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Madness And Madness In Hamlet

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The time when Shakespeare's wrote the play "The Tragedy of Hamlet'", madness had already been established as an element in several revenge tragedies. Hamlet's revenge tragedy is unique as it is clear that he has a motive. Hamlet is a threat to Claudius' authority whether sane or insane and his assumed madness gives justification for his actions. Helmet obviously has some planned tricks and has thoroughly considered his feigned madness. Although Hamlet had gone through tragedies of his father's death and the marriage between his uncle and mother, the play shows evidence that Hamlet purposely feigned his madness to confuse the king and attendants.
Hamlet's declared intention to act "odd" and to put a "joke aura on" (I. v. 170, 172) is not the only sign. The latter expression which is of farfetched interpretation, ought to be taken in its context and in relation to other comments that bear a similar question. To his old companion, Guildenstern, he suggests that "his uncle-father and aunt-mother are misled," and that he is just "mad north-northwest." (II. ii. 360.) However, the suggestion appears to make no difference to the dull ears of his former schoolmate. His only remark is given later when he exhorts that Hamlet's is "a shrewd madness" (III. I. 8.)
While finishing with Horatio the plans for the play, and just before the entrance of the court party, Hamlet says that he believes that he is idle." (III. ii. 85.) This clearly is a revelation of his aim to be "silly," as

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