You are here:
- Home
- Arts/Humanities
- Books by Genre
- Shakespeare
- madness in "Hamlet"
Shakespeare/madness in "Hamlet"
Advertisement
Question
I find it strange that Ophelia goes mad because her father dies and Hamlet rejects her. Sad, yes, but out of her mind? Do you believe that she really goes mad, or is this just an easy way to wrap up her part of the story?
Hi, Karen,
Thanks for calling upon "Allexperts" for an opinion regarding Ophelia's "madness" in the play Hamlet.
I must admit that I also think it a little extreme to consider Ophelia's mood and behavior as madness. I agree also that it would more appropriately be described as perhaps "grieved" and "morose." I wouldn't doubt that, from time to time, Shakespeare "bit off more than he wanted to chew" regarding the plots woven into his plays, and thereby would sometimes rather abruptly conclude a character's situation to "get the play done."
While it IS interesting to observe that different people deal with tragedy and grief in very different ways, and that Ophelia may be quite unique in her behavior, I think YOUR reasoning is accurate. Maybe that's the reason he dealt with Ophelia in this way----a convenient "wrap-up" as you called it.
Happy trails and late HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Randy
- Add to this Answer
- Ask a Question
| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Dear Randy, Thank you for a very thoughtful answer. I looked many places trying to satisfy my unease over this. One thought that helped, and I cannot remember where I got it (sorry), is that Shakespeare saw "mad" people quite frequently in daily life. We, on the other hand, hardly ever see such strange behavior - so perhaps the leap was easier to imagine in his day. Thank you once again. - Karen | ||
Related Articles
Randy Sus
Expertise
I`m a retired high school English teacher from central Wisconsin. I taught Shakespeare for years and am very familiar with his writing style, his themes, his sonnets, and most of his plays. I taught Julius Caesar, King Lear, Richard the Third, and A Midsummer Night`s Dream for years. I`ve memorized many of the lines from these plays and I know many sonnets by heart. I`d be glad to respond to questions regarding Shakespeare`s life, works, and times if anyone desired such information.
Experience
I have a master's degree in education and I take most pride in having ENJOYED teaching for over 30 years. Not everyone can honestly say that. I coached undefeated high school soccer teams for fun too. I like public relations work and have served on P.R. committees for most of my professional life. I continue to do so in retirement.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.