Is Hamlet Mad?
"I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a
handsaw" (II.ii.369-370). This is a classic example of the "wild and whirling words"
(I.v.134) with which Hamlet hopes will persuade people to believe that he is mad. These
words, however, prove that beneath his "antic disposition," (I.V.172). Hamlet is sane.
Under his strange choice of imagery involving points of the compass, the weather, and
hunting birds, he is announcing that he is calcula...
Approximate word count: 1576
Approximate pages: 7 (250 words per
double-spaced page) |
