Hamlet Essay

To What Extent is There Method to Hamlet’s Madness? Consider the Methods used by Shakespeare to Represent Hamlet.

Shakespeare, known for his plays that told stories of tragedy and heartbreak, paints a shocking story of madness and morality in one of his most well-known works, Hamlet. While Hamlet may appear mad on the surface, what lies beneath is someone who is cunning, faking his own madness, corrupting his own morality, and hurting the people around him. Hamlet’s act of madness can clearly be seen when he makes an example of Ophelia, insulting her and her reputation. It becomes obvious that Hamlet is only pretending to be irrational, as he has the ability to think through the planned murder of Claudius. His faked madness is lastly shown through his disrespect towards Polonius and the apparent lack of remorse he feels for Polonius’s death.

Hamlet goes to any means necessary to maintain his image of madness, making an example of his treatment of those he cares about, even if it means corrupting his own morals. Within Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet brutally insults Ophelia, denying his own true feelings for her. “Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners?” (3, 1, 123-124) Hamlet, despite having been initially infatuated with Ophelia; sending her love-letters, appears to have become resentful. Prior to the dialogue between Hamlet and Ophelia, the stage direction “Claudius and Polonius withdraw” (3, 1, 56), prior to “Enter Hamlet” (3, 1, 56) is given, indicating that Claudius and Polonius are still present but hiding. Hamlet could very well know that Claudius and Polonius are still listening, and as a result puts on an act of insanity, intentionally disrespecting Ophelia. This shows that Hamlet lacks madness, and is in fact actually quite aware of his actions and how they affect the people around him. Hamlet goes on to use cosmetics as a metaphor for women being double-faced, insinuating that Ophelia herself is double-faced. “I have heard of your paintings too, well enough. God has given you one face and you make yourselves another” (3, 1, 143-144). This would have been deeply insulting to Ophelia, as it hints that Ophelia has another less respectable side of herself. Ruth Goodman, a well respected historian of the Tudor Era, states within How to be a Tudor: a Dawn to Dusk guide to everyday life: “girls were guided towards more physical control and quietness, the ‘pleasant soberness that should be in a woman.” (Goodman, 90). Goodman explains the harsh expectations placed on women within the Tudor Era. Ophelia would have had the same expectations placed on her in order to uphold her reputation, and Hamlet calling her double-faced and using the phrase “Get thee to a nunnery”, referring to either a convent or brothel, would have directly jeopardized that. The article Ophelia: Shakespeare's Pathetic Plot Device written by Linda Welshimer Wagner, and published by Oxford University Press, a highly reliable source, states: “Ophelia, then, as an excuse for Hamlet’s madness is essential to the plot: there is no question that he has used her calculatingly” (Wagner, 96). Wagner offers a perspective in which Hamlet uses Ophelia to construct his own identity of being mad, making an example of his poor treatment of her. While Hamlet does still truly care for Ophelia, he is willing to corrupt his own morals in order to achieve his own goals and maintain his constructed image of madness. Ethan raised the idea that “Hamlet was jealous of Laertus’s grief after Ophelia died” (Elford), which suggests that Hamlet does care for Ophelia, and his previous poor treatment of her was a result of his attempt to appear mad.

Moreover, Hamlet shows a scheming and corrupted side of himself, that is not one of someone who is truly mad. Within Act 3, Scene 3, Hamlet shows his complete lack of empathy for Claudius, and ponders on how to seek proper revenge.

Now might I do it pat. Now he is a-praying. And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven. And so I am revenged.—That would be scanned. A villain kills my father, and, for that, I his sole son, do this same villain send 

To heaven. (3, 3, 74-79)

Hamlet has come across Claudius praying. Despite having plans to murder Claudius, Hamlet decides to wait, as killing Claudius while he is praying would send him to heaven. Hamlet believes that Claudius should go to hell for the murder of his father. Hamlet uses the term “that would be scanned”; expressing that he needs more time to think, showing a more calculated side of Hamlet. If Hamlet were truly mad, his actions would be irrational and unplanned. Hamlet’s thoughts are expressed using a soliloquy. As opposed to Hamlet’s prior statements in dialogues, which he used to make himself appear mad, the soliloquy reveals Hamlet’s true intentions. He is sly and cunning and has the ability to plan his actions. Later on within his soliloquy, he uses a metaphor to explain his father’s murder. “He took my father grossly, full of bread, With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May” (3, 3, 81-82). He compares his father’s sins to flowers in full bloom. Claudius killing his father after he had sinned would have sent him to hell. While Hamlet’s desire to seek revenge for his father’s murder may show a display of loyalty, the method in which he seeks revenge lacks morals. Not only has he faked his own madness, but he hurts those around him because of it. The audience would have consisted of mainly Protestants, given that England at the time as a majority followed the Protestant religion. Hamlet wanting to send Claudius to hell rather than heaven, and making multiple references to praying as a form of forgiveness, would have resonated with the audience, however not because of relating to confessing sins, but rather the fact that both Hamlet and Claudius have Catholic beliefs. Only Catholics believed that the confession of sins would result in them being forgiven. Protestants believed that if you sinned once you went to hell. Stephen Greenblatt, a well known historian, informs: 

Catholics believed that after death, while wicked souls went directly to hell and saintly souls to heaven, the great majority of the faithful, neither completely good nor completely bad, went to purgatory…until they had paid for the sins they had committed during life. (Greenblatt, 313)

Greenblatt’s explanation of the Catholic belief would suggest that Hamlet and Claudius do in fact follow the Catholic religion, as they believe in praying for forgiveness. An article published by Oxford University Press, written by Paul Gottschalk, claims: 

Professor Eleanor Prosser has argued convincingly that neither view is acceptable. If the speech were mere rationalization for inaction, Hamlet would have invoked some more morally acceptable motive for delay, such as unwillingness to stab in the back a man at prayer. (Gottschalk, 156)

Gottschalk uses the opinion of Professor Eleanor Prosser to explain the reaction of the Protestant crowd. The audience would have been appalled by both Hamlet’s intention to kill Claudias as well as his Catholic belief that he couldn’t send him to hell because he is praying, as to the Protestant audience it would have shown a complete lack of morals. Jeffrey had mentioned that Hamlet “confronting his mother for the quick remarriage” (Ion) shows strong morals. However, it shows Hamlet’s self-serving nature in which he disguises it as madness. He doesn’t care who he offends or hurts as long as it helps him achieve his goal of getting revenge for his father’s death, no matter how morally corrupt his approach is.

Furthermore, Hamlet once again insults and hurts those around him in order to maintain his image of madness. Within Act 4, Scene 3, Hamlet can be seen mocking Polonius, even after he is dead.

In heaven. Send hither to see. If your messenger find him not there, seek him i’ th’ other place yourself. But if indeed you find him not within this month, you shall nose him as you go up the stairs into the lobby. (4, 3, 34-37)

 Hamlet has just murdered Polonius, having mistaken him for Claudius. Rather than expressing true remorse, Hamlet jokes about his death; showing him no respect.  Hamlet, using the phrase “find him not there, seek him i’ th’ other place”, insinuates that Polonius has gone to hell, which once again would have been recognized among the Protestant audience; understood as a brutal insult, referring to Polonius as a sinner. Interestingly, Gertrude, his mother, mentions that Hamlet does feel some remorse for what he has done. “To draw apart the body he hath killed, O’er whom his very madness, like some ore Among a mineral of metals base, Shows itself pure. He weeps for what is done” (4, 1, 24-27). This suggests that Hamlet does actually feel remorse, but hides it in order to maintain his image of madness. Hamlet had continuously shown Polonius disrespect, even prior to his murder. On one occasion he even made fun of Polonius using a metaphor to compare him to a giant baby. “Hark you, Guildenstern, and you too—at each ear a hearer. (indicates Polonius) That great baby you see there is not yet out of his swaddling-clouts” (2, 2, 368-369). By first getting the attention of Rosancrantz and Guildenstern, it makes his disrespect appear performative rather than that of true madness. Hamlet almost always insults Polonius in dialogue between him and someone else, which suggests that Hamlet doesn’t truly feel hatred towards Polonius, but rather uses him as an example, similar to how he used Ophelia. An article written by D. J. Snider, published by Penn State University Press, a highly reliable source, states:

He assumes madness for a special purpose, and says so when he speaks of his antic disposition; nothing can be plainer than that purpose throughout the entire play. He took a mask to conceal his own designs, to discover the secrets of the King and to deceive the court, and particularly Polonius, the sharp-scented detective, who was sure to be placed upon his track. (Snider, 73)

Snider analyzes Hamlet’s relationship with Polonius as one that is manipulative and deceitful. As Hamlet’s act of “madness” increases, his choices and treatment of those around him, especially Polonius, steadily decline. Nina considered the same concept, stating: “His morality goes down as his madness goes up” (Maniates). Hamlet was written and performed during the Elizabethan times. While Polonius wasn’t a part of the Royal family, both him and Ophelia appear many times throughout Hamlet, and appear to be fairly close with the family. Mortimer, a well respected historian, describes the Elizabethan times within The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England, saying: “You will be disconcerted to notice vulnerability even at the top of society. Elizabeth herself is the target of several assassination attempts and uprisings” (Mortimer, 4). Shakespeare was most likely influenced by the current state of England, and therefore translated the corruption into Hamlet, thus leading to Polonius becoming collateral damage in Hamlet’s search for revenge.

In conclusion, Hamlet’s intentional madness corrupts his own morality, and as a result he hurts the people around him. Hamlet insults Ophelia within Act 3, Scene 1, intentionally making an example of his “madness” in front of Polonius and Claudius, clearly showing his poor judgement of what is morally correct. However, a more clever scheming side of him is revealed when he refuses to kill Claudius while he is praying, suggesting that he is levelheaded and aware of his actions, yet lacks empathy. Hamlet then continues to increase his act of madness, eventually leading to the murder of Polonius, someone who he shows little to no respect for. While Hamlet excused his act of insanity as an act of loyalty, he caused an excessive amount of damage, and hurt those that he cared about, bringing up the question, was seeking revenge really worth it?

Works Cited

Elford, Ethan. 'Hamlet Presentation'. Blyth Academy Burlington, 10 December 2025.

Goodman, Ruth. How to be a Tudor: a Dawn to Dusk guide to everyday life. London, Penguin Books, 2016. Accessed 16 December 2025.

Gottschalk, Paul. “Hamlet and the Scanning of Revenge.” vol. 24, no. 2, 1973, pp. 155-70. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2868854. Accessed 15 December 2025.

Greenblatt, Stephen. Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare. WW Norton, 2016. Accessed 16 December 2025.

Ion, Jeffrey. 'Hamlet Presentation'. Blyth Academy Burlington, 9 December 2025.

Maniates, Nina. 'Hamlet presentation'. Blyth Academy Burlington, 16 December 2025.

Mortimer, Ian. The Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England. Random House: UK, 2013. Accessed 16 December 2025.

Shakespeare, William. No Fear Shakespeare: Hamlet. SparkNotes, 2003.

Snider, D. J. “HAMLET.” The Journal of Speculative Philosophy, vol. 7, no. 1, 1873, pp. 71-87. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/25665823. Accessed 11 December 2025.

Wagner, Linda Welshimer. “Ophelia: Shakespeare’s Pathetic Plot Device.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 14, no. 1, 1963, pp. 94-97. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2868164. Accessed 11 December 2025.