Her fair judgment: Madness as

Hamartia in William Shakespeares The

Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Danis, Katie
Eng-RedH
05/19/16

Thesis
In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, Shakespeare
juxtaposes Hamlet's reckless fits and contemplative musings to
show that Hamlet's feigned madness conceals a true insanity;
Shakespeare incorporates this tragic flaw to render his character
vulnerable and lend relatability to a fatalistic narrative.

Abstract
In The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, characters manifest various versions of
madness, evoking disparate emotional responses from the audience. Shakespeare
juxtaposes Hamlets genuine and faked madness to increase his intellectual and
emotional accessibility; Hamlet retains enough sanity to clarify his motives, maintaining
an insane faade while using verbal irony to reveal his intentions to the audience.
However, this veneer conceals a true madness that Hamlet reveals through his obsession
and recklessness, catalyzing the Classical hamartias that rends the Danish monarchys
gilded reputation and qualifies Hamlet as a tragic hero.

Analysis
What I learned:
1.
2.
3.

The audience drives the style.

Form follows function.
Authors intentionally employ
ambiguity.

How I expanded my
understanding of Hamlet:
1.

2.

3.

Precise language
deconstructs
obscurity.
Multiple renditions
present the entire
picture.
This works impact
on literature and
popular culture
appears omnipresent.

Conclusions:
1.
2.
3.

Shakespeare foresaw analysis.

Logic and instinct combine to create
the human experience.
Portrayal determines inter-character
dynamics.