Hamlet has mood swings as his mood changes openly throughout the play. Towardscertain people he acts certain ways. Hamlet appears to act mad when he hears of hisfather's murder. No one knows if his madness is a show like he says or real like it seems.It seems as if there are two Hamlets in the play. One that is sensitive and an ideal princeand the insane uncivilized Hamlet, who from an outburst of passion and rage slaysPolonius with no feeling of remorse and then talks about lugging his guts into anotherroom. This is why I say Hamlets madness is less than madness and more than pretend.Hamlet says he is just acting mad when he states, "I am but mad north-north-west:when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw." (II,ii,380-381). Admitting soeasily that he is only pretending to be mad, this would suggest that he is comfortable withhis madness. Hamlet also seems to be generally comfortable with acting crazy in this case. It is puzzling that at this point Hamlet is comfortable with acting, but not with the role thathe said he would play earlier of killing Claudius. This brought on his madness in the firstplace. Hamlet's behavior throughout the play especially towards Ophelia is unsuitable.She describes Hamlet's extremely strange behavior when he came into her room wearingsordid pants, unbuckled around his ankles. His face, pale as death, knees shaking with thefear of hell, the actions of an insane person not those of a sane person pretending to beinsane just so they can take revenge on their father's killer. Hamlet also does somethingwe wouldn’t expect. He jumps into the grave of Ophelia's and fights with Laertes aboutwho loved her more. He professes “I lov’d Ophelia: forty thousand brothers Could not,with all their quantity of love, Make up my sum.” ( V, i, 270-272], during the fight withLaertes in Ophelia's grave. Hamlet tells her that he never loved her when she returns hisletters and gifts, w...
