Essential #7

Do you think that Hamlet has created his own insanity or has he lost his sense of reality completely?

Hamlet has neither created his own insanity nor has he lost his sense of reality. He is simply attempting to carry out his late father’s wishes and does this by devising his own personal scheme to act as though he is insane so he will not be at fault for any rash behavior that may be rendered. Hamlet’s act of stabbing Polonius; however, was not part of this plot, but rather in act out of impulse and rage—not insanity. Hamlet was overwhelmed with emotion and did not suppress it. This is ironic because prior to this scene, Hamlet praises his best friend Horatio for his ability to act with reason over emotion: “blessed are those whose blood and judgment are so well commeddled” (3.2.72-74). With this blanket of emotional distress clouding Hamlet’s rationale and initial motives, it is clear to King Hamlet that his son’s promise was slow to come about and returns to snap him out of his overpowering rage.