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This is one of the most debated questions about Hamlet and one to which no definitive answer can be given. There are three possible answers:
1. Hamlet was really mad.
2. Hamlet was just putting it on. Evidence for this are his lines to his friends that he is going to "put an antic disposition on". He also says clearly to his mother that "it is not madness that I speak". He behaves very strangely when he is with Polonius but once he is gone, his behaviour changes and he sneers, "These tedious old fools."
3. Both. He was putting it on but he was unstable.
Actors have played him all three ways successfully.
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How does gertrude explain hamlets murder of polonius?
Gertrude tells Claudius that it was out of madness. This means that Gertrude had not divulged the knowledge that Hamlet was faking his madness.
Whats the difference between Hamlet's and Ophelia's madness?
Ophelia is really mad as in she is truly insane; today she would be institutionalized. Hamlet is mad, but not in the crazy sense. After hearing what the Ghost tells him, he is mad at Claudius and his Mother for betraying him and his father. To conceal the fact that he knows Claudius killed his father, he acts mad to everyone around him so that he doesn't seem like a threat to Claudius. His goal is to be mad enough that he isn't institutionalized, but still be able to get away with his weird behavior.
What cause does Polonius give for Hamlets madness?
Polonius is sure that Hamlet has gone mad with love for Ophelia. See these lines by Polonius in Act 2 scene 1: ~Polonius: Come, go with me! I will go seek the King;This is the very ecstasy of love,...Ophelia: ... I did repel his letters, and denied His access to me.Polonius: That hath made him mad;~ So Polonius thinks Hamlet is suffering from the "ecstasy of love" for Ophelia, which has driven him mad.
What promise does Gertrude make to Hamlet?
He asks her not to go to Claudius' bed.
Does Polonius believe that love for Ophelia first caused Hamlet's madness?
Yes. He makes this instant diagnosis when Ophelia tells him about Hamlet bursting into her chamber half-undressed: "This is the very ecstasy of love"
Why does shakespeare introduce the element of madness in Hamlet?
It was in his source. An essential part of the Hamlet story is that Hamlet feigns madness to keep his profile low while he plots the downfall of his uncle. Thus we hear that Hamlet will "put an antic disposition on" immediately after seeing the ghost. In the sources, Hamlet's assumed lunacy convinces his uncle that he is not a danger, so that he doesn't do Hamlet in. In Shakespeare's story, Claudius is not so easily fooled, and he does try to do Hamlet in, but it is his political sense and his love for Gertrude which keep him from doing it in an obvious way. Hamlet gets lucky and wriggles out of Claudius's trap. There is the additional element of lunacy in poor Ophelia. Her insanity is genuine, but unfortunately nobody believes that she drowned because she was insane, causing her to be buried without Christian rites. It is an irony that Hamlet's fake madness takes so many people in, yet Ophelia's real madness does not.
Was Hamlet ever mad or just acting?
Shakespeare leaves the madness of Hamlet to the mind of the audience; you can read it either way. If he is mad (as in "insane"), it is a madness with a purpose. At any rate, it would be a curious sort of madness that depended on the winds.
What does a cloak of madness mean?
This is from Hamlet. What it means is that Hamlet suspected his father was murdered. Which he was, but at that stage he didnt know this.
What explanations does Gertrude offer for Polonius murder?
Hamlet was crazy. She follows Hamlet's instructions and says that "Hamlet hath in madness Polonius slain."
Can the god of madness have a kid?
Yes, and his name is Hamlet Sparta Tomcruise Yes, and his name is Hamlet Sparta Tomcruise
What does Polonius show Claudius and Gertrude as proof that he knows the cause of Hamlet's madness?
He shows them a love-letter Hamlet wrote to Ophelia.
How does gertrude explain hamlets murder of polonius?
Gertrude tells Claudius that it was out of madness. This means that Gertrude had not divulged the knowledge that Hamlet was faking his madness.
Who says though this be madness?
The quote "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't" is spoken by Polonius in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Polonius says this to indicate that while Hamlet's behavior may seem crazy, there is a hidden reason or purpose behind it.
Which Shakespearean play does method in his madness appear?
The quotation is from Hamlet, Act II Scene 2 "Polonius: Though this be madness, yet there is method in't"
Whats the difference between Hamlet's and Ophelia's madness?
Ophelia is really mad as in she is truly insane; today she would be institutionalized. Hamlet is mad, but not in the crazy sense. After hearing what the Ghost tells him, he is mad at Claudius and his Mother for betraying him and his father. To conceal the fact that he knows Claudius killed his father, he acts mad to everyone around him so that he doesn't seem like a threat to Claudius. His goal is to be mad enough that he isn't institutionalized, but still be able to get away with his weird behavior.
In scene 2 what does Polonius tell Claudius and Gertrude is the cause of Hamlet's madness?
Hamlet is love-sick with Ophelia and is mad since he isn't able to see her anymore.
What cause does Polonius give for Hamlets madness?
Polonius is sure that Hamlet has gone mad with love for Ophelia. See these lines by Polonius in Act 2 scene 1: ~Polonius: Come, go with me! I will go seek the King;This is the very ecstasy of love,...Ophelia: ... I did repel his letters, and denied His access to me.Polonius: That hath made him mad;~ So Polonius thinks Hamlet is suffering from the "ecstasy of love" for Ophelia, which has driven him mad.
