Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - Hamlet and...

Hamlet and Insanity William Shakespeare’s supreme tragic drama Hamlet does not answer fully for many in the audience the pivotal question concerning the sanity of Hamlet – whether it is totally feigned or not. Let us treat this topic in detail, along with critical comment. George Lyman Kittredge in the Introduction to The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, explains the prince’s rationale behind the entirely pretended insanity: In Shakespeare’s drama, however, Hamlet’s motive for acting the madman is obvious. We speak unguardedly in the presence of children and madmen, for we take it for granted that they will not listen or will not understand; and so the King or the Queen (for Hamlet does not know†¦show more content†¦Hamlet’s first soliloquy deepens the psychological rift between the prince and the world at large, but especially women; it emphasizes the frailty of women – an obvious reference to his mother’s hasty and incestuous marriage to her husband’s brother: Must I remember? why, she would hang on him, As if increase of appetite had grown By what it fed on: and yet, within a month-- Let me not think ont--Frailty, thy name is woman! (1.2) The Ghost reveals to the protagonist that King Hamlet was murdered by Claudius, who had a relationship with Gertrude prior to the murder; the ghost requests revenge by Hamlet: â€Å"Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.† Hamlet swears to carry out vengeance on King Claudius. The hero resolves to put on an â€Å"antic disposition† to disguise his intentions while he seriously works on avenging his murdered father. So it would seem that the prince’s madness is entirely feigned – at least at first. Hamlet’s girlfriend, Ophelia, is unfortunately the first to experience the hero’s new â€Å"madness,† and she is terrorized by his visit. Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes Polonius’ analysis of Hamlet’sShow MoreRelated Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay1390 Words   |  6 Pages     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Shakespeares Hamlet, there are two characters that display qualities of insanity.   They are Hamlet and Ophelia.   Although they both appear to be mad at times, their downfall (or supposed downfall) is quite different.   Ophelias crazed characteristics show up and intensify quite rapidly, until she is ultimately led to suicide.   Her madness seems definite, and it is never questioned.   The insanity or sanity of the main character is an arguable question.   The issue can be discussed bothRead More Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Madness of Hamlet Essay2270 Words   |  10 PagesThe Madness of Hamlet    William Shakespeare, in the tragedy Hamlet, designed two characters who exhibit symptoms of madness: Ophelia and the prince. Hamlet states his own madness as intentional, purposeful, for the carrying out of the ghost’s admonition. But does Hamlet’s pretended insanity actually touch on real, actual insanity from time to time, or is it consistent? Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in â€Å"Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula† consider the madness of the heroRead More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay3091 Words   |  13 PagesHamlet and Insanity      Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s creation of the character of Hamlet within the tragedy of that name left open the question of whether the madness of the protagonist is entirely feigned or not. This essay will treat this aspect of the drama.    George Lyman Kittredge in the Introduction to The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, explains the lack of success with Hamlet’s pretended insanity, and in so doing he implies that the madness is entirely feigned and not real:Read More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay793 Words   |  4 PagesMadness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet         Ã‚   Shakespeares Hamlet is a master of deception. Hamlet decides to make Claudius believe that he is insane, but the scheme backfires when everyone, except Claudius, falls for it. Ophelia is one of those who believes Hamlet lost his mind, and when he does not return her love, she is so brokenhearted that she commits suicide. Near the end of the tragedy, Hamlet plays the part so well, that he convinces himself he is insane. Clearly, HamletsRead More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - The Necessary Madness of Hamlet1140 Words   |  5 PagesNecessary Madness of Hamlet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, is a complex play, filled with layers of meaning. These are often revealed through the madness of the characters and the theme of madness throughout the play. Although Hamlet and Ophelia are the only characters thought to be so afflicted, the reactions of other characters to this madness mirrors their own preoccupations.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When one refers to madness in Hamlet, most would think of Hamlets madness, or at leastRead More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet - From Obsession to Insanity1006 Words   |  5 PagesFrom Obsession to Madness in Hamlet      Ã‚   In Shakespeares play Hamlet, there are several questions that come to the readers mind regarding the emotional state of Hamlet.   Was Hamlet really suffering from madness, as many of his friends and family thought?   Was he mad or just pretending to be mad?   Did Hamlet start out pretending to be mad, and his obsession drove him to madness?   The reader gets insight into Hamlets mental status through other characters and through Hamlet himself. If the charactersRead More Madness and Insanity in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay964 Words   |  4 PagesHamlet - A Question of Madness      Ã‚   Hamlets public persona is a facade he has created to carry out his ulterior motives. The outside worlds perception of him as being mad is of his own design. Hamlet is deciding what he wants others to think about him. Polonius, a close confidant of the King, is the leading person responsible for the publics knowledge of Hamlets madness. The idea that Hamlet is mad centers around the fact that he talks to the ghost of his dead father. He communicates withRead More Sanity, Insanity, Madness? - William Shakespeares Hamlet is Sane2156 Words   |  9 PagesSanity, Insanity, Madness? - William Shakespeares Hamlet is Sane In William Shakespeares Hamlet, the lead character, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, has been interpreted in numerous ways. Throughout the play Hamlet takes on different personas, making it hard define him as only one character type. Often when critics analyze the character of Hamlet, they question his sanity because of his ambiguity soon after he sees his fathers ghost. What does it mean to be insane? The definition of the word insaneRead MoreShakespeare s Madness : A Timeless Reflection Of Society1535 Words   |  7 PagesShakespeare’s Madness: A Timeless Reflection of Society The word â€Å"madness† often provokes thoughts of schizophrenia, dementia, and psychosis; however, these illnesses prove not to be the exact cause of the various downfalls to the characters throughout the play Hamlet. The author, William Shakespeare, depicts a different type of insanity in the play, one that seems ambiguous but also feels eerily similar to ones that still affect others to this day. Shweta Bali, author of Mechanics of Madness inRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Hamlet - Conversation Enabler1332 Words   |  6 PagesConversation-Enabler In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is one of the most elusive characters of the play and her importance is very hard to pinpoint and has raised eyebrows for centuries. For example, the scene of her death is one that artists have depicted over and over, yet that iconic moment is merely alluded to and happens off stage. This reflects Ophelia’s character very well considering that she is often at the periphery of the action; more talked about then talked to. There are many questions

Its Time to Get Rid of Standardized Tests Essay - 1787 Words

High School juniors and seniors are frequently asked what they plan to do for their college education. While discussing their future in college, many relevant topics come into the conversation. One may talk about their grades and classes, paying for school, and their test scores. All of these have a very important impact on what a student will do for the next few years of their life. Unfortunately, in our society, test scores are an extremely important factor in the college admissions process. Students are highly encouraged to put forth a serious effort in order to achieve the best possible score. â€Å"To this day, most four-year colleges require applicants to take one or more of a number of standardized tests for admission, and†¦show more content†¦However, just because the test is popular and widely used doesn’t indicate that it is a valid predictor of college success (Atkinson). The excessive utilization of standardized tests in no manner implies or sugge sts a higher accomplishment. The essentials of this debate are easily comprehensible: Standardized tests are not a high-quality predictor of college success. The truth concerning the predictive abilities of the SAT and ACT is clear; there are simply superior methods to evaluate potential college success. College admissions need to rely more heavily on factors such as High School GPA and SAT Subject and AP Tests, as these pieces of data contain a higher level of predictive power than SAT and ACT scores. Through the comparison of subject-specific tests and GPA to broad standardized tests, it is evident that the principles of our education system must be reinvented. It is widely agreed upon that one’s High School Grade Point Average is the best forecaster of college achievement. â€Å"High school GPA is based on repeated sampling of student performance over a period of years. And college-preparatory classes present many of the same academic challenges that students will fa ce in college, so it should not be surprising that prior performance in such activities would be predictive of later performance† (Atkinson). A student’s application of themselves in high school, asShow MoreRelatedStandardized Testing1272 Words   |  6 PagesSynthesis Essay on Standardized Testing Standardized testing in the United States started in the mid- 1800’s (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). This kind of testing was originally created to measure students’ performance and progress in school (Standardized Tests - ProCon.org). In recent years, the public school system has relied heavily on the information this test provides, in doing so creating controversy. Other than being a student myself, and participating in multiple standardized exams such asRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography Essay1319 Words   |  6 PagesAlternatives to Standardized Tests:. (n.d.). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://www.rethinkingschools.org/restrict.asp?path=archive/13_03/assess.shtml This article speaks about different approaches at the end of the grading period as opposed to using standardized testing. Other ideas are evaluation of the work the student has done throughout the year, or quarter. This would take the place of using a pen and pencil test like the standardized test we currently use. An alternative to standardized testingRead MoreReview Of Francis Lewis High School934 Words   |  4 Pagesgreat educational system should consist of diversity, well prepared and trained teachers, and getting rid of the standardized tests. I believe that the teachers should be prepared to teach and lead a classroom full of curious students who are striving to learn and later use the knowledge in the future. The school should also be filled with diverse people. We should also get rid of the standardized testing to determine who we are. The fact that my school was diverse was a gift. I met all sorts ofRead MoreEssay on Standardized Tests Are Ineffective1578 Words   |  7 PagesStandardized tests are unnecessary because they are excruciating to the minds of many innocent students. Each year, the tests get tougher and stricter until the students cannot process their own thoughts. The tests become torturous to the minds of those only starting in the world of tests. The students already battling in the war are continuing to fall deeper and deeper into the world of uncreativity and narrowness. As the walls narrow in on them, they are lost and unable to become innovative thinkersRead MoreStandardized Testing Is A Common Routine Part Of Their School Year1202 Words   |  5 PagesAngela Li Ms. Weichert English 9H G3 17 November 2016 [INSERT TITLE HERE] For students of all ages across the United States, standardized testing has become a common routine part of their school year. Many laws have been passed over the years, requiring countless standardized tests throughout a student’s educational career for every student.This educational norm has been implemented for the past eighty years for the purpose of allowing comparisons to be made among schools in regards to student achievementRead MoreThe Pros and Cons of Standardized Testing Essay674 Words   |  3 PagesStandardized testing is a down fall to many students but also an opportunity for many others. Standardized testing has its pros and its cons. It can be the make it or break it factor into getting into colleges you are hoping to attend or the scholarships you want to earn. Some people may have their opinions about the test, whether they hate it or not but the fact is that it’s here to stay. What exactly is standardized testing you may ask, it is a test which measures the knowledge among differentRead MoreThe Purpose Of College Is A Subject That Is Very Important1273 Words   |  6 Pageshigh school diploma. Now more than ever colleges need to provide more efficient pathways for students to study specific skills such as accounting and engineering. I personally want to become an accountant, so I must attend college because it’s the only way to get the qualifications for the job. It would be easier and less expensive for me if there was a college course that I could just enroll in and pay for, that would train me in the field of accounting. However, the way college is set up requiresRead MoreStandardized Testing: Does It Really Tell Academic Performance?638 Words   |  3 PagesStandardized testing is any test that remains the same and is given in the same manner to all test takers. Standardized testing began in China as a part of job applications. They became mo re frequently used in the early 1900’s to determine an individual’s intelligence. The army used these tests to determine if soldiers were officer material. In 2000, Finland had the highest PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores in the world. Finland uses very little standardized testing comparedRead MoreThe Stress Of Standardized Tests1605 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stress of Standardized Tests Many know the stressful feeling of having to take the ACT. The exam room fills slowly with worried faces and remains quiet until the test stars. Students grasp their pencils tightly, their palms sweating with the thought of their future at stake with this single test. In order to get into any college, an ACT or SAT score is required. These required scores for admission vary from school to school which can make it difficult for every student to attend their dream schoolRead MoreThe Pressure in Todays High Schools1557 Words   |  7 Pagestheir GPA. As they struggle under never-ending piles of homework and standardized tests, there is little time for students to worry about sports, family, health, rest, or even learning. The unnecessary pressure that today’s high school students suffer from has a huge effect on social lives, mental stability, and physical well-being. The stress is unhealthy and unnecessary and it comes from things like homework or standardized tests. These pro blems can be easily solved with small changes in the education

Faith in Humanity Free Essays

Faith in Humanity Essay Faith in humanity is when a person has a belief that humans cannot do something so terrible, like burning people in mass ovens, because they are humane. This belief was used against the Jews, as well as the public, in the time of the Holocaust for Hitler’s benefit to pull a blind over their eyes in early stages of the Holocaust. There are many examples of faith in humanity from what was presented during this unit as well as belief of faith in humanity in modern day Thailand. We will write a custom essay sample on Faith in Humanity or any similar topic only for you Order Now Faith in humanity was a practice that crippled the Jews into believing that the Nazis couldn’t, and wouldn’t, shoot mass numbers of people into mass graves. In Night, by Ellie Wiesel, the author talks about a person who disappears and comes back with injuries. The person tells a sad tale about his misfortunes in his disappearing. He tells of foreigners having to offer up their necks to the Nazis so that they may shoot it, little babies being torn from their mothers’ arms, being tossed up into the air and shot down, as if they were just target practice and not actually living beings. In Night, also the author talks about being at the concentration camp and seeing the mass grave pile, patiently waiting in a heap for the incinerator, but at first, in the dark, he couldn’t and chose not to believe it because he didn’t think, even after the horrific cattle ride where an old woman was viciously beaten by fellow prisoners because she wouldn’t shut up, that that anyone could burn bodies that had been gassed or shot. He had a massive amount of faith in the Nazis’ hearts and consciences. The book Night and the book The Book Thief were both laced with faith in humanity. The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, has many forms of Faith in humanity intertwined through the pages. In the book, Liesel, the main character, has faith in the Nazis but when her family turns out to be storing a Jew, she hears stories that compromise her original faith. The Jew, Max Vandenburg, tells her stories of his family in hiding, some gruesome tales about when he was captured, what he saw when he was hiding within the shadows of an abandoned warehouse, and what forced him to hide. Her faith in the Nazis dwindled but she still went to Hitler Youth where she was subjected to the lies that she had put her faith in. She heard that all Jews that were not in hiding were deported and forced into horrible conditions when she got home but had to keep the picture of an innocent, oblivious German girl who goes along with the plan and keeps her faith in humanity. As well as Liesel, the main character in The Book Thief, and the Germans in the time of Holocaust, the Thai people also have a massive amount of faith in humanity in their own kind. The people in Thailand are, unless it has been committed near them, oblivious to the practice of sex and human trafficking. Many young girls every year are taken from their families and cities to be sold into slavery and bondage without knowledge of the public. The Thais have faith in the other Thais, so much that on the outside of the Reclining Buddha statue, there is a sign that says, â€Å"Warning: Not Thai Bandits and Pick Pockets around. † Thais are unknowingly giving up the younger generation of girls because they are hidden behind a curtain of faith in the wrong thing, humanity. Faith in Humanity is, and has been, practiced all over in the world. From the Holocaust to Thailand, modern day, it reins true, we cannot imagine life where anyone could be so cruel. How to cite Faith in Humanity, Papers