Hamlet replies with a sarcastic remark: At supper. Hecontinues, Not where he eats, but where a is eaten. (IV.iii.16-19) Hamletis clearly disrespecting Claudius, and making him look like a fool. Yet again,Hamlet does not act upon his plan to seek revenge of his fathers murder, butmerely attacks Claudius verbally, as he did to his mother in a fit of rage.From the beginning of the play, Hamlet has a great fascination withdeath, another common symptom of schizophrenia (Goldman, 3). Despitebeing warned by his friends that following the ghost was a bad idea, Hamletsobsession with death was so great that he was prepared to risk all to follow. Taking such a risk, Hamlet organized a play that revealed the truth about hisfathers death. This play was to serve as a strategy to force Claudius to admitto the killing of Hamlets father. Claudius reaction to the play served assolid evidence against himself; it was all Hamlet needed to be convinced thathe was the true murderer. While he is struggling with the truth of his fathersdeath, Hamlet is also struggling with thoughts of suicide: Devoutly to bewished; To die, to sleep... (III.i.65). This soliloquy shows how Hamletsobsession with death turned on him, to the point where he is consideringtaking his own life.Another instance of madness in Hamlet is found in Ophelia, Hamletstrue love. Before the tragedy began, Hamlet and Ophelia were already inlove, and was shown through Ophelias words: My lord, he hath importunedme with love in honorable fashion...and hath given countenance to his speech,my lord, with almost all the holy vows of heaven (I.iii.111-115). Opheliasmadness was caused by the repression of their true love; Claudius wantedHamlet removed, and Polonius was determined to not let Ophelia be caught ina harsh social class (Desmet, 2). This subplot even furthers the theme ofmadness in Hamlet, and plays an important role in the other charactersrationalization of Hamlets madness.The appeara...
