Essay on Shakespeares Hamlet is both Madman and Genious

Madman or Genius? Scholars have been disputing the sanity of Hamlet, for over four hundred years, in the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Is he an insane madman or a vengeful, devious, genius? There are many contradictory ideas and theories on Hamlet’s so called psychosis, his procrastination in avenging his father’s death, and his actions towards his mother. In the first act Hamlet seems to be in a perfectly sane state of mind. It is the second scene where the reader begins to see a change in Hamlet’s character. Ophelia meets with Polonius and recalls the meeting she previously had with Hamlet. She tells her father that Hamlet came to her disheveled, and in a traumatized state of mind, speaking of†¦show more content†¦To be or not to be is, for all intents and purposes, Hamlet debating on whether he should sustain the pains of living in such a harsh world and fight to avenge his fathers murder, or take his own life. George Brandes states that â₠¬Å"Hamlet suddenly realizes that everything is entirely different from what he had imagined, and feels as if he must die because he cannot set it right† (Brandes). Hamlet is bewildered as to whether he should avenge his fathers death. However, in the back of Hamlets mind, which keeps him in constant mayhem, is his loyalty to his family and moreover his father. In act four scene two Hamlet meets with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and he seems to be breaking down into insanity. Hamlet has just killed Polonius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern were sent by Claudius to question him as to where he placed the body Polonius. The outlandish thing about this scene is that Hamlet seems to play with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and does not give them a straight answer. Hamlet has practically transformed into a different person and does not seem to be completely sane. Next is another situation that can not entirely be explained. The situation being Hamlets multiple delays in avenging h is fathers death. The first that Hamlet learns of how his father actually died is in act one scene five, where Hamlet follows the ghost of his dead father who explains to Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius. This all took place at the