Hamlet Isn't Mad

Is Hamlet Mad?

            Many people think Hamlet is about an insane teenager who can’t make up his mind. They’re wrong. As illustrated in De Boer’s paper “The Performative Utterance in Hamlet” Hamlet doesn’t have problems deciding what to do, he has problems turning his thoughts and words into actions, which is reasonable when it comes to killing another human being. While there is compelling evidence suggesting that Hamlet is in fact mad, there is even more compelling evidence that he is not.

            In the beginning of the play, Hamlet sees a ghost. But at this point in the play, Hamlet isn’t crazy for seeing the ghost, because several other people see it too. When Hamlet sees the ghost later in the play and Gertrude does not, it isn’t evidence that Hamlet has lost his mind, but rather evidence that Gertrude is blind to what is really happening. The ghost tells Hamlet that he needs to kill King Claudius, and Hamlet freaks out in a way. Hamlet freaking out and acting “like a mad man” doesn’t necessarily mean that Hamlet is mad. Hamlet acting crazy after being told he has to kill someone is more evidence of him being sane because most people would freak out if they were told they had to kill someone, showing Hamlet is thinking clearly.

 Since Hamlet has decided to kill Claudius it is easy to assume that Hamlet is some kind of sociopath. The definition of a sociopath is someone with abnormal, violent and antisocial behavior, often criminal, with no moral responsibility or social conscience. Because Hamlet is very self-critical and self-reflective, it is clear he is not sociopathic because he has morals and a conscience. Hamlet is also not antisocial, using situations to be sure he needs to kill Claudius (again showing he is thinking clearly). More evidence that Hamlet is not antisocial and sociopathic is that he knows how to deal with people effectively. He uses witty speech even under pressure with many double meanings in what he says keeping the people watching him confused, again showing he is thinking clearly. It could be argued that Hamlet is violent, killing Polonius, and therefore Hamlet has some characteristics of being a sociopath, but Hamlet didn’t mean to kill Polonius. When Hamlet was talking to Gertrude, he was ready to kill Claudius having seen the proof that Claudius was jealous. The killing of Polonius was an accident. Hamlet thought Polonius was Claudius who is the person Hamlet wanted to kill even from the beginning of the play, showing that Hamlet didn’t have trouble making up his mind, and that Hamlet isn’t some crazy sociopath.

In conclusion, Hamlet is not a crazy teenager who can’t make up his mind. It is quite clear that Hamlet did have his mind made up, and is defiantly not crazy. Hamlet has nothing in common with someone who is sociopathic, and freaking out when told to kill his uncle shows that Hamlet is in fact normal.