Hamlet

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course number
Date
Hamlet
Discuss the role and impact of madness in Hamlet
The primary role of the madness of the play “Hamlet” is to the help prince Hamlet know who is behind his father’s death. Hamlet has recognized his father to great extents “He was a man. Take him for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again” (Shakespeare 177). The move by the Prince results in adverse effects to the extent of causing several deaths. Another impact of the madness is the depression that Hamlet causes the character by the name Ophelia (Kuzner 16). In the beginning, Hamlet resolves to feign insanity, and he forces himself in Ophelia’s room where he acts mad. “He hath my lord, of late made many tenders of his affection to me.” (Shakespeare 177) Ophelia loves the prince, but the act leaves her with depression.
Is Hamlet culpable for the death of Polonius?
From Hamlet’s act, he is guilty of Polonius death. Hamlet feigns madness in a move to avenge his father’s death. Following that, that character decides to kill King Claudius who is alleged to be behind the murder of old King Hamlet. “…and hell, itself breathes out Contagion to this world. Now, could I drink hot blood…” (Shakespeare 269) Hamlet goes through a series of activities and ends up slaying Polonius who is behind a curtain, but the character thinks it is the King that he is dealing with. The decision that follows is that of guilt befalling Hamlet (Williams 74). Every person intending to do an action requires to reflect and calculate his moves not to hurt those around him/her.

Hamlet ought to have reflected before taking action, but he did not result in killing the wrong person and making himself guilty of Polonius’ death.
In playing madness, does Hamlet, in fact, become mad?
In the beginning, Hamlet feigns madness. That forms the basis of the actor’s character all through the play. The character’s actions result in more severe troubles. From a perspective, one might say that the madness impacts negatively on Hamlet’s role. However, that does not mean that the character becomes literary mad. Hamlet continues feigning craziness until it affects him to the extreme. From that, Hamlet is not crazy, but it might seem as if he is mad.
Works Cited
Kuzner, James. Shakespeare As a Way of Life: Skeptical Practice and the Politics of Weakness. New York: Fordham University Press, 2016. Internet resource.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet, edited by George Richard Hibbard, Oxford UP, 2008.
Williams, Jeffery S. Who’s to Blame?: A Literary Comedy. New York: iUniverse, 2009. Print.