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Sane Or Insane Hamlet Analysis Essay

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Proctor 1
Andrew Proctor
English 12/ Mrs. Hogan
Hamlet Analysis
November 28, 2016
Sane or Insane?
Hamlet's to be or not to be soliloquy, illuminates something that crosses every human's mind, even if only for a split second; to live or die, fight or cry. Sometimes the world can get to a person, and when allowed to manifest, it can be hurtful. Suicide is a choice when things get tough, but a cowardly act. Life is precious and the only way to succeed must be to be in it; therefore, living. Suicide doesn't terminate a problem, but hides it. People will be judged sooner or later by the powers that be.
What is the cause of this change in Hamlet? The entire play, Hamlet wrestles between his perceived obligation to murder Claudius and his better nature, which prevents him from committing the act. Hamlet’s procrastination produces in him a “growing rage”, as Boyce puts it, which is reflected in his soliloquy in Act II scene ii; he ponders whether he is a “coward” or even a “villain” for not taking revenge. Despite his frustration, he continues to justify his procrastination with the unreliable nature of the …show more content…

In comparison to Hamlet’s refusal to kill Claudius before he knew whether or not he was guilty, Hamlet’s stabbing of the “rat” without even caring to double check who it was is unjust and irrational. The reappearance of the ghost during this scene also raises questions of Hamlet’s sanity. While the numerous witnesses of the ghost in the Act I allow the audience to reasonably conclude that the ghost is real, Hamlet is the only one to see the ghost in the closet scene. There are several accepted explanations for Gertrude’s inability to see the ghost. Certain arguments say that the reason lies in Gertrude herself; Gertrude’s innocence protects her from seeing the ghost or that her guilt made her blind to the ghost of her late husband but these are both

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