Do you agree that there was a method in Hamlet’s madness? So, why?

Answer

Do you agree that there was a method in Hamlet’s madness? So, why?

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is the supreme artist in the field of drama. In his best-known and largest tragedy, “Hamlet”, the madness of the hero Hamlet is a significant concern to the critics and the audience, whether it is real or fake. The critics could not agree with their opinions about Hamlet’s madness, which is why some say it was real. Other critics say it was faked. Hamlet’s madness is not only fake but also a method. The reason behind this madness is illustrated below with the reference to the tragedy “Hamlet”. 

To be pretended as a madman: At the very outset of the tragedy Hamlet, we find the hero of the tragedy is a very sensible, reasonable, and accountable person. However, the two reasons bind him to act like a mad person. The reasons are the Ghost’s message and the hasty marriage of his mother. Hamlet is pretending to find out the suspect of his father’s death.

“Haste me to know that I wish wings as swift

As meditation or the thoughts of love

May sweep to my revenge”

From these quoted lines, we perceive that Hamlet is a sensible man, and he requests the Ghost to reveal the name of his father’s murderer so he can take revenge on that person.

A procedure: Hamlet’s madness works to take revenge for his father’s death. Being a madman, he silently investigates his uncle to see whether he is the murderer of old Hamlet. For this, he arranges a play named “The Murderer of Gonzago”. This play is considered as the play within a play. In this play, Hamlet is convinced that Claudius is the real murderer of his father, Old Hamlet. Also, in Act II, scene II, Polonius remarks that Hamlet’s madness is not, rather, it is a method. As he says,

“Though this be madness, yet there is a method”

To Find Out the Revenge Motive: William Shakespeare designed the tragedy as an unconventional revenge tragedy influenced by the ancient Roman Playwright Seneca. So, in this tragedy, we find some elements of a revenge motive. Hamlet’s madness is one of them. Hamlet pretends to be crazy so that he can observe his suspect. He says, 

“As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on.”

This line suggests that Hamlet plans to adopt an “antic disposition” or false madness as a strategy. By pretending to be mad, he believes he can more freely investigate Claudius and his actions without arousing suspicion.

To Escape From Claudio’s Attention: Hamlet’s madness is a cunning process to escape from Claudio’s attention. Because Hamlet knew that his uncle Claudius was an intelligent person with a minute observing power, at that time, if Hamlet made any mistake, he would punish Hamlet. Hamlet has pretended to be a crazy man. The quoted lines prove Hamlet’s madness.

“Love? his affections do not that way tend;

Nor what he shake, though it lack’d form a little,

Was not like madness.”

Shakespeare’s play-acting excellence: Shakespeare is an extraordinary genius in the history of English literature and is unique in styles and excellence. Each of his plays introduced a new style, such as supernatural elements, play within a play, tragicomic elements, and so on. Like these, in the play “Hamlet”, the hero’s madness is introduced to the audience in Shakespeare’s play-acting excellence. To establish this technique, the playwright has given utmost interest to the hero. So, it can be said that Hamlet’s madness is not only a method of Hamlet himself but also a method of Shakespeare to praise his tragedy.

In the light of the above discussion, we must say that Hamlet’s madness is not real. The above discussion undoubtedly proves this. Shakespeare establishes Hamlet’s madness through cunning methods to reach his goal.