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It is obvious that Hamlet is under great duress in the play over many things. (You might consider what these situations are...) Looking back at Act III, Scene I we see Hamlet's famous soliloquy, which is one of the most famous speeches in all English literature. Re-read this speech and post a comment that 1) summarizes in a line or two what Hamlet is speaking about here, and 2) whether you think Hamlet has lost his sanity or not.
Please make your initial post by Wednesday, and return to comment on another student's idea by Friday, 1/16.
***Also, because you are posting as anonymous posters, please remember to put your name on your posts!
does this work
ReplyDeleteHamlet is talking about whether it's better to fight the problem in your mind, or physically. Hamlet seems to have lost his sanity, because he is having this internal battle. Fighting internally is usually a sign of insanity.
ReplyDeleteHamlet is speaking about how no one would willingly choose to bear the burdens and turmoil in life, but such that... no one wants to end those burdens because they are afraid of what might follow after death. According to Hamlet, fear is what keeps us from giving up on life. I'm a bit torn, I don't necessarily think Hamlet is in the right mind, but I wouldn't say he's lost his sanity. I can see where he's coming from when he talks of life and death because of the things he has recently been through. I think he merely speaks what he believes.
ReplyDelete-Kati Webster
In Hamlet's famous soliloquy, he is speaking about whether to let things be or to do something about his father's murder. I don't think Hamlet is totally insane. He plans his revenge very well, by putting on the play, killing Polonius, and getting rid of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. His plans for revenge show that he partially insane, but not completely.
ReplyDelete-Katie Foster
Hamlet's soliloquy is mainly a struggle between choosing to fight the troubles in his life, or to just die and get it over with. On one hand, he asks, who would choose to bear the burden he has, but on the other hand, death is unknown - who knows what death will be like? Of death he says, It "makes us rather bear those ills we have/ Than to fly to others that we know not of."
ReplyDeleteI don't think Hamlet is insane, because he has legitimate problems and wonders how to deal with them. Maybe his reaction is more dramatic than a regular person's would be, but this is a play after all.
-Danny Russon
Hamlet is debating wether to continue the battle of life or end it. I don't think Hamelt is mad because he reasons with himself about his life and does it quite plainly. For example, he talks about something in his personal life, "The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks/That flesh is heir to." He is referring to the death of his father and betrayal of his "friends". If he was mad, he would not be able to think so clearly and relate to his life.
ReplyDeleteIn Hamlet's soliloquy, he suggests that he has been contemplating death a lot lately. He see's death as a welcome break or "sleep" from his sorrows, but also as a dark unknown that many cower from. We might have seen his conclusion, but he was cut off before he could convey it to us.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Hamlet is truly insane. We see what Ophelia does when she goes insane later on, and Hamlet's actions are much too calculated to suggest that he is insane. And to Hamlet's credit, after his life was turned upside down, he reacted in a very natural way. Tragedy does things to people, but I don't think it made Hamlet insane.
-Jordan Bricco
Jared Walker said that "Hamlet is talking about whether it's better to fight the problem in your mind, or physically." I agree with this because of Hamlets first four lines. "To be, or not to be-that is the question:/Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune/Or to take arms against a sea of troubles." However, I do not agree with his statement that because Hamlet is fighting out his problem mentally he is insane. I think that, because he thinks about the action he needs to take sensibly before he takes it, he is not insane. He is just hesitant. He needs to decide whether to act or not. He knows that by fighting his problems, they will end, but he still does not act. He is not insane because he thinks instead of acts, he is insane because he doesn't act on what he has admitted to be the right course of action.
ReplyDelete-Yvette Eggleston
My interpretation of the soliloquy seems to be very different from everyone else's. I thought he was contemplating whether it might be easier to just commit suicide or to live and try to solve his problems.
ReplyDelete"To die: to sleep; / No more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache..."
I don't believe Hamlet has lost his sanity at all. Somebody above me said that his internal struggle is a sign of insanity, but I believe it proves his rationality. He is approaching this question of whether to live or not in a very logical manner. It's almost like he's weighing the benefits and consequences of suicide. His main concern is "the dread of something after death." He is worried that it is a sin to kill himself, or possibly wondering if there is anything at all after this life.
In Hamlet's soliloquy, he is contemplating the positive outcomes of death versus living on with all the struggles in his life. He thinks of death as a way to escape his problems.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Hamlet is insane in the way we view insanity today. He isn't really crazy, he's just dealing with his emotions in his head, although his outward behavior comes across
as "insane" to other characters.
-Jenna Hoffman
The way I interpret this soliloquy falls along the lines of what Kati Webster said. Hamlet is contemplating whether to end his own life because of the troubles he is facing, or to bear the burden of his troubles because of fear of the unknown. He isn't positive that there is an afterlife. If the afterlife is what he believes it to be, then he must decide whether it is worse to face the horrors of his own life, or the punishment for suicide in the afterlife. "To be (to remain alive), or not to be (to take his own life)."
ReplyDeleteI believe Hamlet hasn't lost his sanity at this point. In his ignorance it is completely sane to wonder and contemplate suicide and the afterlife. It does show, however, that he has reached a breaking point and has nearly succumbed to desperate measures. People may handle the same situation differently, but it doesn't necessarily mean they are insane.
The soliloquy Hamlet shares is his feelings toward his uncle and the pains he has felt during the play.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to say if Hamlet has lost his sanity. We know that he saw the ghost of King Hamlet either because he is crazy, or because he really did. His response to this ghost decides whether or not Prince Hamlet is insane. The reaction of Hamlet's uncle shows that indeed what the ghost said was true, so how could have Hamlet imagined it or made it up? Nearly killing his uncle is slightly crazy... but overall i think he had good intentions in the way he handled king hamlets death. :) melissa perry
At first Hamlet addresses his problem of continuing with his plan and go against "a sea of troubles" or to keep his thoughts to himself. He is talking to himself of the troubles in his life such as his political position, his love (I assume to be Ophelia), unjusstice, and knowing of a hidious sin that can only be brought to justice by him. I believe that Hamlet is just venting about his problems to himself as we would in a journal or to a friend. We all seek solitude when we need to do some deep thinking, it's relaxing to get thinkgs of your chest and said. I think that the stresses the world and the things that have been put upon his shoulders just got too heavy and he had to let it out. He doesn't seem to be out of mind just under deress.
ReplyDelete-Chenelle Hansen
In my opinion, the soliloquy is Hamlet's way of saying he doesn't know what to believe in anymore. He thinks it might be better to die than have to live with any more betrayal from the people who should have been there for him. When Hamlet said, "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all," he is thinking of taking his own life, but at this point, he doesn't know if he would even be able to. Thus, he is forced to face what is happening to him.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that Hamlet has lost his sanity yet, but he is really angry that so many people have betrayed him. He has been treated so wrongly, and I think anyone would feel just as angry as Hamlet did if they were in the same situation.
In Hamlet's soliloquy I believe that he is talking about choosing between life or death. He is balancing out the pro's and cons of living in the cruel world or giving up and going into the unknown. It is a deep and emotional moment for Hamlet but I do not think he is insane.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone at one time would just like to give up. The consideration of suicide is common and just because Hamlet is expressing his feelings towards this subject doesn't mean he lost his mind.
-Rachel Sears
Hamlet is in complete turmoil and is trying to find the best possible solution. He wants a noble way to end his heartache, and is contemplating whether it would be a better action to keep on living or to commit suicide. He wonders if he should stand up to what has happened and suffer for everything that has occurred, or to end his life and forget all his anguish. I don't think Hamlet has gone insane, i believe that he is just suffering from everything that has occurred. Emotions are deep and powerful and i believe having a parent murdered is a complete tragedy, and with everything else that has happened, i just think he has gone into a state of depression. He's just hurting so deeply that he has become drastic in his actions because he is desperate to free his pain.
ReplyDelete- Macy Anne Gallegos :)
In Hamlet's soliloquy, he is just debating on whether or not he should end his life or continue to endure it. I believe that Hamlet is temporarily insane. People tend to do things they normally would not do when they are angry and in mourning. . . I think that Hamlet has simply lost himself in his anger and is no longer thinking straight. If he were able to calm down and think clearly, I believe Hamlet would realize what he has done is wrong.
ReplyDelete-Jordan Martin
In his soliloquy, I believe Hamlet is struggling with himself about what he should do with the knowledge he has. He doesn't know whether to keep the secret of his father's murder to himself or whether he should act in revenge like his father's ghost told him to do. He understands that it is wrong to seek revenge, but he is also trying to justify it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Hamlet is insane because he does have his conscience that is keeping him from killing his uncle immediately. He is taking his time in avenging the death of his father because he's making sure that his uncle really killed his father. Everybody would feel at least a spark of desire to seek revenge if they were placed in the same situation, so seeking revenge doesn't classify as insanity. Hamlet is thinking through his decisions, so he can't be insane. -Krysta Rice
My interpretation of Hamlet's speech is different than some others. In his soliloquy, Hamlet seems to be debating whether or not he is strong enough to face his deepest heartaches and pains, or if it is better and easier to keep his troubles within himself. My interpretations come from lines 2 and 4 in which Hamlet states, "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer..Or to take arms against a sea of troubles" I don't think that Hamlet has necessarily gone insane, but is suffering with internal turmoil that he is finding difficult to let go of.
ReplyDelete~Tehani Rochette
Insanity. What is insanity? The dictionary definition is along the lines of: doing the same thing and expecting different results. So, technically, Hamlet is not insane. However, I can agree with what everyone defines sanity as-making rash decisions and behaving abnormally etc. Hamlet is making a tough decision in act 3 scene 1 because he is unsure in his belief of an afterlife. Should he commit suicide there might be a next life and suicide wouldn't look good on his record. Hewever, if there was no afterlife, he would rather end the misery that he lives in. Hamlet is merely faced with a tough decision and is trying to deal with it in his own way. I do not think that he is insane but teetering on the edge (the cliffs of insanity!!) :)
ReplyDeleteBrayden Spencer BS
The question in Hamlet's mind is simple, live, or commit suicide. He's wondering which is nobler/smater, living through the trial, or to end all trials and find peace through death. I believe Hamlet cannot be considered totally insane, cause I know insane people, they don't think that reasonably. However I cannot call him completely sane either, otherwise he wouldn't to talking like that! It's just not something happy people do :). Therefore i believe Hamlet is wavering upon the legendary brink of insanity were a once sane mind can comprehend the mad driveleing of a lunatic and deem it logic.
ReplyDeleteThe question in Hamlet's mind is simple, live, or commit suicide. He's wondering which is nobler/smater, living through the trial, or to end all trials and find peace through death. I believe Hamlet cannot be considered totally insane, cause I know insane people, they don't think that reasonably. However I cannot call him completely sane either, otherwise he wouldn't to talking like that! It's just not something happy people do :). Therefore i believe Hamlet is wavering upon the legendary brink of insanity were a once sane mind can comprehend the mad driveleing of a lunatic and deem it logic.
ReplyDelete-Josh Van Steeter
I had never seen Hamlet's soliloquy as him deciding on whether or not to commit suicide... but now... when people mention it... it totally makes sense! At least he has to decide something! He either has to kill himself or kill someone else! He talks about how it would be impossible to just let everything go on, especially since he has the knowledge now of what really happened.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he's lost his sanity! I think everyone would act out of the ordinary if they found out their uncle killed their father... I know I'd want revenge! ~Angel Chong A4
Hamlet's famous soliloquy has been interpreted by countless readers in many ways. I find Hamlet to be delving into the great debate between life and death: which is better. When focussing on life, he also brings in the almost rhetorical question of whether it is better in life to suffer quietly, or to lash out and conquer every burden. After pondering this, he shifts his focus to death, trying to find out if it is better than life, as it is a sleep from whcih you never have to depart, ending every prospect of turmoil and painful change. This observation then brings on the bandwagon remark that everyone wants that, don't they?, from which Hamlet's mind wanders to the fact that Sleep is only desired for the dreaming, an aspect that cannot happen without living. This thought carries through to the realization that the reason why life lasts so long is due to this: man(and woman) would rather endure every possible trial imaginable than enter a place prematurely where dreaming cannot take place, and where what awaits them is not even fathomable. After discovering this, Hamlet realizes that, in truth, life is what keeps man from death, as it gives us the consciousness to be afraid of the unknown.
ReplyDeleteDue to the fact that he can objectively process every decision that he makes, Hamlet is definitely not insane. His mind is still sound; he still holds the power of governing his actions. If he were insane, Hamlet would not be able to persuade himself in any direction; he would be run completely by his mind, and it would in no way be for his behalf. If Hamlet had no sanity at all, he would not be able to sit debate life and death; he would have impulsively acted many scenes, or possibly acts, before this time.
-Katlyn Hampton A4
Well the fact that Hamlet's talking about life and suicide isn't really a mystery. However, I don't think he's leaning more toward one over another in this classic soliloquy. Hamlet is merely weighing his options; can you blame him? "...to die, to sleep;/To sleep; perchance to dream...For who would bear the whips and scorns of time...When he himself might might his quietus make/With a bare bodkin?...conscience does make cowards of us all" (lines 9-10, 15, 20-21, and 28 of the soliloquy). Hamlet is not mad. Contemplating whether or not life is really worth all the trouble is not insane, it's a perfectly human response. He's depressed, and who wouldn't be? His dad was murdered by his uncle who married his mom and became the king, all while Hamlet was away at school. At that point, I'd say it's a pretty normal reaction to ask yourself whether living or dying is going to bring you the lesser amount of pain and sorrow.
ReplyDelete--Dani Warnick
In the famous soliloquy , Hamlet is simply debating with himself whether to see through the terrible misfortunes that have been distributed to him or to commit suicide and avoid it. The problem with suicide is, nobody knows what happens once you die, it’s left to the imagination so therefore leaving hamlet with the disturbing question, “To be or not to be.“ As I read this play I never once considered that fact that Hamlet may be loosing his marbles. Instead, I think Shakespeare has opted to dive deep into the psycho analysis of human behavior and represent that through the hardships of Hamlet. While I do admit Hamlet is committing exaggerated acts, I do not think that he has gone crazy. Hamlet went from a semi-normal life to a completely chaotic one full of sorrow and aggravation. Not only has his life suddenly been destroyed but his “family” refused to accept that he needed help and ignores him instead and thus, thrusting into a psychological break down. Near the end of the play, Hamlet has a theater group put on a scene closely relating to the death of his father to see if his mother and uncle would respond with guilt. This act resembles the characteristics of a intellectual at work, not that of a crazy man. My interpretation from the book is that Hamlet was lost in a fit of rage and revenge that blinded him from acting like a “normal person” would. Therefore, it can seem on the surface that he has gone crazy but in reality he is having an internal battle with himself that eventually leads to acts of rage and revenge that could have been possibly prevented with the right support.
ReplyDelete-Colten Strickland-
In this famous soliloquy, Hamlet is contrasting reasons whether to commit suicide, or to live with the burdens that life has placed upon him. He is suffering with great turmoil. He can either choose to give sanctuary to his father by avenging his death and ruin his relationship with Ophelia, or he can give up all things good and bad by ending his own life. We can tell by the way Hamlet approaches the issue, that he is not sincere in his pursuit of committing suicide. He merely states the conflict passively rather than aggressively in his mind. He also revels greater truths about all choices: that each bear the goodness or evil that, consequentially, from good of bad choices made. Hamlet is not insane, rather, he has a very capable, intelligent mind. He thinks ahead and plans brilliant ways of evoking truth from those who otherwise would not confess of their wrong doings. He cleverly lures the guilty into his plan, to expose the truth, exceptionally well.
ReplyDelete--Austin Gerber A4
I think that basically Hamlet is saying that he wonders if it would be better to go on through life's miseries or just to live them out. He wants to know what would be more honorable and if killing yourself would be right.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that Hamlet is insane. To me he seems to know more than the audience at this point. I think that he thinks over his revenge more carefully than we give him credit for. He shows us why he hasn't killed his uncle yet, when he encounters Fortinbras troops on his way to England. Here he recognizes that he has been cowardly and hesitant in his revenge. Every thing the king has done screams for him to do something about it and he has done nothing because of his hesitancy. To me this says that he is sane in thinking and is only human.
Hamlet is logically contemplating whether suicide is ethically correct in a world filled with misery. He wonders if it is more noble to endure life despite the anguish he feels. Furthermore, he concludes that fear of the afterlife is what prevents most from committing suicide. The reasoning in which Hamlet presents his speech confirms his sanity. His thoughts concerning death are not unusual. Many individuals suffering from depression often pose the same questions which Hamlet is debating.
ReplyDelete- Sabree Crowton B2
In response to Melissa Perry's comment, I disagree that Hamlet's response to the ghost displays his insanity. The guards of the castle first see the ghost and Hamlet later confirms seeing the apparition. Shakespeare includes the officers as witnesses of the ghost to provide the audience with the idea that the ghost is indeed real. Therefore, Hamlet, while admittedly distressed, remains mentally competent.
ReplyDelete- Sabree Crowton B2
Hamlet is talking about whether life is worth living. Living in a world where people treat others badly, and where disease and old age are inevitable. But Hamlet decides against suicide because he's not sure of what is after death. He's afraid that it will be worse than this life, whether you commit suicide or not. I do not think that Hamlet is insane. He seems like he's there mentally because of the way he plans out his revenge on King Claudius. It's not like he rushes out to kill him, but rather waits and slowly lets others see what the king has done.
ReplyDelete-Alexis Hales B2
I think Hamlet is talking about life and death, to commit suicide or not, to live or not. Of course suicide is frowned on (and it is apparent he knows this during Ophelia's death) but he is under extreme emotional stress with his father's passing, the fact that his father was murdered, the fact that his UNCLE murdered him and then married the queen, is a lot for him to handle. So he is torn between what he knows is right and what he wants to do during this scene.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that Hamlet is insane. I think this is evident when we see Hamlet transfer from sanity to madness depending on who is in the room. He is faking it. There were parts where he probably felt mad, like when he his Polonius' (spelling?) body, but I think he was only acting all along. I think he wanted to die the entire time, and feigning madness seemed like his best bet.
--Hailey Cottle A4
In Hamlet's famous soliloquy, Hamlet is debating whether or not to kill himself. He doesn't know if he can endure the pain that he feels from the death of his father. He can't stand his uncle's betrayal. He killed his father and he married his mother. Now he wants revenge on his uncle and he plans to kill him. I don't think that Hamlet is insane because he has good reasons to want revenge. The play was a good way of exposing him, and then he continues his plot when he kills Polonius and he thinks that it is the king. This is not insanity, but it is not a normal state of mind.
ReplyDelete-Jessica Raff B4
Is response to Jordan Martin's comment, I disagree that Hamlet is temporarily insane and doesn't realize that what he is doing is wrong. His decisions are intelligent and well thought through. I think, at this point, he is so set on vengeance that he really just doesn't care about right and wrong anymore. He's in pain, and set on fixing it.
ReplyDelete--Hailey Cottle, A4
I believe that Hamlet is contemplating suicide and death in his soliloquy. He talks about the pros and cons of death throughout it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I believe that Hamlet's only moment of insanity in the play is when he passionately approaches Ophelia. I believe that throughout the rest of the play he is toying with the people that he doesn't like; pulling out reactions that he wants to see (reactions of pain, disqust, horror, etc.). My reasoning behind that is that he seems to be able to be very reasonable when he wants to be and he tends to toy only with those he doesn't like or is in denial of liking (as in Ophelia's case). It seems to me that people who are insane tend to have bouts of insanity against their will, not with it.
--Lisa Gerlach, B2
I believe that Hamlet is seriously troubled and is clearly fighting his battle mentally but also reffering to the beginning of the play where he is questioning why God mad suicide a sin. From that point I felt his mind was wondering. Could you blame him though?
ReplyDeleteShelby Terrell B2
Austin Gerber said that Hamlet is not insane because he is scheming elaborately thinking for himself. I agree with this to an extent. Although Hamlet can plan and think for himself, I do not believe he is in his right mind. Because of Hamlet's building anger and frustration with choices, I believe he is unable to think clearly. He may be able to think for himself but he is obviously not thinking clearly.
ReplyDelete-Jordan Martin B4
Hamlet, in his famous soliloquy, is contemplating suicide. He considers what it will actually do to him and whether or not he will be affected by said suicide in the here after. He likens suicide to sleep and states that "by a sleep to say we end/ The heartache and the thousand natural shocks/ That flesh is heir to—'tis a consummation/ Devoutly to be wished!" However he also is afraid of what his death 'dreams' will end up being. Reading this more closely made me decide that Hamlet is insane, because no sane person would contemplate such a dastardly deed to escape the world and its issues. It is the cowards way out. Hamlet doesn't seem to understand that this revenge is eating at him from the inside out, he doesn't realize that ultimately this revenge will destroy not only his mind but will only ends in his death.
ReplyDelete- Kirsten Watkins, B4
In this particular soliloquy, I believe Hamlet to be discussing internal pain. I don't think suicide is the main focus; it's only an option. As he contemplates suicide, Hamlet discusses whether staying alive is heroic or cowardly.
ReplyDeleteBut that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?
The lines above show his views of staying alive being cowardly just because we don't know what lies beyond.
Hamlet is merely discussing life after death. I would consider him insane if he didn't talk about it! Hamlet's father just died, and with his religious beliefs it's worrisome for Hamlet. This is why I believe Hamlet to be utterly and totally sane.
-Alix Sampson, B4
In Hamlet's soliloquy he is deciding if he should commit suicide in order to escape the misery he is feeling while alive. He is struggling between the idea of escaping the sorrow he is feeling from recent events, and the result of death. He speaks of death as a positive thing to be an escape that removes his pain, but on the negative side he fears the result of commiting suicide, and if there is a after life.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Hamlet is insane, because he did not make a hasty decision to kill Claudius. He plans a way to reveal his uncle so that others can see what he has done. I do however believe that Hamlet is mentally distressed, because of the recent death of his father, and the bertayl he feels from his mother.
-Elisa Myers, B4
I agree with Sabree Crowton in the point of Hamlet having reasoning in his speech. Hamlet is literally looking at both sides of the decision. If Hamlet was insane, in my opinion, he most likely would have killed himself already. Sane people think through a major decision such as suicide.
ReplyDelete-Alix Sampson, B4
With the sudden death of his father, Hamlet seriously rethinks everything he has known and believed. He contemplates life and the trials everyone must go through and whether it is better to sit back and suffer the torment or take action against it. Although Hamlet would seem crazy since he's considering suicide, he is in fact sane. He is merely undergoing a type of mid-life crisis as he reconsiders all different aspects of life and death.
ReplyDelete-Melinda Ahlstrom, B2
Hamlet is questioning whether this life is really worth putting up with, as I believe most people have at some point in their life. The stresses which were all suddenly put on Hamlet during the last couple months could be enough to drive anyone to the brink of suicide. Besides pushing him to contemplate suicide, these stresses have built up enough to cause him to go insane, but I believe the opposite has occured, it has made him sharper and thinking more clearly. The fact that he is thinking seriously about whether life is worth it or not proves that he is still sane, and thinking more clearly than he would if he had not been under this pressure. I believe throughout the play Hamlet uses his feigned "insanity" to worry the king, to make him wonder if Hamlet really knows what he's done, and destroy him pshycologically. It is a calculated ploy by Hamlet to get inside the kings head as part of his revenge. Hamlet was indeed sane, and even more brilliant than usual because of the pressures which had been applied to him.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Curtis
In his speech, Hamlet is asking himself if his life is worth continuing. He has been dealing with so much in such an abrupt amount of time, that he doesn't feel if it is worth it to continue. He wants an escape from what his life has become, but he is arguing with himself over such an extremist idea. I don't see him as insane, but he is struggling mentally. He is almost at a breaking point, a place where he is swaying on the line of sanity. At this point, I don't see Hamlet as insane however.
ReplyDeleteWhitney Page A4
Hamlet is having the big problem with how he should deal with his problem in a physical and mental state, as Jared Walker has said. He doesn't know if he should try and plan as much of the situation as possible or if he should actually put something into action and do something about it quickly before some other event happens. Personally i think he is partially insane because any real person would not just let this go. They would do something but he is at least thinking about it so he is not completely insane. But then the sane side does show as Alix Sampson said how some things do require major decision and thought before they get acted on. He takes on a good human form of trying to plan out what will happen and not go crazy doing what ever. Surprises happen in everyone's life and some people, like Hamelet, have their own special way of dealing with different situations.
ReplyDeleteDevin Davis
In Hamlet's famous soliloquy, the topic of debate is if life is bad enough to end all his troubles with suicide. The problem, however, is that we do not know what will happen after death. Is there life, Reincarnation, or even anything at all? Hamlet says,
ReplyDeleteNo traveller returns, puzzles the will
and makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others we know not off?
Is it worth jumping into the abyssal unknown or to simply bear the burdens we have now? That is what consumes his thoughts.
Hamet, in my opinion, is not insane. He is troubled, yes, but he has not fallen off the edge that he is so perilessly close to just yet. The insanity that is portrayed is not what it seems, it is obsession. Hamlet has become so engulfed in his plot against the king it has clouded his thoughts. That obsession has brought him close to what some people see as insane. Revenge is what drives him, not his insanity.
Austin Russon
In response to Macy Gallegos comment of him being really depressed; I don't think Hamlet is depressed. When wanting to get revenge is consuming you, you do insane things. Depression is feeling sorry for yourself and crying about it. Insanity is where something consumes your thoughts and your actions. When you're thinking of killing someone, I think you're insane.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous says,
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hamlet is not crazy, he is way to calculated for a crazy person. Insane people are all over the place doing strange things that don't make sense. Hamlet is calculated and thoughtful threw the whole play.
Anonymous says,
ReplyDeleteI believe that Hamlet is not crazy, he is way to calculated for a crazy person. Insane people are all over the place doing strange thinds that don't make sense. Hamlet is calculated and thoughtful threw the whole play.
-Alyssa Vote PS. sorry posted twice forgot to put my name on the first one.
In response to Dani Warnick's comment~
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up the depressed topic. I totally agree that it has significance. Hamlet had a lot happen to him at once. For example; Hamelt's father died, and then his uncle married his mom. Hamlet went through some really tough times, and it is completely natural to comtemplate if it is really worth continuing on. The experiences Hamelt went through must be taken into consideration before anyone judges him on talking about suicide.
P.S. I love how you instituted your personality in your analysis Dani!! It was almost like I could hear you talking. :D
In response to Dani Warnick I like how you are the first to say "However, I don't think he's leaning more toward one over another in this classic soliloquy." Everyone I have talked to has assumed that he is planning on sucide just becuase he has talked about it. Talking is usually a good way to relieve stress, like calling a hot line, he is just talking to him self.
ReplyDelete-Bryan Gardner B4
Jared Walker said...
ReplyDeleteHamlet is talking about whether it's better to fight the problem in your mind, or physically. Hamlet seems to have lost his sanity, because he is having this internal battle. Fighting internally is usually a sign of insanity.
I deisagree with this because although Hamlet is debating within himself to commit suicide or to just live, I think his mind is together. I believe he is under stress and just like so many of us do, is talking to himself trying to get his life straight and in order. And a fight within yourself is not insanity. Insanity means that you are unable to tell right from wrong, you don't know what is real or not, ot that your mind has begun to deteriorate so you are not all there; but Hamlet is there he may act like he is going crazy but what a perfect cover for someone trying to ruin the King and maybe even kill him.
-Chenelle Hansen
I agree with Melinda's statement that, "He is merely undergoing a type of mid-life crisis as he reconsiders all different aspects of life and death." Melinda stated Hamlet's situation very well, because it is hard to justify Hamlet's sanity and passing his actions off as a mid-life crisis could be a very real possibility.
ReplyDelete~Tehani Rochette
Carter Durrant said,"He is approaching this question of whether to live or not in a very logical manner. It's almost like he's weighing the benefits and consequences of suicide." I agree with this because I do not think that Hamlet is completely insane. The way he acts and thinks are not that of an insane person. He does weigh his choices, maybe too much, but he does think about the consequences.
ReplyDelete-Katie Foster
Jared Walker said, "Hamlet seems to have lost his sanity, because he is having this internal battle. Fighting internally is usually a sign of insanity."
ReplyDeleteI disagree with this. I don't believe that an internal struggle is a sign of insanity. Rather, it is a sign that he is still rational and can think things through, so I think it actually proves he is not crazy. It's kind of like that...saying...or whatever it was...anyway, somebody said that he [himself] couldn't be crazy, because he was able to wonder if he was going crazy. Weird logic, I know, but it makes sense to me. You're only truly insane once you lose that ability to rationally think through something and ask yourself, "Am I crazy?"
Until now, I have always thought that Hamlet wasn’t insane but was merely brilliant and calculating. However, After considering the closet scene, I believe that by this point, Hamlet had lost his mind and had become at least partially insane.
ReplyDeleteIn the scene, the Ghost appears to Hamlet and reminds him of his purpose. While Hamlet is talking to the Ghost, Gertrude can neither see nor hear the ghost. The first time the ghost appears, however, Horatio and Marcellus are able to both see and hear the ghost. This shows that the second time Hamlet saw the ghost was nothing more than a hallucination. Had the queen also seen the ghost, then it would have proved that the ghost was actually there. However, she did not, thus showing the ghost wasn’t actually there and that Hamlet at had at this point became insane and starting to hallucinate.
Another point about the closet scene that suggests Hamlet had become insane and that he had imagined the ghost is the time at which the scene takes place. According to http://www.pbs.org/standarddeviantstv/transcript_shakespeare.html, “(medieval) performances were given during the day, under the sky, and usually lasted about three hours”. Thus, Hamlet’s play within the play had to be finished before it became too dark and was most likely ended by 9:30 at the latest.
With a time set for the play within Hamlet and by considering how much time it would have taken Hamlet, and the Queen to return to the castle and for Polonius to hide behind the curtains, we can conclude the closet scene began no later than 10:30. However, we learn from Act 1 that the ghost can only come to the mortal world after 1:00 PM. This proves that the second appearance of the ghost was only a hallucination because the scene took place at least two and a half-hours before the ghost would even have been allowed to appear even if he wanted to!
Holy cow! That was a mouthful and could be an essay all by itself!
~Tanner T
I agree with what Lisa Gerlach said. In his conversations with Horatio, I get the feeling Hamlet demonstrates sanity - most times he appears insane, it is more out of spite, showing the disrespect he feels for the people. When Polonius or the King ask him a question, he makes it difficult to get a regular answer out of him, only because he is angry with them. Rather than openly accuse them or start a fight, he just takes his anger out with frustrating sarcasm.
ReplyDelete- Danny Russon, A4
PS sorry if my comment is a little hard to read I typed it in word and when I copied and pasted, I didn't realize the that the indents at the beginning of every paragraph were missing untill it was too late
ReplyDelete~Tanner T
In response to Tanner T, I think there's still room to argue Hamlet's sanity. Firstly, he could have been going along with the act in front of his mother, like he had around everyone, except Horatio. Gertrude could have been in complete denial at that point as well. If people don't want to see something, mostly they do a good job of not seeing it. So, if Gertrude didn't want to see the ghost (if it was actually there and not just Hamlet's act), she wouldn't have seen it, or at least denied that she did see it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Hamlet's insanity can still be argued even with the situations I presented, especially with an argument like Tanner's.
Jordan Bricco A4
Hi everyone, this is Cody Hauver. Whaz up?!
ReplyDeleteIn answer to the question about whether Hamlet lost his sanity, I say that i believe he was just trying to bring his uncle to justice. However, he finds that the only way to do so is to kill him. This puts our friend in quite a pickle, and we get his soliloquy about considering suicide and ending the stress. He feels it is important enough to kill his uncle, no matter the consequenses - however, he and several others had to pay the ultimate price to do so. So that's my two cents.
This is C-Dawg, rollin' out.
Jared Walker stated that "Hamlet seems to have lost his sanity, because he is having this internal battle. Fighting internally is usually a sign of insanity." I disagree with this statement because having an internal battle doesn't classify a person as insane. A lot of people have taken the soliloquy to be about Hamlet's thoughts of suicide. If we look at it to be about suicide, then Hamlet can't be insane. There are many people all over the world that have thoughts of suicide, but we don't declare them to be insane. We refer to them as being depressed. Hamlet is depressed, if anything, not insane. He has rational thoughts, he knows what he's doing, and he doesn't have out of this world thoughts to kill his uncle or anyone else. Thoughts of suicide indicate depression, not insanity, so Hamlet isn't insane.
ReplyDelete-Krysta Rice A4
Josh VanSteeter said that he "cannot call him completely sane either, otherwise he wouldn't to talking like that! It's just not something happy people do." I disagree with half of this comment. Thinking of suicide is not something happy people do, but that does not mean that they are insane, it just means that they are unhappy. If everyone who ever thought of committing suicide was insane, more than half of the whole world's population would be locked up in padded white rooms. A person does not have to be insane to think about committing suicide. Rachel Sears put it very nicely. She said, "The consideration of suicide is common and just because Hamlet is expressing his feelings towards this subject doesn't mean he lost his mind." Many people have considered suicide, but they are not insane. Their thoughts are just so depressed that they don't know what else to do. I do not consider that insanity.
ReplyDelete-Yvette Eggleston
I agree with Krysta's comment that just because somebody is fighting internally doesn't classify them as insane. When you're trying to find the conflict in any book, it's usually either internal or external. And when it's internal, that doens't mean the character with the conflict is insane. I'm sure everyone has weighed two options in their head at one point, which is essentially what Hamlet is doing in his famous soliloquy.
ReplyDelete-Jenna Hoffman
[In Response To Colten Strickland's Comment]
ReplyDeleteWhat you said basically sums up exactly how I view Hamlet. It's pretty obvious and accepted that Hamlet was contemplating suicide vs. the burdens here on earth. It seems a majority of us here have come to this conclusion about the soliloquy. Your wording of this interpretation stood out to me as exactly what I was thinking. I do seem to find some of Hamlet's actions as exaggerated, but it doesn't necessarily mean he is insane. I also agree with your idea of his rage and revenge having blinded him. He isn't insane, just so preoccupied with revenge that his sense of compassion has been replaced with remorseless behavior. Great interpretation!
Danny Russon commented that, "I don't think Hamlet is insane, because he has legitimate problems and wonders how to deal with them. Maybe his reaction is more dramatic than a regular person's would be, but this is a play after all." It is definitely true that Hamlet has some very good reasons to be contemplating the pros and cons of life and death, and so I agree with Danny completely on his view as to Hamlet's sanity. However, there are plenty of people out there who have reacted, or would react, much more dramatically than Hamlet did; I mean, just take a look at all the guys hanging out in prisons and asylums. Because of all the whackos out there, I have to say that Hamlet's reaction is not purely just a figment of a dramatic play; Hamlet definitely could have reacted a lot worse.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I would also like to comment on Alix Sampson's statement. She said, "I don't think suicide is the main focus; it's only an option." I completely agree with her on this. In his soliloquy, Hamlet is simply arguing with himself internally between life and death; he doesn't imply that he desires to commit suicide, he just states that an end would be be nice, just as he also argues that life is nice as well. Because of the fact that he is rationally debating both options, Hamlet's soliloquy is definitely not centered on suicide; it is just him going over his options in a logical manner, attempting to figure out the mess his life has become.
-Katlyn Hampton A4
I like what Tanner said and how he approached the issue of Hamlet's sanity very logically. Though i do not agree with Hamlet being insane, i like that angle on the topic. Hamlet could have been playing it up and just acting to appear insane when he is really quite sane. Or, was Hamlet totally sane and everyone wlse in the play insane?
ReplyDeleteBrayden Spencer BS
I think what Hamlet really wants to say is Life is like....a......Unicorn your mane is all colors of the rainbow which represents the multiple personalities an insane person may have. The real question is are we human or are we dancers? Do we exist or are we just a figment of our own imagination?? Can we feel pain? or is pain something we enable with our unicorn horns? you may not have one but I do!!
ReplyDeleteMy Horn Will Pierce The Sky!!!!
-Devin Davis
I think Elisa Myers has a good point in realizing that Hamlet was not insane because he did not hastily kill King Claudius. I also believe that Hamlet was under an immense amount of turmoil and stress in his life at this time. Hamlet's decisions may be a little off in left field, but I think that Hamlet is in control and that every action he takes is for a good reason and not just out of insanity.
ReplyDelete--Austin Gerber A4
I'd just like to say that Tanner is crazy for thinking that much into this! But that was awesome analysis! I, however, disagree with that fact that he is going insane and I've found an example to prove my point. Act III Scene II. Hamlet is talking with Horatio, telling him how much he respects him and explaining his plan for the evening. A perfectly sane conversation. (Also written in Shakespear's standard form) As soon as the others enter the room Hamlet assumes his "insanity" once again in order to continue his charade. This is shown in the first line he speaks to the king which is a random statement that doesn't make much sense and doesn't answer the king's question. (Also Hamlet's lines are back in prose form, which throughout the play shows when Hamlet is acting crazy) This proves that Hamlet was clearly switching back and forth between his sane, clear thinking self, and his insane guilt breeding act.
ReplyDelete-Ryan Curtis
I think that...well...its pretty obvious, Hamlet (in my opinion) is pondering over the question is life worth living? Is it easier to just give up and feel the sudden and quick pain of death or the continuous pain of life? Why deal with all the stresses of life when you could easily put an end to it all?
ReplyDeleteI think anytime a person commits murder it's insanity and anytime a person is caught up in an irrational moment of anger there's always an element of insanity. I don't think that Hamlet was an insane person in all aspects of his life, but in this time of betrayal and revenge he acted irrationally.
-Loni Miramon B4
I agree with Jared Walker's first comment about being insane if you're plotting to murder someone... but then again... I'm sure we've all thought about that... hopefully never gone through with it! So I guess that would consider us all insane! I just think there's different types of insanity and Hamlet was just getting revenge back for his father's murder! The totally insane are the ones running into walls and seeing things that don't make sense at all!
ReplyDelete~Angel Chong A4
(Initial Post Late)
ReplyDeleteThe main subject of Hamlet's soliloquy is that Hamlet is weighing the advantages and disadvantages of suicide using a metaphor. This metaphor compares death to sleep. Hamlet states that during life, the "waking moments" of the metaphor, men must endure great trials. He poses the thought that death is relief to the abused, as sleep is to those that are tired- "And by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache and thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to."
The great disadvantage to suicide is based on the belief that all people fear the unknown. He likens the mystery of what happens after death to dreams in his metaphorical sleep. In both cases, those who subject themselves to the rest can never fully expect what will happen in their minds in the period after. Because of this great fear of what happens after death, Hamlet says, many choose to bear their burdens and delay the inevitable and mysterious sleep to come.
As for Hamlet's questionable sanity(or lack thereof), there is much evidence for both sides of the argument. However, the sum of all the evidences point towards Hamlet being mentally ill. Though he certainly was devious, calculating, and intelligent, his mind had a single goal of exacting revenge on his uncle. This kind of unalterable obsession, coupled with his serious ponderings of death and suicide(perhaps even expectation of death in getting revenge: "Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them."), would place his mind in the category of "seriously unwell."
-Joseph Meyers
"What is madness but nobility of soul. At odds with circumstance?"
ReplyDelete- Theodore Roethke
I believe this quote exemplifies my viewpoint on whether Hamlet is sane. He was sane throughout the work, which is shown when he chooses not to murder Claudius (spelling?) while the king is praying, an insane man finally reaching his goal would have no such qualms. I believe Hamlet got eaten up by his quest for revenge, he misses out on love with Ophelia, and becoming King because he couldn't let go of his revenge and forget the past. I think the message of the play was to live your life so there is a story worth telling when you die.
Hamlet is at odd with himself, he is questioning not only life and death, but also what happens after we die.
"ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
70 Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life"
These lines show that the fear of what happens after death is what makes him stay and live his life. He is also reaffirming his vow for revenge.
-Kenzie Bird B4
_____________________________________________________________________________________
ReplyDeleteQuote:
[Hamlet is logically contemplating whether suicide is ethically correct in a world filled with misery. He wonders if it is more noble to endure life despite the anguish he feels. Furthermore, he concludes that fear of the afterlife is what prevents most from committing suicide. The reasoning in which Hamlet presents his speech confirms his sanity. His thoughts concerning death are not unusual. Many individuals suffering from depression often pose the same questions which Hamlet is debating.]
-Sabree Crowton B2
_____________________________________________________________________________________
I really liked how Sabree worded her response. I agree that Hamlet is debating with himself over his own morals and ethics. I also agree that it is his fear of the afterlife that keeps him from seeing through with his debate with himself. The thought of suicide is a completely normal human reaction therefore I came to the conclusion that Hamlet was not crazy. However, I think the “really insane” character of this play is Ophelia, why have we never considered or talked about that?
-Colten Strickland-
I have to agree with Josh when he said that happy people don't contemplate suicide. But I don't think that Hamlet's contemplation of suicide makes him not sane in any way. No, Hamlet's not happy. However, his reaction is NORMAL. I would argue that Hamlet were crazy if he were happy at all in this situation. The fact that he's been contemplating suicide is a completely rational reaction to the horrible situation that he's in.
ReplyDelete-- Dani Warnick
Hey Tanner are you doing anything next Friday? Because if not, I was wondering if you could guest star on my talk show.
ReplyDeleteYour Friend,
Oprah Winfrey
PS we are having hot dogs at my mansion in Hollywood tommorrow if you would like to come :)
So does anyone besides me ever wonder where does Horatio live? He is just a friend to Hamlet and does not actually work in the castle but he always seems to be at the castle even at the most obscure times. Does he live at the castle or just nearby?
ReplyDelete~Tanner
Insanity is like gravity, all you need is a little push.
ReplyDelete~The Joker
I agree with Miss Katie Foster. Who is the on who determines the scale of insanity? I see also that Hamlet did plan his whole revenge very well, so he could not be completely insane.
ReplyDeleteI also see eye to eye with Angel when she said she would want revenge as well.
I agree with Kenzie Bird. I think that Hamlet is sane, and I liked the point you brought up about how if he was insane he would have killed his uncle while he was in prayer, while instead he felt guilty about putting his uncle to heaven while he was praying. This certainly prooves that he still is thinking through his revenge.
ReplyDelete"'What is madness but nobility of soul. At odds with circumstance?'
ReplyDelete- Theodore Roethke
I believe this quote exemplifies my viewpoint on whether Hamlet is sane. He was sane throughout the work, which is shown when he chooses not to murder Claudius (spelling?) while the king is praying, an insane man finally reaching his goal would have no such qualms. I believe Hamlet got eaten up by his quest for revenge, he misses out on love with Ophelia, and becoming King because he couldn't let go of his revenge and forget the past. I think the message of the play was to live your life so there is a story worth telling when you die.
Hamlet is at odd with himself, he is questioning not only life and death, but also what happens after we die.
"ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
70 Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life"
These lines show that the fear of what happens after death is what makes him stay and live his life. He is also reaffirming his vow for revenge.
-Kenzie Bird B4"
I disagree with Kenzie Bird's view of Hamlet's mental state. The fact that Hamlet wanted revenge on his uncle is irrefutable. However, his revenge, though thought out, is completely obsessive. Hamlet's unhealthy obsession caused him to not just desire his uncle's death, but also the greatest punishment and suffering that could be brought upon his uncle. This is shown when he does not kill his uncle while he is praying, not out of Hamlet's guilt, but because Hamlet believed that such a death would not thrust his uncle straight down to hell, as shown in this quote:
"Up, sword; and know thou a more horrid hent:
When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage,
Or in the incestuous pleasure of his bed;
At gaming, swearing, or about some act
That has no relish of salvation in't;
Then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven,
And that his soul may be as damn'd and black
As hell, whereto it goes."
This lends credibility to the idea of Hamlet's insanity, at least a form of insanity, as it demonstrates Hamlet's incredible pursuit for revenge.
I think Hamlet's speech is basically a conversation with himself, considering wether it would be better to solve his problems mentally or physically. I think Hamlet wasn't crazy. Just because he was contemplating suicide doesn't make him different from anyone else. Everyone at cynical time in their life has thought of it. I think its a completely normal thought. Wether you act on it or not can lead to insanity, but I don't think Hamlet really wanted to commit suicide. He just wanted revenge.
ReplyDeleteJada Muse B-3
"...Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe question in Hamlet's mind is simple, live, or commit suicide. He's wondering which is nobler/smater, living through the trial, or to end all trials and find peace through death. I believe Hamlet cannot be considered totally insane, cause I know insane people, they don't think that reasonably. However I cannot call him completely sane either, otherwise he wouldn't to talking like that! It's just not something happy people do :). Therefore i believe Hamlet is wavering upon the legendary brink of insanity were a once sane mind can comprehend the mad driveleing of a lunatic and deem it logic..."
I disagree with this anonymous comment where it says "I cannot call him completely sane either, otherwise he wouldn't to talking like that! It's just not something happy people do :). " I think part of being sane is having human emotions. Yes, that includes happiness, but sadness, anger, depression, and many others also make human emotions as complex as they are. He wasn't insane, he was just under a lot of mental distress, not knowing what to look forward in his life and feeling alone. Anyone in his position could easily feel that same way.
Jada Muse B-3
I agree with Melissa Perry. Hamlet may be a little insane in the fact that he says he is seeing things. But it is not necessarily considered insane if the apparations of the ghost are real. Like Melissa said, the way that Hamlet's uncle reacts shows that what Hamlet is portraying in the play- which he has learned from the ghost- confirms that the ghost is real and not just a hallucination. It may be considered crazy that Hamlet is trying to kill his uncle, but wouldn't you do the same? Maybe acting insane drove him to be insane..
ReplyDelete-Kati Webster
Hamlet is trying to decide whether he should think things over in his head or act externally. I do not believe that Hamlet is crazy, but rather consumed with the whole situation he has found himself in. He came home to find everything completely different and was then told that his father was murdered, how else would one react? I think he was perfectly sane, but as time wore on he lost a bit of his grasp on reality.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jada when she said the following:
ReplyDelete"Whether you act on it or not can lead to insanity, but I don't think Hamlet really wanted to commit suicide."
Suicide is a part of our society in this world and I think it's completely normal to think about it sometime in life. However there has to be a line (which I don't think Hamlet crossed) when someone's thoughts about suicide can become too obsessive and they turn suicidal themselves.
-Aimee Wright
(the above comment was mine as well) (:
I agree with Macy Gallegos when she said: "[Hamlet is] just hurting so deeply that he has become drastic in his actions because he is desperate to free his pain." I like the way she said that Hamlet is hurting deeply, and that is why he has the appearance of being insane. I doubt that he really was. Pain can cause you to do things that you wouldn't normally do. I feel bad for Hamlet and all that he had to go through.
ReplyDeleteBrayden Spencer said that he thinks that Hamlet is not "insane but teetering on the edge". I find that I agree with this. My previous post declared that Hamlet was insane, but as I researched more into and have been answering my packet I have come to more or less the same conclusion that he is not insane but extremely close to becoming so.
ReplyDelete- Kirsten Watkins
I agree with Melinda Ahlstrom that Hamlet is in fact not insane. He is simply at a point in his life where everything is overwhelming him to the point where he is considering all of his options. I think Melinda described it perfectly, that Hamlet is sort of undergoing a mid-life crisis. He is contemplating all aspects of life and death during this stressful period of time in his life.
ReplyDelete-Elisa Myers B4
I think that Hamlet is DEFINITELY not insane. His soliloquy is just him indulging in a typical melodrama. He feels backed into a corner by his situation and it seems like his only option to make it all end is to kill himself. He's not seriously PLANNING suicide he's just exploring his options.
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Stallings B4
"In Hamlet's famous soliloquy, he is speaking about whether to let things be or to do something about his father's murder. I don't think Hamlet is totally insane. He plans his revenge very well, by putting on the play, killing Polonius, and getting rid of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. His plans for revenge show that he partially insane, but not completely.
ReplyDelete-Katie Foster"
I partially agree with Katie Foster. I think that if Hamlet were insane he wouldn't be thinking so rationally about his choices and their consequences. He would have lost his ability to reason if he was completely insane, and I don't even think he was temporarily insane. He was just following a very dramatic train of thought.
-Stephanie Stallings
i agree to a degree with Alix Sampson about Hamlets sanity due to the fact that he is simply contemplating life after death and such which is completly normal for all human beings but due to a conversation in class about Hamlets sanity, i believe when he gave his siloquy in act 3 he was sane but he slowly lost more and more of his mind as the play went on. he was purposly acting crazy in front of people and my belief is that you cannot act insane and not go insane while doing it, especially when your in Hamlets situation. so at the time of his speech he probably was sane, but at the end he was lost in wonderland.
ReplyDeleteShelby Terrell B2
Yo yo yo! this is Cody Hauver again, and the big C has some light to shed on Hamlet's insanity, as touched on by Katie and Stephanie just prior to this posting.
ReplyDeleteMy take on this whole thing is that Hamlet feels like a loaf of bread in the oven at 400 degrees. the yeast inside of him is expanding quickly and he is starting to lose control of his original self. Likewise, his need for revenge is building up inside, and if left too long, he'll get burnt, or explode because of the pressure. Not pretty.
Again, this is C-Dawg, signing out.
Although this soliloquy sounds very pessimistic, I get the feeling that Hamlet is philosophizing in general more than he is considering suicide. He says that death would be an easy "out" to all of life's problems if we didn't have a fear of the unknown, and that is why many go on living.
ReplyDeleteWhen someone is labeled as insane, it is usually because they seem to have lost the ability to reason altogether, or their reasoning goes completely contrary to the "labeler's" idea of common sense, in which case the madness would be disputable. I don't think that Hamlet is insane, but simply that his perspective is completely different from the average person's. As Polonius said in Act 2 Scene II, "Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't."
-Natacha Lott B4
I think that Hamlet's famous speech is talking about if it is better to stick out all the hard stuff or to just give up. Hamlet is all messed up and partly insane due to all the stuff going on around him and wants to just get rid of it as soon as fast as he can. Hamlet is contemplating suicide and focusing on all the bad in his life.
ReplyDeleteDeserei Ewell
I agree with Cody Hauver's funny analogy of Hamlet as bread in the oven. He is going through a lot of stuff during this part of the speech and is expected not to care about his father's death and is not being understood. He feels alone and eventually, if he doesn't do anything about his anger, he'll explode.
ReplyDeleteDeserei Ewell
With all this talk of death, revenge and what's "to be or not to be", the Big C is starting to feel a little overwhelmed, yo. This is my final post, and it is in response to all ya'll who are trying to discuss poor Hamlet's predicament.
ReplyDeleteLet's skip straight to it. What Hamlet does in the play is way too smart to be considered blind rage or being consumed by revenge.
The Big C has a father, and if someone were to take him out, I would feel obliged to make them pay the ultimate sacrifice, if you get my drift. However, it is against my religion to do such things, and I believe strongly that all problems can be solved without violence. Although i have no textual support for this, I doubt Hamlet is a member of my religion, and considering what kind of a man he was trying to bring down (the king), it was probably the only option, because you couldn't just sue the person and expect a fair trial like you can nowadays. I have the feeling such a decision was not made rashly or without much thought, and was the best one-maybe not the easiest one, but the best. FYI - really, I'm just glad I'm not in his situation, and it's just a story.
Did it ever occur to you that Shakespeare was a genius? something geniuses or genius' or geniusi, (whatever) can do is think outside the box. maybe he was trying to create a different type of discussion than just your basic "this is bad", and actually have to question the material and what the themes actually are. Interesting, no?
For the last time, this is C-Dawg, over and out.
In response to Angel Chong's comment, I think that it's not quite as simple as a decision of killing himself or killing someone else, or even just wanting revenge for the death of his father. There is also the factor of honor, which is referred to at the beginning of the monologue, "Whether 'tis nobler... to suffer".
ReplyDeleteMaybe Hamlet believes that he doesn't have the option of dying until his father is avenged, no matter how welcome that option may be, and his soliloquy is talking about "How would it be?" instead of or in addition to "Should I live or die?" as is referred to in the first line. Just a thought.
-Natacha Lott B4
My thoughts on the "To be or not to be" is that he is planning on killing the king and he is coming to grips that he might die. There are many things that could go wrong such as: the king killing him so that he won't become the king, or the plan works and the king dies, but is later killed for treason, or something like the situation he falls into. To me it all seems that he is preparing to die which is why he is not after Ophilia, becuase he wants her to forget him and find someone else in her life. However, that didn't work becuase as we all know she died. Well there's my two cents.
ReplyDelete-Bryan Gardner B4
Ok i changed my mind on that i don't think he is half insane half sane, I feel that he is sane because he has decided to think through this. I mean he has gotta deal with a lot of crap throughout this. First his dad actually dying then seeing the ghost and with all this him mom marries his dad's brother! So ya that would take some thinking through he is COMPLETELY sane!
ReplyDelete-Devin Davis
Fo Sho!
I disagree with Tehani's response on the interpretation of the soliloquey. There are examples such as line 11 where it says "for in that sleep of death, what dreams may come". It states that they are speaking about death not merely an inner turmoil. However, i do see how you can see that because he is arguing with himself inwardly but the object is just slightely different.
ReplyDelete-Austin Russon
P.S. Sorry Devin, had to beat you on time man, i'm the current record holder :)
Ryan Curtis said:
ReplyDelete"The fact that he is thinking seriously about whether life is worth it or not proves that he is still sane. I believe throughout the play Hamlet uses his feigned "insanity" to worry the king." I agree with Ryan that Hamlet truly is sane because he can logically think about what he is going to do. Although considering suicide, Hamlet decides to seek revenge instead and comes up with an amazing plan to expose the crime. Like Ryan, I think part of Hamlet's plan was to put on a crazy act for everyone, just to mess with their minds and make them feel confused. Cody also sums up Hamlet's actions as he explains how, like overheated bread, Hamlet would explode if he didn't do something with his confusion and anger. Hamlet's decision was not the easiest, but he decided the best way to handle the situation was to seek revenge on his uncle. Insane people would not take a long time to decide whether they were going to kill themselves or someone else. They would make quick, rash decisions, without thinking through all the possibilities. Hamlet's deep thought process and careful actions prove he is sane.
-Melinda Ahlstrom B2
I'm winning on the latest time Austin!
ReplyDelete-Melinda
"Hamlet's soliloquy is mainly a struggle between choosing to fight the troubles in his life, or to just die and get it over with. On one hand, he asks, who would choose to bear the burden he has, but on the other hand, death is unknown - who knows what death will be like? Of death he says, It "makes us rather bear those ills we have/ Than to fly to others that we know not of."
ReplyDeleteI don't think Hamlet is insane, because he has legitimate problems and wonders how to deal with them. Maybe his reaction is more dramatic than a regular person's would be, but this is a play after all.
-Danny Russon"
I think Danny's post sums it up perfectly! The points that I especially agree with are that:
1)Hamlet's inner struggle is the cause of this soliloquy. He is attempting to find his inner feelings toward the situtation in general.
2)I also agree with Danny on the point that he's not insane. He "has legitimate problems" and he's trying to figure it out. In our lives we face similar problems, but suicide was obviously on Hamlet's mind.
-Kyle Pontius B4
I think Hamlet is overwhelmed. He cannot decide whether it's better to live in regret, or to die doing what you really want to do. I don't think he is really trying to decide whether to kill himself or not, but rather whether or not to do what he feels even if it will most likely kill him. I do not believe he's crazy, just overwhelmed. Soo much bad has happened and it probably doesn't seem real. He's just deciding what to do.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Tew B4
I am responding to Krysta Rice's comment:
ReplyDelete"In his soliloquy, I believe Hamlet is struggling with himself about what he should do with the knowledge he has. He doesn't know whether to keep the secret of his father's murder to himself or whether he should act in revenge like his father's ghost told him to do. He understands that it is wrong to seek revenge, but he is also trying to justify it."
I think that Hamlet is trying to decide whether or not to commit suicide. He doesn't know if he should live with the fact of his father's death, or kill himself and be done with it. When the ghost comes to him and tells him about his father's death, he knows that he wants revenge. He doesn't really ponder on if he should keep the truth a secret or reveal his uncle and plan to kill him. He is upset and he immediately plans revenge.
Jessica Raff
In response to Katie Foster's comment, I really like what she said. She summed it up pretty well. I like how she explained Hamlet's situation and that he couldn't be completely crazy because of how intricately he planned his revenge. I do think he was a little overdramatic though.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Tew B4
To discuss what Carter was talking about way at the begining of this blog, Carter stated that in the monologue Hamlet couldn't be insane cause he was logically weighing the binnifits of life and death and how he was contemplating the inevitable afterlife. This would be true if the definition of sane was to be able to think logically. However i do not believe this to be true. One can be totally off his rocker and still be perfectly logical. The joker for example in his famous conversation with two-face in the hospital. At the time the joker was being quite logical and totally out of wack. I instead define insanity as the inability to think "normally" or what society would define as "normal". Obviously at the point of this play, because of all the stress and what not, Hamlet was incapable of thinking like his good old normal self. Therefore I believe that Hamlet was at least slightly insane at the time of the monologue. After all, haven't we all felt a time of temperary insanity when consumed with large amounts of stress?
ReplyDelete- Josh Van Steeter
Hamlets famous soliliquy is helping him to decide if it is better to live and face the problems ahead of you or to die and not have to deal with anything else. I think is is insane because suicide itself proclaims some level of insanity
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Hill
In response to Courtney I have to say that I think the Soliliquy is mainly about him committing suicide. Suicide is not healthy and requires some sort of insanity so I think that he is insane in one way or another
ReplyDelete