In Act III of “Hamlet”, Shakespeare presents to the audience several occasions where Hamlet’s “antic disposition” is clearly present. However, is Hamlet pretending to be mad in all these situations, or do we start to see Hamlet being presented as a character with a genuinely degenerating mental state? Hamlet’s soliloquies and interactions with other characters are the key to deciphering his condition.

The King’s attitude to Hamlet’s madness is made clear at the very beginning of Act III. He believes that Hamlet “puts on this confusion”, suggesting that he deeply suspects Hamlet’s madness as being put on. The idea that Hamlet bears no true madness is then reinforced when he utters his soliloquy in the first scene of Act III. His intellectual exploration of death and suicide suggest that he is far from mad, being able to contemplate philosophy so capably.

This is followed by Hamlet’s conversation with Ophelia which is watched by the King and Polonius, hiding on stage. For this, Hamlet once again seems to adopt a part of his antic disposition. For example contradicting the truth “I never gave you aught”,talking in a riddled way and then contradicting even himself “I did love you once… I loved you not.” After this Hamlet suggests that Ophelia should get herself “to a nunnery”, a word with the possible second meaning of ‘whore house’. However, again there is method in Hamlet’s madness. This disposition seems to take on a more distracted and violent tone, however, once Ophelia lies to him about the whereabouts of her father. This suggests that Hamlet knows that Polonius is eavesdropping on him and therefore recognises “At home my lord” to be a lie. Hamlet’s words become filled with a sense of action, “get thee… go farewell.. to a nunnery go, and quickly too”. This seems to break away from his typical, witty nature of ‘insanity’ as he launches into a tirade against all women, “you jig, you amble, and you lisp”. In this part, Hamlet says the interesting like “I’ll no more on’t; it hath made me mad”. The audience is left to wonder exactly what sort of madness Hamlet is referring to; perhaps his need to adopt the antic disposition because of his mother’s “o’er hasty marriage”, or perhaps he feels himself losing touch with reality because of his anger towards all womankind. At this point I believe the first explanation is more likely, considering the flirtatious and disloyal portrait of women which Hamlet has just presented. However, his violent actions, as portrayed in the Kenneth Branagh film production, seem to contrast with Hamlet’s usual calm and intellectual state, suggesting a deeper form of insanity.

Ophelia is certainly led to believe this is the case through Hamlet’s actions towards her, “O what a noble mind is here o’erthrown!”. Yet the King is not convinced of true madness, believing “there’s something in his soul / O’er which his melancholy sits on brood…”. The King recognises this as a threat to his guilty gains, “nor stands it safe with us”, and decides to ship Hamlet to England as soon as possible. “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go”, especially when there is method and craft behind the insanity.

The second scene begins with a complete reversal of Hamlet’s character. As if to dispel any confusion over Hamlet’s mental state, he is calmly and eloquently advising the players on how to best perform the “Murder of Gonzago” and act the speech he has prepared. His sensible counsel to the players, “let your own discretion be your tutor” bears no hint of his previous “ecstasy”. However, as soon as Hamlet once again addresses the king, his antic disposition swings into motion with intensity. He jokes with Claudius and Polonius, taking alternate meanings to their words, “of the chameleon’s dish; I eat the air” and even directly making fun of Polonius, playing off his words. Again Hamlet shows his madness towards Ophelia, however this time Hamlet’s alternate meanings are of a much more sexual nature, “Do you think I meant country matters?”. Hamlet’s purpose here seems to be to fill Ophelia with unease and create a very awkward atmosphere. Despite Ophelia’s efforts to distract him, “You are merry my lord”, Hamlet continues with some intelligent bitter sarcasm against the court which has, in his eyes, done severe disloyalty to his father, “O heavens, die two months ago, and not forgotten yet?”

However, after Hamlet’s plan succeeds and he lures his Uncle into proving his guilt, Hamlet once again shows signs of a truer madness. His gleeful, song-like exclamations link with Ophelia’s true madness, shown later in the play. Ophelia’s madness takes form in many songs and poetical speeches and here Hamlet seems to be touching on this as well. However, Ophelia makes a lot less sense in her ramblings, and Hamlet soon ceases this form of speech. But his mood still seems overly joyful, at odds with the others that surround him as he calls for “some music!” Then, as Guildenstern descends on Hamlet with grave words of the King’s “choler” and a summons from his mother, he seems to slip back into his original antic disposition, “Sir, I cannot… my wit’s diseased.” But all this seems to be a ruse to lure Guildenstern into a position where Hamlet can voice his true opinions of Rosencrantz and he. At this moment Hamlet seems to drop his antic disposition and launch into a furious rant against them for trying to manipulate him, “easier to be played on than a pipe?” Directly after this however Hamlet’s false madness seems to slide back into existence as he discusses with Polonius “yonder cloud that’s almost in shape of a camel”. This ease of slipping between one apparent mental state and other could signify that the boundaries between his antic disposition and his sanity are becoming weaker. Alternatively Hamlet could just be continuing to skilfully use the insanity to suit his purposes, slipping in and out as the situation best requires it. Again, it is hard to make a clear judgement as to whether Hamlet is really mad or not. The soliloquy which ends this scene seems rational and thought out once more, even if his suggestions of “drinking hot blood” do seem a little disturbing.

Hamlet has the opportunity to kill Claudius as he prays in Scene III, however he holds back, fearing that he would send the “villain… To heaven”. If Hamlet were truly mad in his revenge we could assume that the urge to kill his father’s murderer would supersede all rational thought. But here, once again, rational thought overrides his impulses as he decides to kill Claudius at a time when he is not absolved of sin, “drunk asleep, or in his rage…”.

The scene in which Hamlet confronts his mother is perhaps one of the most striking examples of his deeper disturbances showing through. Until the moment when Hamlet kills Polonius he adopts an antic disposition once again; facing his mother and playing off her words using opposites and double meanings. However, Hamlet has no real need to use this state of mind when with his mother, there is no craftiness to be achieved. Then he acts on impulse alone, killing the interloper hiding “behind the arras”, thinking that it was possibly the king. This rash action shows that Hamlet has begun to overrule his intellectual barriers, perhaps a sign that his madness is growing.

Following this, Hamlet launches into a desperate, emotional dialogue, trying to explain to his mother how he feels. The corruption in his words “blister… mildewed” and apparent violence in his manner show a less controlled side of Hamlet which the audience has not witnessed before. Even when his mother begins to see the “black and grained spots” on her “very soul” Hamlet does not give in with his attack. “In the rank swear of an enseamed bed Stewed in corruption… nasty sty.” words which are “like daggers” to his mother. Yet despite her plea for “No more, sweet Hamlet!… No more!” he continues on. It seems as though Hamlet’s crazed rage against his uncle and mother will never end, but then he is stopped by the reappearance of the ghost. However, unlike the first appearance of the ghost, Hamlet is now the only person who beholds the apparition. The Queen only sees him “bend your eye on vacancy”, as his mood quietens and he asks how his mother fares. This is further suggestion that Hamlet could be descending into madness, as his mother also believes that the ghost is but “the very coinage of your brain”. Despite this Hamlet argues against his insanity, rewording the “matter… which madness / Would gambol from.” Hamlet does not directly deny his madness here, but merely asserts that insanity is not the matter at hand. Later though, after a calmer and more deliberated conversation with his mother, Hamlet discloses his “antic disposition” to her, saying “I essentially am not in madness, / But mad in craft”. Thus the Act ends with Hamlet dragging the body of Polonius off stage.

In conclusion, Act III shows a very turbulent time for Hamlet’s mental state, during which many important events occur. The first signs of any deeper madness seem present in his violent address to Ophelia, and this is even clearer in the final scene with his mother. The fact that the ghost has to step in to cease Hamlet’s tirade could suggest that Hamlet is beginning to lose control of his emotion and composure, being corrupted by his own use of madness. However, examples of his witty half-insanity is also clear throughout the Act, used to Hamlet’s advantage in all situations. Therefore it could be judged that whilst Hamlet has not descended into the true madness shown by Ophelia later in the play, Act III shows Hamlet has a character who is much more unstable and more likely to give into impulse.

_{Mark achieved: 17/20}

_{Teacher’s comments: A very well argued response, thoroughly supported from your knowledge of the text. Well done!}