Essay Prompt: From the very beginning if the play, all the way until the end, the other characters are quick to notice Hamlet’s “antic disposition.” However, one of the major questions that critics and readers alike have grapples with is exactly how crazy is Hamlet and how much of his madness is feigned. In your opinion, what is the extent of Hamlet’s madness? Does he actually go crazy, or is he in control? Does it change throughout the play, and if so, where? Make your essay follows the development of the madness as you analyze the most important moments that support your thesis. Hamlet has gone through a series of unfortunate events enough to make anyone go mad, but instead, Hamlet is perfectly sane. Sometimes, the most insane thing to do is be sane. Contrary to popular belief, Hamlet is not crazy. He may be daring, courageous some may say, but most definitely not crazy. Throughout the entire play, Hamlet has gone through one tragic event after another. His uncle murders his father, his mother marries his uncle, the love of his life commits suicide, and on top of that, everyone thinks Hamlet is undoubtedly crazy. The death of any family member and/or loved one is enough to make anyone go crazy, but Hamlet is a tough cookie and doesn’t break. Hamlet, now a young man has had his father by his side since he was born, and has received news that his father has died. Anyone who is not a sociopath would have a reaction to such an event like this. The loss of a loved one can immensely impact someone’s world. That person you thought would always be there is gone and never coming back. After people realize this, they begin to think, “How am I going to survive without them?” Hamlet does indeed appear to be crazy after his father’s death, but remember, it’s only an act. In Act I, Scene V, Hamlet says’ “ How strange or odd soe’er I bear myself− as I perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on” (Shakespeare 28). This proves that Hamlet
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