Theme Of Mental Illness In Hamlet

The character of Hamlet, can be considered one of the most complex characters that Shakespeare has ever created. With his neurotic and melancholy-esque personality, it maybe be hard to distinguish whether Hamlet is feigning madness, or if he is still simply grieving the death of his father, or lastly whether or not Hamlet, is just a victim of an unstable mental state. This essay will explore the reasoning behind the latter, arguing that Hamlet was always mentally unstable, through the perspective of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, and that the death of his father has given the opportunity for his mental state to be thrown in the spotlight. After the death of his father, Hamlet was grieving intensely, especially