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The Tragedies Of Shakespeare

The Tragedies Of Shakespeare

The Tragedies Of Shakespeare

"Your noble son is mad —
        ‘Mad' call I it, for to define true madness,
        What is't but to be nothing else but mad?"
(Wells and Taylor, 665)

    In Act two, scene two of William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Polonius
uses these words to inform Hamlet's parents of their son's insanity. He then
continues on, telling Gertrude and Claudius that the cause of this madness is
lovesickness over his own daughter Ophelia (665). From the privileged
perspective of the audience, we know that Polonius is mistaken and that Hamlet
is far from insane, but rather, "playing mad" for a purpose of his own. Madness
in Shakespearean plays, and in tragedies in particular, is rarely what it seems
on the surface. Instead, both madness and the characters experiencing it are
layered with meaning; like an onion, layer after layer can be peeled off,
eventually allowing a glimpse at the core concealed within.
    Shakespeare's treatment of the character Hamlet is typically multi-
faceted and complex—Hamlet appears insane, ostensibly over Ophelia, however,
his madness is feigned—a cover for internal conflicts, rooted not in thwarted
affection, but rather in desire to avenge his father's murder. Hamlet even goes
so far as to say his apparent madness is an act when he says "I am but mad
north-north-west; when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw"(667).

    Shakespeare often used madness, either feigned or actual, as a teaching
tool or vehicle to advance his plot. Sometimes this madness was feigned, as
evidenced by Hamlet and Edgar (the legitimate son of Gloucester in The Tragedy
of King Lear), but other times it was genuine insanity. Ophelia and Lady
MacBeth are obvious examples of Shakespearean characters that have slipped into
madness—Ophelia due to the loss of all those dear to her, and Lady MacBeth from
guilt over the part she played in King Duncan's murder. In Hamlet, Ophelia's
madness ultimately leads to her demise, and this, in turn, plays a part in
Hamlet's willingness to engage in what will be his final battle. In this sense,
it helps advance the play towards its climax.
    While Lady MacBeth's madness also leads to death, its focus is more on
teaching than propelling the story to conclusion. While Lady MacBeth is
initially seen as a cold, conscienceless, calculating woman, intent on
advancing her husband politically (by any means necessary), her character
changes as the play progr

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