Sweets to the sweet, farewell!

This last post sums up my Independent Study unit, It has been a very exciting and interesting topic to express my opinion on Hamlet's sanity. My theme " The way some one acts does not always reveal their true intentions" is very true in Hamlet. You never really know someones true intentions when speaking with a person for the first time. What you do notice is the way the person reacts. Behind most or i should say almost all of the book of Hamlet, it gets described mostly how he acts in a physical nature by his actions and expressions. A human communicates verbally only as much as 8%. Which leads to the assumption of almost not ever knowing a person's true intentions behind a conversation. The same follows with the way people interact with one another, some days are better than others, though this all depends on the environment they put themselves in and how it places stress on them. The same happened with Hamlet and how he was frustrated for having many dreadful occurrences in the environment he insisted in living in. This theme of Insanity vs Sanity made me redefine and change my thoughts of what was insane and sane I hope it changed the perception's of you readers as well after reviewing this blog. A special thank you for the time spent following  me on this journey, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

                                                                                                                                 Sincerely;

                                                                                                                                                                      Rodrigo Medeiros          

Adhesive Deliberation

Some of the characters themselves come to realize that Hamlet is not mad. Claudius confesses that Hamlet's "actions although strange, do not appear to stem from madness". (Act 3.2). In addition, Polonius admits that Hamlet's actions and words have a "method" to them; there appears to be a reason behind them, they are logical in nature. (Act 2.2).  People have almost a similar interpretation of how Hamlet acts, but they do not know how to categorize his behavior, which puts Hamlet as Insane when he is not. People realize that there is allot of complexity behind his quotes and actions, he is carefully generating momentum to his goal.

Contagious Insanity

Ophelia's Poem

He holds me no long in his weary heart,

His words are concave, his mind wanders

To the time he awaits; when he depart

This iniquitous place and no one ponders.

My heart now collapses in its wintry fears

And with my profound knowledge, I shall die

And leave this mruky place of sorrow and tears

With no melancholy, shallow words, no goodbye.

My saccharine love for him has broken me

And sent my spinning mind into the abyss;

I shatter, drowning in the icy shadowy sea

And be left naught but a spectre, to reminisce.

Hamlet, i leave thee with my innermost regret,

and entreat that i will not be a girl to forget.

Hamlets behavior has deferentially reshaped the environment he once used to know. His cloacked personality did not only make people see him as a crazy man but changed the way the others around him were too.

Clever is too clever

Rosenscrantz and Guildenstern, who asked Hamlet about the location of Polonius's body. "The body is with the king, but the king is not with the body" (Act IV, II, 28-29). On the surface, it appears as if Hamlet is just babbling on unintelligent. However, upon further inspecting, it becomes clear that he is referring to the fact that Polonius is now dead, like the old king, but the new king, Claudius, is not yet dead. Since Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are depicted as fools, this completely flies over their heads and they eventually give up, thinking Hamlet has gone totally insane.



The more impervious exterior, the frailer the interior.

Characters such as Claudius and Laertes feel compelled to regret for their past actions and live their lives in fear of judgment. They show an inability to stay true to their own needs and they may even become characters that do not represent their true identity. Claudius showed traits of an ambitious king willing to do whatever it took to hold power and at the same moment is filled with the guilt of killing his own brother, this makes a character of weak willpower and timidity.

Singular desolation

In history, there have been many people who were thought to be crazy when they proposed an idea that challenged the beliefs of the people. Galileo was charged for the heresy by proposing that the Earth revolved around the sun when everyone believed that the sun revolved around the earth. He was sentenced to death, but technology proves Galileo's claim making him the one who is correct. In a similar way, Hamlet acts according to his own logic and reasoning, making others question his sanity because they do not accept his actions. Hamlet is in fact the only character in the play who does not display regret in his actions because he believes that what he is doing is justified, other characters are plagued by the guilt and regret of their past actions in order to appease what is acceptable for them. This makes each character fight for what they believe in, no matter what judgement people will give back.

                     

Mental Control and Alertness

Hamlet has always acted sane when acting insane is unnecessary. When Hamlet spoke with Horatio about watching Claudius for signs of guilt during the play, he says, "give him needful note, for I mine eyes will rivet his face, and, after we will both our judgments join in censure of his seeming." (Act3.2.87). You could not be insane and be capable of making this judgement. Hamlet is very well aware of his surroundings and he is in mental control. This would and can only be achieved by the work of the hands of a Sane man. Its almost impossible to accuse a person making these remarks and judgement in my opinion. I personally disagree to think that if a insane man was to do something he would need the reassurance of his own eyes before going ahead with any ideas or plans. An Insane man would go ahead relentlessly without any remorse in committing an insane deed without any proof or reinsurance of his own thoughts. Hamlet is bright and awake, he is just being extremely careful of his every step. You get this impression from Hamlet that he almost doesn't even want to believe in whats happening himself when he wants the reassurance of other people from what he feels he is going to see.

Cowardliness extricates the flames of Insanity

Hamlet cannot be a coward and insane at the same time. The definition of Insane "a derangement of the mind, such unsoundness of mind as frees one from legal responsibility, as for committing a crime, or as signals one's lock of legal capacity." Clearly says a "derangement of the mind", "committing a crime", "Legal capacity". Hamlet knows himself he is a coward and he is unable to commit the ordered vengeance his father asked of him. Hamlet makes many remarks of his Cowardliness. "Am i a coward?" (Act 2.2, 552-584) proving Hamlet is being afraid to act. Hamlet also says "What an ass i am" and Ironically proclaiming "I'm so damn brave" (Act 2.2, 583) Which means he is clearly evaluating the destruction of the vengeance and is lacking the physical and mental courage to kill the king. "A thought which, quartered, hath but one part wisdom and ever three parts coward". (Act 4.4, 44-45)

Is Sanity and Insanity intertwined?

I've known some real insane people that the society thought to be sane and even normal. I think that insane could mean misunderstood for some people and crazy lonely for other people. It would be to hard to determine who is and who isn't insane in this world. It would be to hard to even draw the line of Insanity and Sanity. What do you think is sane or Insane? Or did they cross and become intertwined somewhere? Most Insane people are Insanely intelligent and i feel that the more knowledge you have and you're craving for, the more it can make you insane or are you still sane?