Hamlets Chamber Scene reveals his Insanity

During the chamber scene, Hamlet shows an insane side to not only his mother, but everyone else in the play. Hamlet clearly demonstrates how insane he is after killing Polonius and showing no remorse for his death. Another example of Hamlets insanity is during the chamber scene, when Hamlet’s talking to his mother, the ghost appears talking to Hamlet, but the queen couldn’t see the ghost, only Hamlet could see his fathers ghost. These examples show how crazy, and insane Hamlet is not only in the chamber scene, but throughout the play.

Hamlet clearly demonstrates how insane he is after killing Polonius and showing no remorse for his death. Right before Hamlet entered the chamber to talk to his mother, Polonius explains to the queen that he will be hiding and ease dropping on their conversation, to find out the real reason for Hamlet erratic behavior. Hamlet enters the chamber, on a rampage after finding Claudius guilty of killing his father and also seeing him trying to pray.

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Hamlet goes off on his mother when she says, “Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended” (l. 10).

That also triggered his anger to the point where the queen feared for her life and as told to do so, she yelled for help. Polonius tries to come out from behind the curtain and before you know it, he was stabbed by Hamlet. At this point, after he stabbed Polonius, killing him, Hamlet first thought it was Claudius that was hiding behind the curtain.

Later finding out it was Claudius, Hamlet says, “A bloody dead-- almost as bad, good mother, as killing a king, and marry with his brother” (l. 27-28). You would think that Hamlet would be scared for his life after realizing he killed someone.

Not Hamlet, he just continues on with his conversation with the queen about how crazy it is that she remarried so soon. Hamlet showing no remorse for killing someone shows that he is not mental stable and doesn’t realize what just happened. When Hamlet’s talking to his mother, the ghost appears talking to Hamlet, but the queen couldn’t see the ghost, only Hamlet could see his fathers ghost. After the queen finding out that her “new” husband is a murderer, the ghost reappears in the chamber, reminding Hamlet to not harm his mother because she had nothing to do with anything.

Hamlet is trying to explain to his mother by saying, “To whom do you speak this? Do you see nothing there? Nothing at all, yet all that is I see. Nor did you nothing hear? No, nothing but ourselves” (l. 135- 139). To the queen, she thinks Hamlet’s gone mad, but Hamlet tries to explain himself to her by saying he saw the ghost and that its his father talking to him. Hamlet’s mother doesn’t know what to believe at this point. She doesn’t want Hamlet killing her, so she agrees with whatever Hamlet says. The queen fears for her own life, and that is why the readers think that this is why she agrees with Hamlet.

Hamlet insanity takes over his life and he soon finds himself struggling to find what makes sense and what doesn’t. The chamber scene is one of the most important scenes that prove to the readers that Hamlet is crazy. Even though Hamlet tries to prove himself to not be crazy, he just can’t convince his mother, or Ophelia, or anyone else in the play that he isn’t crazy. In the beginning of the play, he shows little signs of being insane, but as you progress throughout the play, you realize that Hamlet is not mentally stable by his actions and words.