The Theme of Pretended Insanity - Essay Example

Hamlet In the play Hamlet, the playwright (William Shakespeare) makes use of the theme of pretended insanity to save the protagonist (say, Prince Hamlet) from unexpected troubles. To be specific, the playwright knew that only pretended madness can save the protagonist from the claws of the powerful king and to fulfill his aim to take revenge of. Still, one may suspect that pretension can push an individual into the depth of permanent insanity. By following the protagonist’s steps, one can see that pretended insanity was a mask worn by the protagonist to trick his enemies and to hide his real personality and motive behind the same. Thesis statement: In the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the protagonist (Hamlet) never goes beyond the antic disposition into insanity because he knew that he can makes use of the same to keep himself away from emotional outburst, to maintain him emotional equilibrium, not to arouse suspicion on his motive, to confuse his enemies, to regain his mother from his uncle, and to take revenge of his father’s unexpected assassination. The following section is broadly divided as: protagonist and insanity, pretended insanity and emotional outburst, pretended insanity and emotional equilibrium, pretended insanity and suspicion on motive, as a tool to confuse enemies, pretension to regain mother’s trust, and pretended insanity and revenge. Protagonist and insanity First of all, insanity can be defined as abnormal behavior originating from less control over one’s senses. Besides, insanity is generally considered as a temporary mental illness originating from the mental shock related to unexpected happenings in human life. Edward Charles Spitzka stated that, “Insanity is a term applied to certain results of brain disease and defect which invalidate mental integrity” (17). Normally, insanity is considered a temporary mental problem which can be cured within the help of medical treatment. On the other side, hereditary factors determine whether insanity will transform into permanent madness or not. Within the context of the play, the protagonist’s insanity is false because he depended upon it to trick his enemies. For instance, the protagonist knew that his life is danger because nobody in Denmark can be trusted the king (Claudius) is that much influential. In addition, the protagonist was aware of that the king will ignore him because there is nothing to be afraid of an insane person. Still, there is a serious problem related to the pretension of madness because the layer between sanity and insanity is thin. To be specific, the protagonist knew that pretension of temporary insanity can change his behavior and transform him into a real insane person. Still, there is no other way to deal with the problems faced by the protagonist and he decided to pretend as an insane person. Pretended insanity and emotional outburst The protagonist was aware of the fact that pretended insanity can help him to keep himself away from emotional outburst. For instance, he was not able to maintain warm relationship with his lover, named as Ophelia. He knew that his love affair will hinder him from his mission. So, he decided to desert her without any solid reason. Besides, the protagonist expected that his pretension as an insane person can be used as an excuse to give up his love. Still, his love towards her proves that his insanity was pretension to keep him away from emotional outburst. From a different angle of view, the protagonist’s private life was full of problems which can transform a normal individual to insanity. For instance, his father was brutally murdered by his close relative (say, his uncle). In the present condition, his nation is under the control of his uncle named as Claudius. His mother decided to accept his uncle as her husband. Besides, his father’s ghost appeared and insisted him to take revenge of his own death. So, all these problems within his private domain forced him to pretend as an insane person to save himself from emotional outburst. Pretended insanity and emotional equilibrium One can see that the protagonist’s absence helped his uncle to assassinate his father and to marry his mother. This problem is enough for a normal individual to become insane. Still, the protagonist decided to pretend as insane because he needs to maintain his emotional equilibrium. On the other side, his mother knew that her son is undergoing emotional problems, but she was totally under the control of the new king. In the play, a character named as Polonius pointed out to the Queen that, “That he is mad, ‘tis true; ‘tis true ‘tis pity; And pity ‘tis ‘tis true: a foolish figure; But farewell it, for I will use no art” (n.pag). Besides, she expected that her son will be safe because she can make of her status as the queen of the new king. But her deeds are suspicious because she married the new king to maintain her status in the society. On the other side, the protagonist’s friend, named as Horatio, was aware of the fact that he is pretending as a mad person to maintain his emotional equilibrium. Within this context, the viewers/readers may suspect that the protagonist is really insane. But when one goes through the motivation behind the protagonist’s pretended insanity, it is evident that his aim is to maintain his emotional equilibrium. Pretended insanity and suspicion on motive The protagonist’s father’s ghost motivated him to take revenge without creating any sort of suspicion on his motive. Ivan Nyusztay stated that, “Hamlet’s pretended madness, apart from being a device for self-exemption before the public, has this additional role of securing the coexistence of agency and identity” (164). Within this scenario, the protagonist’s friend motivated him to meet the ghost and to act according to his advice. In the beginning, the protagonist suspected that there is someone behind his father’s untimely death. As the protagonist was away from his motherland, he does not have any sort of evidence to prove his theory. When his friend pointed out that he had seen his father’s ghost, he decided to meet it. After the meeting, the protagonist decided to pretend as an insane person. If others happen to suspect his motive, he cannot take revenge of his father’s untimely death. One can see that suspicion is like a wildfire, and it can destroy one’s aim. So, the protagonist decided to cover up his aim. As he is living in the palace, he cannot hide his deeds. Still, this can help him to collect evidences and to keep an eye on the suspects. In short, pretended madness helped the protagonist to keep himself away from suspicion because his acting was so real. As a tool to confuse enemies From a different angle of view, the protagonist knew that he cannot hide his deeds from enemies. When others are forced to treat him as an insane person, he can keep himself away from his enemies. For instance, he cannot trust the courtiers because they will be loyal to the king. He cannot trust his lover because her works under the king. If they question her, she will disclose the protagonist’s real status as a sane individual. To be specific, his lover is innocent enough to disclose everything for the sake of her love. On the other side, the protagonist’s uncle suspected him because he was aware of the fact that the protagonist is trying to collect evidences against him. Nancy Dafoe stated that, “It is ironic that Claudius does not want Hamlet’s “madness” to go unchecked because presumably he is using insanity as the definition for madness” (97). This can be considered as an imminent threat on the protagonist’s life because he cannot trust anybody. Similarly, he knew that his mother is too close with the new king and she cannot hide anything from him. So, the one and only possible way to confuse his enemies is to act like a mad person, disinterested in worldly affairs. In short, the protagonist made use of his pretended insanity as a tool to confuse his enemies. Pretension to regain mother’s trust The protagonist decided to regain his mother’s trust by proving himself as an efficient son. Besides, he knew that his mother’s attachment towards the new king hinders her from being cordial with her son. To be specific, her mind is divided into two: loyalty towards the new king and tender attitude towards her son. Still, she tries her level best to help her son because she knew that her son is not insane because mothers have such capacity. Allen Thiher stated that, “The materialist Queen thinks Hamlet’s hallucination in her chamber is an “ecstasy” produced by his brain” (n.pag). When the protagonist’s lover was forced to give up her life, he felt that he is the reason behind her untimely death by drowning. Within this scenario, the viewers may suspect that the protagonist is really mad. On the other side, protagonist did not expect his lover’s death. To be specific, he expected that he can kill the masterminds behind his father’s death and save his mother and nation from the conspirators. Besides, he did not trust his lover because he knew that she cannot hide anything from her brother and father. But he expected that his lover can withstand critical situations in her life. But her suicide proves that she cannot withstand emotional turmoil. Pretended insanity and revenge The viewers/readers may suspect that how an insane individual can take revenge of his father’s death. This suspicion is enough to prove that the protagonist pretended as an insane person to attain his ultimate aim. Femi Oyebode stated that, “In Hamlet, language and speech become tools for signalling madness” (43). To be specific, the protagonist masked his real individuality and covered his mind by depending upon pretended insanity. In the end, he lost everything, but he was able to attain his aim. One can see that vengeance is like poison which transforms normal individuals into brutal murderers. The playwright decided to superimpose the theme of pretended insanity to the context of his play because nothing other than the same can attract the attention of the viewers in general. Some may suspect the protagonist’s pretended insanity as real madness, but this proves the playwright’s literary craftsmanship and the ability to go deeper into the inner layers of human minds. So, the theme of pretended madness and the protagonist’s urge to take revenge are interconnected in the play. In short, the protagonist makes use of pretended madness as a tool to destroy his enemies because the same helped him to hide his feelings and to act independently. Summing, it is evident that the protagonist never goes beyond the antic disposition into insanity because he decided to make use of the same as an effective tool to attain his ultimate aim. Besides, he was aware of the fact that the borderline between sanity and madness is thin. If he did not decide to pretend as an insane individual, the end result will be different because he cannot save himself from emotional outburst and maintain his emotional equilibrium. Even a false step can arouse suspicion on his motive and can unmask his real individuality and aim. So, the protagonist decided to act like an insane person to confuse the conspirators and to regain his mother’s trust. Similarly, revenge was his ultimate aim and his pretension helped him to be victorious in the end by exposing the conspirators. In short, it is evident that the protagonist cunningly made use of pretended insanity to attain his aim, and single-minded dedication saved him from being the victim of permanent madness. Works Cited Dafoe, Nancy. Breaking Open the Box: A Guide for Creative Techniques to Improve Academic Writing and Generate Critical Thinking. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013. Print. Nyusztay, Ivan. Myth, Telos, Identity: The Tragic Schema in Greek and Shakespearean Drama. New York: Rodopi, 2002. Print. Oyebode, Femi. Madness at the Theatre. London: RCPsych Publications, 2012. Print. Spitzka, Edward Charles. Insanity, its classification, diagnosis, and treatment. New York: Bermingham & Company, 1883. Print. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet (English Edition). Madrid: Nordica, 2012. Print. Thiher, Allen. Revels in Madness: Insanity in Medicine and Literature. U.S.: University of Michigan Press, 2004. Print. Read More