Endya
Brandon
Ms.
Nichole Wilson
AP
Literature and Compositon
November
14, 2013
Prompt Selection:
One definition of madness is "mental delusion or the eccentric behavior
arising from it." But Emily Dickinson wrote: “Much madness is
divinest/Sense-To a discerning Eye.” Novelists and playwrights have often seen
madness with a "discerning Eye." Select a novel or play in which a
character's apparent madness or irrational behavior plays an important role.
Then write a well-organized essay in which you explain what this delusion or eccentric
behavior consists of and how it might be judged reasonable. Explain the significance
of the "madness" to the work as a whole. Do not merely summarize the
plot.
I
have read and understand the sections in the Student Handbook regarding Mason
High School's Honesty/Cheating Policy. By affixing this statement to the title
page of my paper, I am certifying that I have not cheated or plagiarized in the
process of completing this assignment. If it is found that cheating and/or
plagiarism did take place in the writing of this paper, I understand the
possible consequences of the act, which could include a "0" on the
paper, as well as an "F" as a final grade in the course.
Endya
Joi Brandon
In
the classic play Hamlet, William Shakespeare weaves an intricate web of madness
throughout the plot and characters which proves to be an essential aspect of
the play. As the reader follows the madness and unravels the web, they begin to
realize that it spreads like a disease and affects the actions of all the characters, similar
to the domino effect. It affected Ophelia most detrimentally, because all the
men who were the sole reason she lived had been taken from her life in some
sort of way, this led her to the decision to take her own life. Ophelia's
attachment issues mimicked the ones showcased in this play which explains why
the madness spread so easily for example, Hamlet and his father, the queen and
her need for affection. There are also notes of
vengeance and death within the piece, it is an overarching theme shown
when Hamlet tried to kill Claudius, acting on his impulsive instincts he killed
Polonius instead and his vengeful action resulted in the eventual death of
Ophelia.
All
the madness truly started with the Hamlet's uncle Claudius. One who was mad enough to murder his
own brother in such a cowardly way, while he was defenseless and sleeping.
Contrary to popular belief, the madness does not begin with Hamlet himself, it
is cast upon him courtesy of his father's ghost, in the very first act of the
play "A serpent stung me... The serpent that did sting thy father's life
now wears his crown." (1.5.36-39)
Still in utter shock and disbelief when Horatio and Marcellous catch up to him,
Hamlet is essentially warning them when he says "How strange or odd soe'er
I bear myself..." (1.5.171) he tells them, he is mad, or is
going to "act" mad from now on to carry out what his father's ghost
has asked of him; to enact revenge on his uncle for killing the king.
Even
before Hamlet "went mad" people had taken notice in his odd behavior.
The king and queen commented on it in the first act, as did Polonius. In a way,
peoples criticisms were the driving force behind his transformation, he was not
allotted the proper amount of grieving time for his father’s death -- whom he
was attached to-- and his mother’s betrayal because of her need for constant
attention or affection. In one instance, in front of all of Elsinore, the king
accused Hamlet of "unmanly grief" (1.2.94) and shortly after everyone
left the "room of state in the castle" (setting of scene II) Hamlet
went into a very emotionally draining monologue where he expressed the animosity
he felt towards his mother for jumping into "incestuous sheets"
(1.2.157) and never truly mourning his father's death.
From
that point on, Hamlet lied and schemed and fell deeper into his madness, to a
point where it was not apparent whether he was faking it or not any longer. He
also began to inflict his delusional attitude upon others. Hamlet could be
compared to a "carrier" a term used in medicine to describe someone whom
carries a disease, but is not inflicted by it. Hamlet carries an air of madness,
but is not truly suffering from it at first, but he is still able to give it to
others. The next to be affected were Polonius and his daughter Ophelia.
Polonius catches onto Hamlets madness and sets off to catch him in the act. He
uses his own daughter as bait for to catch a crazy man which directly opposes
what he told Ophelia to do earlier in the play, “I would not, in plain terms,
from this time forth, have you so slander any moment leisure, as to give words
or talk with the Lord Hamlet.” (1.3.132-134). Polonius is filled with this need
to prove himself right at any cost, a form of madness which eventually leads to
his untimely death, and his daughters spiral into hysteria.
When
the disease reaches Ophelia, it hits her the hardest. She is so innocent and
pure, her life so simple. When her father gets into her mind and convinces her
Hamlet is mad, she listens and keeps her distance. When her brother leaves for
France, she reluctantly lets him go. When her father dies by the hands of her
lover, that was the brink of her sanity. Ophelia fell off harder than any of
the other characters. By having one of the most put together of the characters
lose it all, Shakespeare was conveying that madness can take hold of
anyone, also that once innocence is
lost, it cannot be found again. Ophelia was dependent upon all the male figures
in her life and once they all left, her will to live left with them. Ophelia’s
death was not only the result of her madness, but her madness was a consequence
of Hamlets relentless thirst for revenge against his uncle.
One
at a time, madness ravaged the main characters in Hamlet; the king, Polonius,
Ophelia, Laertes, the queen, and Hamlet himself. Not only did madness cycle
through the characters, each character spiraled out of control once they caught
it. If one were to break down every aspect of the play, and stop the madness at
each character, they would see that if it had been contained, none of the after
math would have occurred, or it would have been less devastating. Due to the
characters lack of independence, the disorder spread with no limits, and had no
leniency on the residents of Elsinore.
Works Cited
Jago, Carol, Renee H. Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. Literature & Composition: Reading, Writing, Thinking. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. Print.
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