Depression and Melancholy in Hamlet:
Hamlet:
> Hamlet's father was murdered by his brother (Hamlet's uncle Claudius)
- Causes Hamlet to experience Melancholy for the first time
through the feeling of grief.
> Hamlet is said to have a depressive illness however throughout the play Shakespeare never displays it as a depressive illness but instead as melancholy.
> In actual fact Melancholy (a feeling of sadness with no certain cause) was said to be a character defect in Shakespeare's plays.
> During Hamlets first soliloquy during (Act I, Scene ii, 129-159) Hamlet wishes he did not grow up in a place that had a law against suicide.
- This displays a symptom of severe depression as he feels as if his life is not worth living anymore.
- "How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!" (Act I, Scene ii, 133-134)
> This part of the soliloquy proves specifically how Hamlet believes his life is pointless.
> There were many reasons as to why Hamlet was experiencing Depression/ Melancholy without actually sharing it with readers:
- The passing of his dear father King Hamlet
- The marriage of his mother (Gertrude) and former uncle (Claudius)
- His lack of success (becoming king)
- Finding out it was actually him uncle to whom killed his father
>Causes Hamlet to want to seek revenge
- His constant battle with Polonius for Ophelia's heart
- His two good friends (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) have been set out to spy on him and Hamlet knows that something is going on, and out of the usual with his two friends.
- Kills Polonius out of resigned anger
> It is bought up by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, that Hamlet is very distracted, "He does confess he feels himself distracted, But from what cause a will by no mean speak." (Act III, Scene i, 5-6) this may be a sign of depression/ melancholy as when undergoing it a symptom is loss of focus and trouble concentrating
> Hamlet reveals to his friends that he wants to put on an act of "Antic disposition" when in reality may be using this to cover up his own madness.
> By knowing that these two disorders are brought up during this play, it makes it easier to see how Hamlet may have a Bipolar disorder as he is very scatter brained and his emotions are always all over the place.
Ophelia:
> Ophelia's parents force her to believe that she is not good enough for Hamlet which causes her to feel melancholy while fighting for their relationship.
> Ophelia is forced by her father as well as Claudius to betray hamlet.
> Ophelia is left alone and lets out what she has been holding in, how she truly is feeling about Hamlet;
"And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
That sucked the honey of his music vows,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason
Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh." (Act III, Scene i, 149-152)
- This Quotation displays how Ophelia can tell that something is going on with Hamlet, and she too thinks that he is starting to go mad.
> Hamlet's father was murdered by his brother (Hamlet's uncle Claudius)
- Causes Hamlet to experience Melancholy for the first time
through the feeling of grief.
> Hamlet is said to have a depressive illness however throughout the play Shakespeare never displays it as a depressive illness but instead as melancholy.
> In actual fact Melancholy (a feeling of sadness with no certain cause) was said to be a character defect in Shakespeare's plays.
> During Hamlets first soliloquy during (Act I, Scene ii, 129-159) Hamlet wishes he did not grow up in a place that had a law against suicide.
- This displays a symptom of severe depression as he feels as if his life is not worth living anymore.
- "How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!" (Act I, Scene ii, 133-134)
> This part of the soliloquy proves specifically how Hamlet believes his life is pointless.
> There were many reasons as to why Hamlet was experiencing Depression/ Melancholy without actually sharing it with readers:
- The passing of his dear father King Hamlet
- The marriage of his mother (Gertrude) and former uncle (Claudius)
- His lack of success (becoming king)
- Finding out it was actually him uncle to whom killed his father
>Causes Hamlet to want to seek revenge
- His constant battle with Polonius for Ophelia's heart
- His two good friends (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) have been set out to spy on him and Hamlet knows that something is going on, and out of the usual with his two friends.
- Kills Polonius out of resigned anger
> It is bought up by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, that Hamlet is very distracted, "He does confess he feels himself distracted, But from what cause a will by no mean speak." (Act III, Scene i, 5-6) this may be a sign of depression/ melancholy as when undergoing it a symptom is loss of focus and trouble concentrating
> Hamlet reveals to his friends that he wants to put on an act of "Antic disposition" when in reality may be using this to cover up his own madness.
> By knowing that these two disorders are brought up during this play, it makes it easier to see how Hamlet may have a Bipolar disorder as he is very scatter brained and his emotions are always all over the place.
Ophelia:
> Ophelia's parents force her to believe that she is not good enough for Hamlet which causes her to feel melancholy while fighting for their relationship.
> Ophelia is forced by her father as well as Claudius to betray hamlet.
> Ophelia is left alone and lets out what she has been holding in, how she truly is feeling about Hamlet;
"And I, of ladies most deject and wretched,
That sucked the honey of his music vows,
Now see that noble and most sovereign reason
Like sweet bells jangled, out of tune and harsh." (Act III, Scene i, 149-152)
- This Quotation displays how Ophelia can tell that something is going on with Hamlet, and she too thinks that he is starting to go mad.