BLOG 8

Nickeisha Gray
Dr. Ximena Gallardo C.
November 13, 2008
BLOG 8
Claudius feels hamlet was pretending to be insane. The king is suspicious of Hamlet from the very beginning. Claudius thinks Hamlet is just putting on an act. Claudius stated, “Madness in great ones must not unwatched go.” He still is not completely convinced of Hamlet's madness so he is cautious. Claudius feels Hamlet is not mad but faking his insanity. Claudius is constantly on his guard because of his guilty conscience and he therefore recognizes that Hamlet is faking. He denies Hamlet permission to return to university so that he can keep an eye on him close by. He feels Hamlet just wants to go away for school. When Hamlet starts acting strangely, Claudius gets all the more suspicious and sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on him. Claudius was so threaten by Hamlet that he sends Hamlet to England, because he wanted Hamlet killed. The reason Claudius is so reluctant to believe that Ophelia's rejection has caused Hamlet's lunacy is that he doesn't believe in his madness at all.

Gertrude at first didn’t believe in Hamlet insanity. She felt he was faking and she can see right through him. However, after talking to her son she felt more comfortable about her son situation. During their conversation Gertrude takes everything that’s coming out of Hamlet mouth seriously. Gertrude respects Hamlet and his decisions. Even Gertrude felt Hamlet was upset about the rejection of Ophelia loves that brought her son to insanity. Gertrude blames herself for the actions of her son Hamlet.
Even Polonius feels that Hamlet is not really insane. Polonius also realizes that some of Hamlet conversations do not really make any sense. For example in Act II, Polonius asks Hamlet,” Do you know me, my Lord?” Hamlet replies, “Excellent well, you are a fishmonger”. After the confusing conversation with Hamlet Polonius wonder if Hamlet was really nutty or was there a method to his madness. Polonius felt it was the rejection of Ophelia love that brought Hamlet to insanity. When he found that it was not the rejection of love he decided to hide out in Gertrude bedroom to easy drop on Hamlet and his mother conversation.
Ophelia really does not think Hamlet is insane. However, she had a change of heart when Hamlet goes from telling her he loves her, to telling her that she is a whore and he does not love her. In a letter to Ophelia, Hamlet declares his love by saying "doubt thou the stars are fire, doubt that the sun doth move, doubt truth to be a liar, but never doubt I love." I could understand why Ophelia was very confused because Hamlet is playing with her emotions. Maybe Ophelia feels Hamlet don’t really know what he wants from her. Hamlet turns around and acts with complete coldness at their next meeting. Hamlet accuses Ophelia of being dishonest, “I did love you once I love you not if thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry is thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny, and get thee to a nunnery.” When asked by Polonius, her father, whether she thinks Hamlet is "mad for thy love?” Ophelia answered, "I truly do fear it." Ophelia fears that Hamlet has really gone off the deep end.