The Causes and Manifestations of Madness in Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth

The comparison of two plays allows to see clearer the roles of Lady Macbeth and Ophelia in their respective plays, if not “achieve the grace of correct interpretation.” Especially in Ophelia’s case careful analysis of the text and textual shifts reveals much about the progression of her mental health. Hamlet, Laertes and Polonius are to blame for the girl’s insanity, which might be the audience’s intuitive decision without realizing how many detailed clues Shakespeare has included. Lady Macbeth is being punished by losing her sanity, while Ophelia’s tragic fate is to blame on other characters, yet her death also sets into motion the dreadful events of the last act. Perhaps to some extent Hamlet’s, Laertes’ and Polonius tragic deaths could be seen as revenge for Ophelia’s downfall; as if the play was serving justice to all the characters. After exploring how distinctive is the motif of madness in Hamlet and Macbeth, it becomes harder refocus to similarities again and see the value in them. Nevertheless, the similarities are the ones that open up new interesting questions with the most noticeable one concerning the connection between gender and a character’s proneness to mental instability. …