Outline For Hamlet Research Paper

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April Chang Harris AP Lit. 1st 15 October 2014 Oh, Feel as Sanity’s Slipping Are the boundaries at which madness is defined limited to the indulgence of precious time into creating a 11 x 14 canvas which is considered artistic genius, but loving someone with one’s whole being which is considered mad? What is madness? In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, madness is shown to be a moldable, moving form. The characters in Hamlet have all gone mad -- or are appearing to be. Hamlet pretends to be mad while Ophelia, Hamlet’s lover, has fallen to true madness -- all the while all the other characters are mad, turning mad, or surrounded by the facade of madness that Hamlet takes on. Due to the cruel murder of Old Hamlet by King Claudius, Hamlet is driven…show more content…
ii. 378-379). The revelation is spoken to Guildenstern, Rosencrantz and the Players who do not fully understand what Hamlet is saying, and to the readers who are aware of what Hamlet…show more content…
ii. 93) is Ophelia. After Hamlet’s strange behavior and the death of her father, Ophelia is left with nothing but confusion and grief. Ophelia is one of the only characters in Hamlet that is said to have been pure. She did not participate in any form of deceit unlike Polonius, Claudius, and Hamlet. Because of the traumatic events caused by the deception from others around her, Ophelia falls victim to a lost madness that seems to occur in her own mind which eventually leads to her death. Even in her insanity, hints of Ophelia are presented through her ramblings such as, “And he will not come again?/No, no, he is dead,” (IV. v. 3-4) which recount Polonius’ death. Ophelia is pushed to her end not only by others’ actions but by the helplessness and lack of her own. Ophelia is constantly spoken to in a condescending tone by Polonius and Laertes and is not allowed control of her own life. Her loss of mind was her reaction to finally seizing control of her own life in whatever manner she could. Her death contributes to the fact that Ophelia was passive and unable to be allowed to make choices for herself. Though her manner of death is not specified, Gertrude claims Ophelia’s clothing, “heavy with their drink,” (IV. vii. 181) took Ophelia from her, “melodious lay/To muddy death” (IV. vii. 182-183) which conveys the theme of no control for Ophelia once again. Her
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