In Shakespeare’s classic play Hamlet, Hamlet leads the other characters to believe that 


he is insane. There are indications in the play, which leads me to believe that Hamlet is 


in fact sane. Hamlet’s father  in the form of an apparition revealed to him that  King 


Claudius was responsible for his death. King Claudius is a deceitful man who, for greed 


of the throne and or lust for his sister in law, poisoned his brother.  This prompted Hamlet 


to plot his vengeance against  King Claudius. Hamlet feigns madness with almost all the 


characters in the play so that they would not know what his future actions would be.  The 


following paragraphs support this argument.


     Hamlet contemplates throughout the play on the value of human life and if 


he could actually take someone’s life. “To be or not to be” (3.1.56) Hamlet’s famous 


speech tells that he ponders the value of his own life and that of King Claudius in 


retrospect to his. Hamlet finds Claudius speaking his confession aloud to the Lord;


but refrains from killing him. He feels it should be for vengeance and not …hire and


salary. Hamlet wants  full revenge and cannot give Claudius any opportunity of a purged 


soul.  In regards to the question of insanity, these are not attributes of an insane person. 


Insanity does not allow for contemplation and conscious thoughts.


     Hamlet debates on how to avenge the death of his father; a part of his unfinished plot 


is to act crazy. “I perchance hereafter shall think meet / To put an antic disposition on” 


(1.5.171-172), Hamlet warns Horatio and Marcellus. In the course of swearing them to 


secrecy about the Ghost, an apparition of his father, the now deceased King Hamlet.