to assure the king and queen that he knows, “the very cause of Hamlet’s lunacy” (1411). The king and queen were skeptical to believe Polonius’ story of Hamlet’s lust and lunacy for Ophelia. Polonius’ effort to damage Hamlet’s reputation will not end there. Polonius approached the king and queen with a letter that can prove his theory of Hamlet’s madness. Polonius said, “therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes, I will be brief: your noble son is mad “ (1412). Even though the king heard Hamlet’s letter cited by Polonius, he conspired to find a solution for Hamlet’s madness in his own fashion. The king had Guilderstern and Rosencrantz act as spies so that they could either find or gain information toward Hamlet’s madness. After Hamlet’s request to the players to act out t...
