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Madness in Hamlet

the way he treats Ophelia, as well as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet’s actions begin to cause the people around him to try to search for a reason for his madness. Gertrude says that “ I doubt it is no other than the main, his father’s death and our o’erhasty marriage” (2.2.56-57). Hamlet’s madness obviously troubles the queen, but hers is not the only opinion on his newfound madness. Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude of his demands on Ophelia that she stop seeing him and says that Hamlet’sFell into a sadness, then into a fast,Thence to a watch, thence into a weakness,Thence to a lightness, and by this declensionInto the madness wherein now he raves,And all we mourn for. (2.2.144-148)Polonius believes that Hamlet is mad because Ophelia has rejected him. Hamlet’s madness begins to take its toll on the people around him. Mathew Proser reveals that “Hamlet’s antic disposition detaches him sufficiently from the center of his own pain to turn his fear into a cutting edge by which he can slice through the layers of falsity the court so easily accepts as the truth” (340). In act III, Hamlet turns his madness on his mother during a conversation in her chambers in which he kills Polonius. However, during this conversation with his mother, he tells her “It is not madness” (3.4.148). After he kills Polonius he continues to denounce him and tells his mother he will “lug the guts into the neighbour room” (3.4.219). Roger Miller states that “This is bizarre, and since he told his mother he was feigning madness he would nave no motive to continue feigning. He is clearly not feigning madness” (86). During this part of the play, Hamlet begins to act mad while still denouncing his madness. His hostility towards others begins to grow, while his remorse for his actions begins to diminish. After killing Polonius, Claudius asks Ham...

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