Hamlets questionable madness is starkly contrasted with Ophelia's real madness in act 4?

Answer 1

Ophelia is, by Act 4, no longer a functional person. The king orders Horatio to "follow her close; give her good watch I pray you" because she cannot look after herself. Hamlet, on the other hand, although we do not see him very much in Act 4, is very much able to look after himself. In the scene immediately following Ophelia's last appearance, Horatio receives a letter in which Hamlet describes how he helped defend his ship against pirates, boarded the pirate ship and now has convinced them to return him to Denmark. He is still more than competent.

Answer 2

Ophelia's madness is precipitated by the death of her father, and the lack of any of the other men who continually told her what to do (Hamlet and Laertes). Was it necessary for her to go insane? From the point of view of the playwright it was convenient, because she had no further dramatic function, and at the same time, the occasion of her funeral will heat up the hostility between Laertes and Hamlet, leading to the final scene. Although he probably could have written her out of the story without making her crazy, so it wasn't strictly "necessary", it disposed of her neatly.