Mental Health in Shakespeare's Hamlet Essay Example

Society views mental health as a simplistic concept; however, complex and turbulent emotions evoke feelings of frustration and confusion. Simultaneously conflicting feelings induce a state of discomfort and emotional instability in a person. William Shakespeare presents the subject of contextual elements intertwined with intense emotions in his play Hamlet. Laced throughout Hamlet’s soliloquy in Act I, the fervent chaotic language and moodiness capture Hamlet’s inner struggles. In his play Hamlet, William Shakespeare displays Hamlet’s desire to die due to his father’s death and his mother’s incestuous marriage to uncle Claudius but understands its immorality to depict the mental distress one faces through ambivalent emotional experiences. 

Hamlet opens his inner monologue with allusions, descriptive language, and a dramatic tone to convey his opposing views about suicide, which emotionally overwhelms him. Conflicted over life and death, especially during his extenuating circumstances, Hamlet expresses his misery and desire to die. Rather than facing his familial troubles and grief, Hamlet wishes his “too sullied flesh would melt, / Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew”. The morbid diction of a “sullied flesh” insinuates a cold and distant feeling that symbolically represents Hamlet’s stained and damaged soul, revealing his agony. Haunted by his father’s death, which causes him pain and tortured by his mother’s hasty marriage, which evokes anger, he hopes to seek asylum by ceasing to exist. Along with this representation, the vivid imagery instilled by “melt” depicts that Hamlet hopes to simply disappear rather than die in a dramatic, attention-grabbing way to release himself from the responsibility of working through his problems. Moreover, the intentional use of “itself” reinstates the idea that Hamlet wishes his problems would resolve on their own without his deliberate effort. His pseudo-obsession with death displays his suffering as he feels suffocated from his complicated, mind-numbing situation. However, grief-stricken and distraught about his life, Hamlet bitterly refrains himself from suicide because “the Everlasting…fixed / His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter.” The odd capitalization of “Everlasting” suggests a symbolic stand-in: a reference to God. This biblical allusion showcases Hamlet’s religious beliefs, which conveys he feels trapped without a solution that does not negate his religion or moral ideas. His death wish along with the fear of God not condoning suicide, frustrates Hamlet and unveils his melancholic state. Hamlet grows to be in more anguish and distress because he cannot easily escape from his exhausting issues. By using concrete diction such as “fixed”, it sets a dramatic mood and signifies that while an outlet may exist, Hamlet feels confined and mentally overwhelmed because his desires contradict his beliefs. The complexity of Hamlet’s feelings about his existence further exemplifies his painful emotional state. 

While enduring a psychological crisis, the aggressive tone and metaphors present Hamlet’s despair leading to fury, which further stipulates his growing distress and whirl of emotions. Hamlet’s woefulness shadows other emotions such as hopelessness. With his unstable emotional state, Hamlet continues to mourn his father’s death. Additionally, the new marriage between his mother and villainous uncle causes Hamlet more uneasiness and rage. Troubled, he compares his situation to “an unweeded garden”. Such a messy and smelly garden where no plants can prosper due to the clutter hinders development. Hamlet believes that this description encapsulates his current situation and proclaims he can not grow or achieve closure in such a toxic physical state. This comparison portrays Hamlet’s pessimistic view, signifying his tarnished emotional well-being. Outraged and burdened, Hamlet believes “things rank and gross in nature / Possess it merely.” The sullen and indignant detail captures Hamlet’s fragile mind that aches in torment as he copes with different emotions. Hamlet’s unhappiness coupled with enmity reveals his descent into insanity while suffering through various traumas. Further, as he remembers his parents’ pure love, he vehemently disapproves of his mother’s and uncle’s lack of respect for the late King Hamlet and their shameful behavior. He expresses his disgust by comparing “So excellent a king, that was to this / Hyperion to a satyr.” Here, Hamlet compares his father, King Hamlet, to the Greek sun-god Hyperion and Claudius to a satyr. Compared to a mythical figure, Hamlet views his father as a divine and brilliant being who deserved happiness and success. Contrasting, Claudius is characterized as an average and worthless being such as a satyr. This comparison not only elaborates Hamlet’s broken relationship with his family but also unveils his sorrow and resentment towards Claudius for his horrific and inconsiderate actions. Infuriated by his inability to change his situation, Hamlet continues to grow a sense of despondence and repulse, which stems from a mix of emotions ranging from pity to rage.

Hamlet’s enraged tone, macabre language, and metaphors exhibit his impending mental anguish as a result of betrayal and concurrent emotions. With more prevalent discussions about mental health, these notions provide more awareness about the complexity of intense emotions one copes with. Consequently, increased accessibility to mental health education creates more resources and support for those in need. Focused on the rottenness of the world and grim circumstances, unresolved issues illustrate the frenzy one suffers while processing overwhelming emotions.