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Summary Of Hamlet. Summary Of The Play Hamlet By: Amanda Wellman It?sa story of
murder, betrail, hatred all rapped up in one astonishing play. ...
Hamlet. Hamlet is the son of the late King Hamlet (of Denmark), who died
two months before the start of the play. After King Hamlet's ...
Submitted by oppapers on April 14, 2001
Category: Book Reports
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Is Hamlet Mad?
\\\\\\\"I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a
handsaw\\\\\\\" (II.ii.369-370). This is a classic example of the \\\\\\\"wild and whirling words\\\\\\\"
(I.v.134) with which Hamlet hopes will persuade people to believe that he is mad. These
words, however, prove that beneath his \\\\\\\"antic disposition,\\\\\\\" (I.V.172). Hamlet is sane.
Under his strange choice of imagery involving points of the compass, the weather, and
hunting birds, he is announcing that he is calculatedly choosing the times when to appear
mad. Hamlet is saying that he knows a hunting hawk from a hunted \\\\\\\"handsaw\\\\\\\" or heron,
in other words, that, very far form being mad, he is perfectly capable of recognizing his
enemies. Hamlet\\\\\\\'s madness was faked for a purpose. He warned his friends he intended to
fake madness, but Gertrude as well as Claudius saw through it, and even the slightly
dull-witted Polonius was suspicious. His public face is one of insanity but, in his private
moments of soliloquy, through his confidences to Horatio, and in his careful plans of
action, we see that his madness is assumed.
After the Ghost\\\\\\\'s first appearance to Hamlet, Hamlet decides that when he finds it
suitable or to his advantage, he will put on a mask of madness so to speak. He confides to
Horatio that when he finds the occasion appropriate, he will \\\\\\\"put an antic disposition on\\\\\\\"
(I.v.172). This strategy gives Hamlet a chance to find proof of Claudius\\\\\\\'s guilt and to
contemplate his revenge tactic. Although he has sworn to avenge his father\\\\\\\'s murder, he is
not sure of the Ghost\\\\\\\'s origins: \\\\\\\"The spirit that I have seen / May be the devil\\\\\\\"
(II.ii.584-585). He uses his apparent madness as a delaying tactic to buy time in which to
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