hamlet essay

"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't" This quote seems to say the most about Hamlet than any other quote, as far as the plot itself is concerned. This has become a cliche in modern language to describe someone who is, in a way, a crazy genius. "He's got a method to his madness" means they are so committed to completing their task, it seems insane. When Polonious spoke this line, it was clear he no longer thought Hamlet was just madly in love. It gave a real sense that Hamlet was a real threat - a genius. Although even at the beginning, some readers may have thought he was mad themselves, as time goes on, both reader and characters learn that Hamlet has only given off the impression that he is insane, and that in itself just might be crazy enough to work. This quote also, in a way, plays in tandem with the entire play and it's outcome. Things are a mess all over; the king is dead, his son has "gone mad", many important people begin to die, wars were won, etc. The way Hamlet perceives this seems like pure madness, and even leads him to have many small breakdowns with himself, such as the "to be, or not to be" soliloquy, and even being crazy enough to set up the play he created. Characters talk to themselves, sleep with their brothers wives, and kill their step-father's right hand man, and much more that leads you to believe there is no peace in this castle. But at the same time, all of this madness is backed up by Hamlet's persistence to kill Claudius, driven by a ghost's wishes (yeah... madness.) Just like Claudius's method to take the throne worked, Hamlet's method to get Claudius to confess with a play worked. The madness that seems to underline the entire play is driven by a few men's determination to complete their goals, which gives the story a way to drive itself forward amidst the madness.

The Performative Utterance in Hamlet Notes

"Hamlet is trapped in a kind of cognitive paralysis, convinced of his duty and yet unable to move that duty from the mental to the real" hamlet told by ghost, still unable to bring himself to actually, physically kill someone hamlet's soliliqueys throughout the play provide insight onto why he feels this way has trouble doing the things he says "demonstrates a disconnect between what he says and what he does" describes a convincing performance with the players