. Hamlets madness is theresult of his fragile, overanalytical personality being confronted with a greatdeal of anguish.Hamlets madness is apparent even before he sees the ghost of hisfather. At the start of the play, Hamlet is shown to be in the throes ofbereavement (Though This is Madness, Yet There is Method in It., OnlineArchive, 1). The queen encourages him to look to the future, and to cease hisgrieving, for she believes it is false. Hamlet responds angrily to hersuggestion: But I have within which passeth show; these but the trappingsand the suits of woe. Hamlets strained relationship with Claudius is nowevident; as he comments on his mothers marriage, It is not nor it cannotcome to good (I.ii.158), he already senses that it embodies much misfortune. This line sets a portentous prediction for the course of the play, as Hamletstruggles between emotion and sobriety in order to enact revenge on hisfathers death.Hamlets encounter with the ghost of his father considerably changeshis disposition, and his actions become more bizarre. He has the uniqueability to communicate to his father by talking to a ghost; his friends mustswear themselves to secrecy because of the threat that others may dismisshim as mad. Nevertheless, Hamlets actions after meeting the ghost dolead everyone except Horatio to believe he is crazy, but never acts upon hisfeelings and loses control. From the beginning, Hamlet feels much pressureto speak out against the king, but lacks the strength to do so. This innerconflict is shown in his soliloquy in act two, when he states, O, what a rogueand peasant slave am I! (II.ii.534). He confesses that he is a coward, and istorn between speaking out and actually taking action against Claudius. Thesenew pressures cause much inner torment in Hamlet, and hint at the fact thathe is mentally indisposed.Further evidence of Hamlets madness can be found in Hamletsencounter with his mother in act three, scene four. Hamlet h...
