Shakespeare introduced a truly mad character, partly to show that Hamlet isn?t mad. Ophelia is a prime example of how a mad person would act. She was going around singing nonsense, telling people that she was so sad but not to worry, and in the end she kills herself. If you contrast her state of mind with Hamlet?s, there are significant differences that could only arise due to the fact that Hamlet is not truly mad.
There are numerous occasions when we see that Hamlet is not actually mad, but rather, that he is just faking it. His plan for revenge would have been a successful one if he had had the guts to kill Claudius when he had the chance. Hamlet?s character flaws show through even during his time of feigned madness. The fact that he over thinks every situation that he is in makes it so he is unable to take the revenge that he has planned for. If Hamlet would have truly been mad, he would not have been able to rationalize letting Claudius live, even if he was praying.
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