Hernandez 1

Isabella Hernandez

AP Literature Composition

Mr. O’Meara

29 April 2022

Analysis

A man abusing power shows his inability to maintain such power. It is human nature to

want to take control. Although, it is imperative to exercise one’s consciousness when it comes to

decision-making. Consciousness is a tool for one to decipher what’s right from wrong when

making decisions. When making decisions involving others, it is important to take their position

and feelings into account to avoid a greater tragedy. In Hamlet, it is repeatedly shown that not

only do one’s decisions affect them, additionally, it also affects the people around them. Acting

upon pure emotion tends to cause more trouble and chaos than anticipated. It is human nature to

crave control such as regaining power, however, it is best to act upon those instincts with morals

in mind to achieve the desired goal. Acting without a moral conscience inherently causes more

damage for oneself in the end. In Shakespeare's play, King Hamlet’s throne is wrongfully stolen

by his brother, Claudius. Claudius’s extreme thirst for power enabled him to commit even the

most sinful acts, in the process enraging the son of his sister-in-law, whom he had just courted,

and of the man he had just poisoned to death. To gain complete power, Claudius poisoned his

brother to steal his life, royal power, and wife. A grieving Hamlet goes on an extreme quest to

bring the truth to light and expose his father’s murderer, whom he believes to be his thief of an

uncle, Claudius. Hamlet goes on a journey in hopes of gaining justice for his fathers death and
 Hernandez 2

wrongfully stolen crown. Rather than accomplishing his goal, he jeopardizes his relationships

through manipulation and deceit in the name of justice for his father. Hamlet stops at nothing to

reach his goal, accidentally killing Polonius, causing Ophelia’s breach of insanity which then

leads to his public duel with Laertes, ultimately ending the lives of his loved ones and his own,

Hamlet demonstrates firsthand how those who maintain the power tend to abuse it in the hopes

of gaining further power. Consequently, there is no assurance that karma will be kind to the

abuser. This is demonstrated by the conclusion of the play: Hamlet trusts Horatio to tell their

story and repent for the actions brought forth by court corruption rooted in manipulation, deceit,

and unarguable need for power. In the play Hamlet by Shakespeare, the characterization of

Ophelia and Claudius and the big idea of power helps explore the importance of using one’s

consciousness to choose right from wrong and to have the willpower to restrain from acting upon

one’s intense craving to abuse power, as it will result in unwanted tragedy.

At the start, Ophelia’s character could be viewed as young, beautiful, and naïve as she is

the daughter to Polonius, sister to Laertes, and a late lover to hamlet. However, Ophelia’s

character is heavily influenced by the men around her as she is commonly used as a pawn

throughout the play. Despite her love for Hamlet, Ophelia obeys her father’s wishes as well as

Laertes advice and continues to deny herself to Hamlet in order to protect her innocence, her

virtue, and the honor of their family. Ophelia values obedience as it is evident that she is not in

control of her own choices or actions. Ophelia is excessively controlled that when it comes to her

own opinions, she doesn’t know what to think, which results in her turning to the men in her life

for complete guidance. Ophelia agrees to listen to her brother’s advice about Hamlet:

'Tis in my memory lock'd,

And you yourself shall keep the key of it.

[1.3.95-96]

Ophelia expresses her trust in Laertes and promises to remember his words. Lartes shares

his perspective on Ophelia's and Hamlet's relationship, informing Ophelia that Hamlet is no good

for her and she must refrain from furthering a romantic relationship. Although she may not

agree, she accepts his words with ease when she responds with, “Tis in my memory lock'd”.

Ophelia agrees to remember and obey Laertes' words when she refrains from arguing and adding

in her own perspectice. Instead, Opehlia tells Laertes, “you yourself shall keep the key of it”,

demonstrating her lack of voice and personal thought as Ophelia gives Laetes the “key” to her

promise. This ultimately gives Larets the power to hold Ophelia accountable . Ohelias obedience

to Polonius transcends to Laertes as she continues to show obedience to the men in her life,

completely disregarding her own opinions. At this point, her existence is dependent on others as

Ophelia's actions are strictly manipulated. This dependency is Ophelia's downfall when it comes

to coping with traumatic events, such as her father passing at the hands of the man she had been

romantically involved with. This loss causes Ophelia to lose the reliance she maintained on her

father throughout her life, as he is no longer present which propels her to descend into madness.

A guard later than informs queen Gertrude of Ophelia’s state of lunacy:

Her speech is nothing,

Yet the unshaped use of it doth move

The hearers to collection.

They yawn at it
 Hernandez 4

And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts,

Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them,

Indeed would make one think there might be thought,

Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily

[4.5.9-17]

Some may consider Ophelia's insanity to be a sign of her weakness as sharing her

thoughts was seen as unusual and completely disregarded when her speech was perceived as

“nothing”. However, Ophelia’s insanity is what finally gave her a voice to speak up for herself

and criticize the male-dominated patriarchal society that restricts women and empowers men to

exploit women like her; her state of lunacy is actually a realization of the role men play in her

life. This shift is a realization that the loyalty and obedience Ophelia once felt for Polonius

became confusing after he was no longer present in her life. In the midst of her fathers passing,

Ophelia is finally able to unveil her true emotions when she is yet again disregarded when they,

“yawn at it”. When Ophelia begins singing about relationships, she encapsulates men taking

advantage of women and luring them in with false promises before abandoning them, seemingly

connecting to her relationship with Hamlet. As the people around Ophelia don't value her

connection, they write it off as madness which continues to send Ophelia further down a spiral of

luancy. Hamlet's affections may have convinced Ophelia that they could be something in the

future, but in reality as the son of the King, Hamlet does not have the leisure of marrying who he

wants.Ophelia sings a song that seems to be directed towards Hamlet:

By Gis and by Saint Charity,

Alack, and fie, for shame!

Young men will do ’t, if they come to ’t.

By Cock, they are to blame.

Quoth she, “Before you tumbled me,

You promised me to wed.”

He answers,“So would I ha' done, by yonder sun,

An thou hadst not come to my bed.

[4.5.63-71]

In this song, Ophelia expresses her dissatisfaction with Hamlet, “By Cock, they are to

blame”, referencing Hamlet as “Cock” Ophelia places full blame on him to start holding him

accountable. Ophelia states that he used her for his own benefit, “Quoth she, “Before you

tumbled me,/You promised me to wed”. Instead of wedding Ophelia as she asked, Hamlet

disregards her wishes and never fulfills his promise to her. Hamlet goes on to cast her aside,

putting her virtue and family’s honor at risk. Ophelia chooses to criticize society before taking

her own life at this point. Ophelia was unable to escape the toxic masculinity, misogyny, and

manipulation that always surrounded her. However, by seemingly taking her own life, she was

finally able to reclaim control of her destiny, freeing herself from the men who had controlled

her life and caused her so much pain. Ophelia's journey to discover her true self was interrupted

and lost within the arrogance of the royal court. Ophelia’s choice to take her own life is often

seen as a flaw within her character rather than as the shift where she now values herself enough
 Hernandez 6

to make one of her first and only conscious decisions, which was to not be defined by the men

around her.

Within Hamlet, power is presented in a multitude of ways through different characters as

they each seek to gain control of their situation. Claudius attempts to have Hamlet killed to

maintain the unjust political power that he obtains, causing Hamlet to use his power over people

to gain traction over Claudius; while Polonius consistently seeks power as he repeatedly confides

in Claudius to push his accusations against Hamlet. Above all, they all abuse their implicit power

as men to manipulate the women around them in order to maintain their authority. Hamlet holds

indirect political power since he holds power over the people, as seen when Horatio and

Marcellus obey Hamlet’s command of not speaking a word about their previous interactions with

the ghost. The ghost confesses to Hamlet that Claudius was the one responsible for his death.

They conclude that vengeance will be the answer to obtaining justice for Claudius’s sins. Horatio

and Marcellus confront Hamlet after his interaction with the Ghost:

Hamlet: As you are friends, scholars and soldiers,

Give me one poor request.

Horatio: What is't, my lord? we will.

Hamlet: Never make known what you have seen to-night.

HoratioMarcellus: My lord, we will not.

Hamlet: Nay, but swear't.

Horatio: In faith,
 Hernandez 7

My lord, not I.

Marcellus: Nor I, my lord, in faith.

[1.5.57-64]

Hamlet tells Marcellus and Horatio that he must find out the truth to obtain justice for his

father’s death and regain his stolen power. Hamlet uses his power over people as he requests

Horatio and Marcellus to not speak a word about Hamlet’s quest for the truth. One is aware of

the power Hamlet holds over people, as seen in the submissive diction used by Horatio when

responding to Hamlet's demanding request. Horatio responds with, “we will”, without prior

knowledge of what Hamlet was going to request, believing that Hamlet knows best, therefore he

did not hesitate to trust Hamlet's request. Soon after, both Horatio and Marcellus reinforce their

loyalty to Hamlet when they say, “My Lord, we will not”, when being asked to not speak a word

of the incident that occurred that night. Hamlet uses people’s trust in him to his own advantage,

here Hamlet commands “Nay, but swear't”, as he makes sure that his followers do what they are

told. In this case, he gained two people to help him gather information to find the truth about

King Hamlet’s murder. Information expands knowledge, and knowledge is power. Hamlet craves

the power of knowing the truth and will continue to involve others to ensure he reaches his goal.

Polonius is approached by his daughter, Ophelia as she regrets to inform him about

Hamlet’s outburst in her chambers:

…Come, we go to the King.

This must be known, which, being kept close, we might

Move

More grief to hide, than hate to utter love,

Come.

[2.1.131-4]

Prior to Ophelia speaking with her father, Polonius, Hamlet had entered Ophelia’s room

in a ruckus looking confused and distressed. The repetition and the sudden ending of the quote

with the word, “come” shows Polonius’s authority over Ophelia as he expects her to follow his

commands with no hesitation. Polonius is convinced that Hamlet is mad with lust for Ophelia.

Polonius uses Ophelia’s and Hamlet’s relationship as bait for Claudius in his deceitful plan, he

holds complete power over Ophelia and continues to manipulate the situation using controlling

diction to show his authority when he abruptly commands her to “move” in hopes that she will

be obedient. Polonius convinces Ophelia to confront King Claudius with this information about

their relationship as it may cause more pain down the road if it’s kept a secret. However,

Polonius feels the need to convey this message to Claudius as he feels it will build trust between

them, ultimately giving him more power within the court, not for his daughter’s best interest as

he makes it appear as. Polonius uses his power over his children to improve his public

appearance. His authority over his children is even seen beyond his death when Laertes, his son,

agrees to Claudius’s plan to have Hamlet killed. Claudius abuses his power to manipulate

Laertes to commit murder upon Hamlet, by convincing him it will bring forth justice for his

father’s death. Claudius attempts to manipulate Laertes to commit murder upon Hamlet, by

convincing him it will bring forth justice for his father’s death. He is trying to rile Laertes up,

asking him about his departed father, and even implying to Laertes that the sorrow on his face
 Hernandez 9

can be painted on, Claudius is trying to get Laertes to want to avenge his father by murdering

Hamlet:

Laertes, was your father dear to you?

Or are you like the painting of a sorrow.

A face without a heart?

[4.7. 123-5]

Claudius informs Laertes about the situation that caused him to send Hamlet to England. Laertes

is enraged when he hears that his father’s blood is on Hamlet’s hands. Claudius uses

manipulative diction to convince Laertes that killing Hamlet is in his best interest. Claudius

questions Laertes’s loyalty and love to his father when asking, “Laertes, was your father dear to

you?”. Continuing to question Laertes, Claudius states, “Or are you like the painting of a

sorrow”. Claudius is implying that Laertes is not showing his true feelings of grief. The word

“painting” further shows the recurring idea of wanting to cover something up due to favoring

appearance overvalued. Claudius abuses his power to manipulate Laertes into doing his dirty

work to protect his public image, he fears the power that Hamlet holds in knowing the truth

about his father being poisoned by him. If hamlet were to expose Claudius as the power-hungry

thief he is, Claudius would lose everything that he murdered for. Instead of choosing redemption

and asking for forgiveness, Claudius continues to choose power over morals. Claudius abusing

his power will ultimately result in complete loss of power.

Unlike Ophelia who is easily manipulated, Claudius is one of the main manipulators

throughout the play on a quest for power. Claudius lacks morals and heavily cares for the value
 Hernandez 10

of appearance, which is shown in his deceitful manner. Claudius’s rise in royal status is rooted in

manipulation, deceit, and lies. It all began when he poisoned his brother and married his wife for

the crown and lied about his brother’s “accidental” death in a public speech.

In the following scene, Claudius gives his first speech on the dynamic change within the

court:

That we with wisest sorrow think on him

Together with remembrance of ourselves.

Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,

Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state,

Have we... Taken to wife

[1.2.5-14]

This piece is when the public gathers for the first time to hear Claudius speak after King

Hamlet’s death. In this speech, Claudius urgently announces that he will not only take his

brother’s place on the throne as king but will also be wedded to his sister-in-law, Gertrude.

Claudius uses this spotlight on him to declare his role in ruling the empire and to display

Gertrude’s loyalty. Claudius openly accepts this controversial act of incest within the court with

irony as he claims to “think of his brother with sorrow”, when one, later on, learns that the late

King Hamlet died at the hands of his very own brother, Claudius. Claudius heavily valud his

public appearance as he made it his main focus, leading him to go as far as to murder to be in

control and be praised by the public to maintain a powerful appearance. Without regard or care

towards the family of the man he just murdered, Claudius steps into power failing to give them

time to mourn over their fallen king, showing his greed and lack of care for others.
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In the following scene, Claudius is seen attempting to put in the effort to pray and repent

for his corruption within the court:

Can serve my turn? “Forgive me my foul murder”?

That cannot be, since I am still possessed

Of those effects for which I did the murder:

My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.

May one be pardoned and retain th’ offense?

In the corrupted currents of this world,

Offense’s gilded hand may shove by justice,

[3.3.56-62]

Claudius seeks God’s guidance as he is troubled with the guilt of killing his own brother. During

his prayer, there is a switch in his tone when Cladius asks, “Forgive me my foul murder”? He

questions the possibility of forgiveness to repent for his actions. Cladiuse quickly concludes that

to gain forgiveness for his sins means the loss of, “My crown, mine own ambition, and my

queen”. Fearing that repenting will bring forth the loss of his wife, Gertrude, power in the court,

and economic status, Caldiuse fails to accept justice, Claudius claims to feel the corruption that

has occurred in his world and understands that justice should be apparent. However, Claudius

refuses to fully commit to repentance for his unlawful actions if it means his loss of power even

if justice for his brother is at stake. Claudius failed to come to a conclusion about his redemption

which led him to further conspire with Polonius to continue manipulating Ophelia in her delicate

state to retrieve information from Hamlet. He continues to abuse his power over Polonius as

Claudius’s commands fall down the ladder when Polonius uses Ophelia to gather the information
 Hernandez 12

that would help unveil the root of Hamlet’s “madness”.Claudius continues to fail in the face of

redemption after his wife, Gertrude drank the poisoned drink that Claudius had prepared for her

son, Hamlet:

Laertes:...Never to rise again. Thy mother’s poisoned.

I can no more. The King, the King’s to blame.

Hamlet: The point envenomed too! Then, venom, to thy

Work.

All: Treason, treason!

Claudius: yet defend me, friends! I am but hurt

[5.2.350-55]

Claudius refused to let Hamlet come out of the fencing fight alive. Not only had he poisoned

Laertes’s sword, but he also prepared a poisoned cup in case Hamlet persevered through the

duel. This showed his attention to detail, making sure the public wont perceive Hamlets death as

a murder. However, Claudius abusing his power led him to be responsible for Gertrude’s public

death, as she drank Hamlet’s poisoned cup on accident. Laertes exposes Caldiuse infront of the

public in the midst of gertudes death, “...The King, the King’s to blame”, ultimately ruining

what he values most: his public appearance.Cladiuses plan with Laertes to kill Hamlet fails in

multiple unplanned deaths as he cries out for support from the crowd against Laetes claims of

murder, “yet defend me, friends! I am but hurt”. Unfortunately, Claudius continues to try and

protect himself from public opinion as he proceeds to victimize himself in the bloody situation

that he created. Standing before death, Claudius does not choose redemption as he continues to

victimize himself to look innocent in front of the public. Abusing his power, Claudius claims he
 Hernandez 13

had been done wrong and needs to be defended against Hamlet. Up to his dying breath, Claudius

did not value redemption and instead prioritized his appearance which led him to victimize

himself to the very end.

Ophelia’s values and principles as well as Claudius’s lack thereof, including the

development of the big idea, power in Hamlet help unveil the importance of exercising one’s

consciousness when combating the overshadowing need to abuse power. It is easy for one to use

their status and position above others to manipulate people and situations to retrieve their goal,

but it is important to restrain from manipulating those around you for one’s own personal gain as

greed is what drives the want to abuse power, consequently ending in tragedy. Consciousness is

the human tool giving one the ability to know right from wrong, to create beneficial solutions. It

is human nature to crave control, however, it is important to use one consciousness to envision

new possibilities and outcomes that would benefit the greater good, rather than abusing power

that would eventually result in death. The use of one’s consciousness determines its size, one’s

consciousness may either shrink or grow depending on how often it’s being exercised. Ophelia

was a character who was a direct result of the lack of consciousness used by the men in her life.

The inability of the men in Ophelia’s life to choose right from wrong, and restrain from

manipulating her, drove Ophelia to insanity, resulting in her death. Claudius continuously

showed a lack of consciousness when his story began and ended with his plan to murder for

power. This shows how acting impulsively and not listening to one’s conscience which holds

their values and principles will lead to unnecessary harm upon others, in this case, death. Instead

of acting upon one’s own feelings disregarding those of others, one must be conscious to

decipher right from wrong to prevent causing future harm to yourself and those around you.
 Hernandez 14

Abusing power may be what drives one’s ambition, however, it is not a rewarding option as it

will bring the destruction of others, making it a poor choice for the greater good.
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Social issue

“Mental illness can be caused by extreme traumatic experiences…that could have

immediate effects on the mental well-being of the affected individual”(Salifu 660). Trauma has

been known to be one of the direct causes of mental illnesses such as madness, depression,

personality disorders, etc. Mental health is an important issue that has many perspectives from a

plethora of people. The differing perspectives could alter based on time period, or one’s religious

affiliation. Shakespeare's Hamlet takes place in the renaissance time period under the catholic

church. Mental illness was extremely apparent, nonetheless, the symptoms and causation were

not always recognized. Shakespeare presents mental health as a social issue through multiple

characters to give a well-rounded perspective on the issue. The idea of mental illness manifesting

into madness for Hamlet begins with the trauma of seeing his uncle, Claudius, marry his

widowed mother, Gertrude, as he grieves for his dead father. Enraged, Hamlet pretends to go

mad, eventually, his lie becomes his reality. Ophelia suffered through her father’s loss at the

hands of the lover which caused her depression to manifest into madness until she committed

suicide. Laertes’s trauma began with Polonius’s murder and went deeper when his sister, Ophelia

committed suicide. Mental illness is a complex issue that can have multiple faces, symptoms,

causes, and results. Each character in Hamlet gives an insight into the way mental health was

portrayed during its time period.

In the past 500 years since Hamlet has been written, information on mental health has

advanced dramatically. As society advances so does access to information. One’s interpretation

of mental health is a direct correlation of their environment. During the Elizabethan era, and
 Hernandez 16

specifically under the Roman Catholic church in Shakespeare, society acknowledged the state

that mental illness can manifest into but ignored its true depth and causation, painting mental

illness as merely a sin. In modern times, research and medical information have vastly improved,

allowing professionals to start dissecting the complexity of the issue, mental illness. Shakespeare

shares multiple perspectives on mental health and the mental turmoil that come with it, through

the character’s inner dialogue and dialogue between each other, challenging the simplicity that

Elizebathean culture sets on mental illness. As a reader, one can get a clear understanding of the

complexity of what mental illness is rooted in through Claudius’s persistent questioning about

Hamlet’s cause of madness. In modern times, researchers have been able to bring forth

information to further understand mental illness, Ben Ezra Menachem, a phycology professor

states, “Psychological trauma may lead to changes inside the brain and to brain chemistry. This

damages a person's ability to adequately cope with stress” (Ezra, Menachem 224). Even Claudius

questions what caused Hamlet’s madness, he’s convinced it’s due to his lust towards Ophelia,

but regularly questions if it may be due to Hamlet’s several other traumatic experiences.

Acceptance for mental illnesses has increased tremendously as there is more modern research

being done. Shakespeare does an excellent job at capturing the multiple causes of insanity during

the renaissance times. Shakespeare’s Hamlet brought forth controversy as people began to truly

dissect the multiple layers of complex societal issues brought to light within Hamlet during a

time when the mentally ill were frowned upon. Shakespeare was able to open doors for

controversial conversation during the Elizabethan era through his literature to make the audience

think critically about the human mind. Shweta Bali, author of Mechanics of madness in Hamlet,

Macbeth and King Lear, states, “Shakespeare, the master craftsman, uses it deftly to recreate and

underscore the political and social ramifications of the irregularities and abnormalities of the
 Hernandez 17

human mind which conversely reflect a parallel world of insanity in the outer world marred by

distrust, deceit and deception”(Bali 81). Not only does Shakespeare challenge the complexities

of the human psyche, but he also presents a parallel world of insanity to add depth and numerous

lessons to his literature. With the help of great literary works such as Shakespeare’s, society has

begun to feel more comfortable with the opposing view from the Elizabethan era about mental

illness. Mental illness is not a sin nor a choice one gets to make, but rather a medical illness that

one should not be ashamed to carry. A species is a product of its environment and trauma-based

mental illness only has its environment to blame. Shakespeare’s work blossomed as it did due to

his ability to spark numerous emotions within the audience. In Philosophy and the Puzzles of

Hamlet : A Study of Shakespeare's Method, by Craig Leon Harold, states, “Shakespeare's famous

play, Hamlet, has been the subject of more scholarly analysis and criticism than any other work

of literature in human history. For all of its generally acknowledged virtues, however, it has also

been treated as problematic in a raft of ways''(Leon). Hamlet will persist to stay relevant in

modern times and years to come. As a subject gets more coverage it starts to become normalized

within society. Controversy gets people talking; Hamlet being full of controversy sparked a

conversation with the public. Over the past 500 years, mental illness has become a relevant issue

that attracts more and more public support as traumatic events occur.

Mental illness holds a negative stigma; however, Shakespeare does a phenomenal job at

redirecting the conversation to show a clearer understanding of how one who struggles with

mental illness would think and act. Shakespeare and his work will continue to hold their place

even in the modern-day as it is imperative to keep on reflecting on past issues such as those

depicted in Hamlet during various time periods to fully be able to grasp the notion and

complexity of an issue as time and circumstance bring forth new ideas.

Works Cited

Bali, Shweta. “Mechanics of Madness in Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear.” IUP Journal

of English Studies, vol. 9, no. 4, Dec. 2014, pp. 81–92. EBSCOhost,

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=100310815&site=eho

st-live

Ben, Ezra, Menachem. “Traumatic Reactions from Antiquity to the 16th Century: Was There a

Common Denominator?” Stress & Health: Journal of the International Society for the

Investigation of Stress, vol. 27, no. 3, Aug. 2011, pp. 223–40. EBSCOhost,

https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1338.

Leon Harold, Craig. Philosophy and the Puzzles of Hamlet : A Study of Shakespeare’s Method.

Bloomsbury Academic, 2014. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=798144&site=ehost-live.

Salifu Yendork, Joana, et al. “Mental Illness Has Multiple Causes: Beliefs on Causes of Mental

Illness by Congregants of Selected Neo-Prophetic Churches in Ghana.” Mental Health,

Religion & Culture, vol. 21, no. 7, Sept. 2018, pp. 647–66. EBSCOhost,

https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2018.1511694.

Annotated Bibliography
 Hernandez 19

Bali, Shweta. “Mechanics of Madness in Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear.” IUP Journal

of English Studies, vol. 9, no. 4, Dec. 2014, pp. 81–92. EBSCOhost,

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=lkh&AN=100310815&site=ehost-live

This article dissects Shakespeare’s most popular literary work to analyze the way

madness manifested into each protagonist. Using diction, the author reflects on the tone of each

play and how each character goes through character development portrayed by lunacy. Bali goes

even further to analyze the symptoms that each character’s madness manifested into. Breaking

down the mechanics of madness, Bali understands how it could be real or feigned.

In writing this paper, I was able to add confirmation to the idea that Shakespeare

challenges the complexities of the human psyche. Shakespeare does this in order to add depth

and numerous lessons to his literature to spark emotion within its readers. Using just Hamlet's

character, we are able to see the fundamental layers to his mental illness that manifests itself into

madness, further supporting the notion that Shakespeare’s work is both coherent complexity and

fundamental within society to bring awareness about social issues.

Ben, Ezra, Menachem. “Traumatic Reactions from Antiquity to the 16th Century: Was There a

Common Denominator?” Stress & Health: Journal of the International Society for the

Investigation of Stress, vol. 27, no. 3, Aug. 2011, pp. 223–40. EBSCOhost,

https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.1338.

Ben Ezra analyzes papers written by and or on those who lived through traumatic

experiences. His goal is to analyze the effects on the population who experienced traumatic
 Hernandez 20

events and how they may be connected to a mental illness disorder. The article gives multiple

perspectives on different time periods and locations where traumatic events had struck. The

paper was split into four sections corresponding to its time period.

This article was useful in providing information on how trauma responses are correlated

to mental health disorders. Specifically, the paper gave me context on how people felt about the

idea of mental health during the renaissance era. There is a long-documented history of neglect

towards acknowledging psychological trauma in regard to mental disorders. The connection is

that psychological trauma messes with the brain chemicals.

Leon Harold, Craig. Philosophy and the Puzzles of Hamlet : A Study of Shakespeare’s Method.

Bloomsbury Academic, 2014. EBSCOhost, https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=798144&site=ehost-live.

Leon Craig took Shakespeare’s piece, Hamlet, and solved the puzzles that the criticism

and controversial trouble that the play created. Leon goes on to explain his understanding of

Hamlet’s purpose to pose philosophical thinking within the readers. Explaining that

Shakespeare’s work may be flawed in the eyes of critics, Leon mentions that Shakespeare’s work

has been acknowledged and analyzed numerous times due to the rigorous plot and complex

coherency.

This article helped prove my claim that Shakespeare’s work will uphold the test of time

as the issues brought forth within Hamlet will continue to remain relevant in society as long as

society keeps struggling with the issues portrayed. Shakespeare's work has been loved, criticized,

analyzed and interpreted through the years and will continue to prevail through time, as society

continues to popularize his work.

Salifu Yendork, Joana, et al. “Mental Illness Has Multiple Causes: Beliefs on Causes of Mental

Illness by Congregants of Selected Neo-Prophetic Churches in Ghana.” Mental Health,

Religion & Culture, vol. 21, no. 7, Sept. 2018, pp. 647–66. EBSCOhost,

https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2018.1511694.

This article is a study on the expected causes of mental illness. The author analyzes

participants’ connection to mental illness. From the study, they were able to conclude the five

major causes for mental illness within their sample size. The causes were: lifestyles and

environmental stressors, spiritual causes, interaction of multiple factors, trauma and biological

causes. The participants noted that their inability to cope with stress leads them to their mental

illness and the use of healthy coping mechanisms are crucial in improving one's mental health.

In using this article, I was able to give evidence towards the idea that traumatic situations

can create a mental illness. In Elizabethan times, mental illness was seen as a sin, as if the

mentally ill had a choice over their mental disorder. The evidence gained from the article

challenged the ideas towards mental illness during the renaissance era, which helped further the

point that Shakespeare did portray controversial issues for his time.