Hamlet, a play considered by some to be William Shakespeare's most popular work, is much more than just a play. It is a timeless work of literature that evaluates some of the most human parts of humanity and addresses topics still relevant in today's political climate. One of the topics covered is the concept of mental illness, in Shakespeare's words "madness". This is a very apparent and crucial part of the plot because without the personal struggles of the characters, especially Hamlet's, the events that occur in the play would never have happened. This is addressed early on when Hamlet finds himself contemplating death after the sudden passing of his father. This type of mental discomfort he experiences only gets worse as the story unfolds and we learn more about the true nature of how his father's death actually happened. Regardless of this, Hamlet, throughout the play, is always presented as an almost sane character, which raises the question of how much of his behavior is genuine? After careful consideration, it can be said that in Shakespeare's Hamlet, unexpected events can provoke feelings of emotional turmoil, leading to a chain of actions that would only be implemented by a very emotionally melancholy person. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To properly assess Hamlet's mental state during the play, one must first assess everything he has endured not only throughout, but also before the main events. The first and most inciting incident would be the death of his father, the reigning king of Denmark. After the loss of his father, Hamlet is noticeably different and is in conversation with his mother Gertrude in which she questions his stability. Hamlet said to her: “It would seem, madam, that no, it is so. I do not know “the appearance.”/ “It is not only my ink coat, good mother,/ Nor the usual costumes of solemn black,.../ With all the shapes, moods, forms of sorrow ". This blatant admission of his grief is understandable given the circumstances, but rather it is the depth of his grief and his change in behavior that makes this the first intimation of his potential mental illness, such as it is. noticed by those around him. Continuing, although losing his father is hard enough, Hamlet is also confronted with the ghost of his father claiming that his uncle Claudius, a man who has just married his mother and taken the throne, is the one who murdered him . His fatherly spirit confesses to him in private; “A snake bit me. Thus the whole ear of Denmark/ Is by a process forged from my death/ Abundantly mistreated. But know, noble young man, / The serpent that bit your father's life / Now wears his crown. This sudden betrayal only burdens Hamlet further with grief at the circumstances, as well as undeniable rage. This feeling of rage is further pushed to its climax when, during the same conversation, the spirit of his father asks Hamlet to take revenge on his uncle and murder him to obtain justice for the king. His father's ghost asks him to "avenge his most vile and unnatural murder." This request awakens something in Hamlet and fills him with bloodlust because he is willing to do anything to accomplish this task. However, it can be said that a man who believes the word of a ghost to the point of wanting to commit murder against his own uncle is not a man who can be considered sane. Together, these events create madnessunderlying experience experienced by Hamlet during the play and what motivates his actions. Furthermore, mental illness could not be defined as such without the sufferer experiencing a myriad of symptoms. The first symptom exhibited by Hamlet is his suicidal tendencies. After a previously noted conversation in which he is confronted by his mother and uncle about his changes in behavior, Hamletse speaks expressing his desire to commit suicide and his struggle with the religious aspects of such an act. He exclaims: “His cannon against self-harm!” O God! God!. This outburst is a very clear cry for help and a very clear expression of his suicidal feelings. The second obvious symptom we see in Hamlet is his self-destructive actions. Take, for example, the scene in which he decides to tell his lover Ophélie that in reality he never loved her. In a conversation with her father, Ophelia recounts the interaction with Hamlet, telling him: "My lord, while I was sewing in my closet,/Lord Hamlet,.../As if he had been released from hell/To talk about horrors. – he comes before me.” No rational person would act this way towards their loved one and, hurting a loved one so recklessly, shows the self-destruction that Hamlet's illness has unleashed in him. Another example of these symptoms that we see in Hamlet is his paranoia. While he is right to feel this way given the truth, he feels he is being spied on without foundation. He also takes the word of a ghost that his uncle murdered his brother. Hamlet decides to do something to end the paranoia and speculation he feels towards his uncle and he decides to do so by putting on a play that would reenact the events of the alleged murder. His logic is that if his uncle is guilty, he will leave the room. He explains this plan to his trusted friends, saying, "lest my extent to the players, which I tell you must be shown fairly outwardly, should be more like entertainment than yours." You are welcome. But my uncle-father and my aunt-mother were wrong.” To conclude, the symptoms Hamlet experiences between his initial suicidal feelings and the development of his self-destructive behaviors and paranoia are clear examples of symptoms caused by mental illness. Putting all of this together, it is important to discuss the extent to which Hamlet's actions were motivated. by his emotional upheaval. It could be argued that his behavior was a carefully planned act intended to deceive and get revenge on his uncle, and while this view may have some interesting points, it is also very clear that Hamlet is suffering from madness, so no d between them. his actions could be considered accomplished deeds, as they are motivated by genuine suffering. During a scene in which Hamlet speaks to two gravediggers in a cemetery, he performs a number of obscure acts and even the gravediggers discuss his madness, with the first stating, "Can't you tell?" Every fool can say that. It was the same day that little Hamlet, the crazy one, was born.” This response shows how Hamlet's bizarre actions are clear to those around him. He promotes this by talking to a skull and saying nonsensical phrases. Another example is when Hamlet begins to exhibit this behavior and Ophelia's father goes to talk to him about his behavior towards her. Hamlet's treatment of him is so obviously strange that it perplexes him, and he says, "How do you say that?" I always talk about my daughter. /However, he didn't know me at first. He said I was a fishmonger./He went far, far away.” Although this action could have been.