The Theme Of Madness In Shakespeare, By William Shakespeare

Madness can be defined as the state of mental delusion/ mentally ill or showing extremely foolish/eccentric behavior which begins with anger. The incorporation of madness in literature has been a long-standing tradition and can be encountered in these three works: King Lear by William Shakespeare where he tells the story about King Lear whose madness has been promoted by his two daughters, Regan and Goneril, â€Å"Daddy† by Sylvia Plath, where she reveals her anguish at her father’s death, she also discloses an eccentric behavior of attempting a suicide, and Medea by Euripides, where we can encounter madness through the actions of Medea after being spurned by her husband Jason. Insanity occupies a central place in these pieces of literature and†¦show more content†¦King Lear slowly starts to descend in the complexity of insanity and his first sign of madness can be seen through this quote ...Look look, a mouse! Peace, peace; this piece of toasted cheese will do it†¦OH, well flown, bird! (Act IV.6. 88-91). Over time, he starts to realize that he made himself fall into this trap and Regan and Goneril are the reason for his madness and lastly, he learns to conquer his madness; however, it leads to a misfortune. On the other hand, Edgar, the son of Gloucester pretends to be a madman and decides to live the life of a beggar due to Edmund’ evil intentions (Act 3, Scene 4). In this scenario, Edgar is able to save and live his life better even if the world considers him insane. Edgar as a character symbolizes madness the most in King Lear. His loss of identity as a noble can be seen as a form of madness. Obsession is a form of insanity that can be discovered in Daddy by Sylvia Plath where the author shows hatred towards her own obsession with her dead father. With the use of literary devices, she expresses her emotion towards the male figures in her life-causes of her insanity. Plath faces rejection from the society and from her famil y which leads to her insanity. An example of her cutting off from the society can be seen in lines 69-70, â€Å"The black telephone’s off at the root, The voices just cant work through.† Due to her obsession towards her father, she tried to commitShow MoreRelatedThe Theme Of Madness In Frankenstein, Hamlet, By William Shakespeare1193 Words   |  5 Pagesthe state of a madman, and these just so happen to perfectly describe some characters in the works we have read and discussed. The theme of madness is heavily displayed in the literature pieces of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, and Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Victor Frankenstein, The Creature, Hamlet, and are the characters that most express the course theme of madness in the works. These characters display similarities on their way to that unstable state of mind. In the novel Frankenstein by MaryRead MoreThe Importance of Madness as a Theme in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare629 Words   |  3 PagesThe Importance of Madness as a Theme in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare Madness is a very important theme that is present in the whole course of the play Twelfth Night. Firstly, we have Malvolio almost turning mad because of the cruel joke the other servants play on him. They make him think he is mad and they also make Olivia think he is mad because of the funny way in which he is acting. There is also the theme of mad love. Some examples of this are Orsino being madlyRead MoreCompare and Contrast Essay on King Lear and Macbeth909 Words   |  4 PagesShakespeare had written many plays in his life time, some of them included various tragedies which included King Lear and Macbeth. All of Shakespeare’s plays had a theme which was used to help the story’s plot to advance further, making events much more interesting. King Lear and Macbeth both have a common theme of madness that is apparent throughout the play which has been depicted differently. They are both written in different ways but still share a same purpose. The essay will be broken downRead MoreHamlet, By William Shakespeare880 Words   |  4 PagesWilliam Shakespeare is praised as the pioneering English poet and playwright whose collection of theatrical works is regarded as the greatest artistic value throughout the history of English literature. Shakespeare delved into the spiritual and mental component of hu manity and the consequences that arise from this human spirit when it is disputed. The most famous revenge tragedy play, Hamlet, is an excellent illustration of Shakespeare’s philosophical study of human nature. In Hamlet, the arguableRead MoreThemes Of Romeo And Juliet 882 Words   |  4 PagesBe Careful With Love: Themes Through Figurative Language in Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare was a 16th century poet and playwright who wrote many famous plays, poems and sonnets. One of the most famous of these is Romeo and Juliet. In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare uses foreshadowing, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, and other literary devices to prove that love is unstable and can be hazardous. In the play Romeo and Juliet, two young people fall in love, however theyRead MoreAnalyzing Themes in William Shakespeares Twelfth Night Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesWilliam Shakespeare, an English writer in the seventeenth century. He is considered to be the most influential writer in English literature. He wrote various genres, but the common types he wrote were: Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories. Among the many plays he wrote he wrote one his most famous play, â€Å"Twelfth Night†, which he wrote during the middle of his career. â€Å"Twelfth Night† is considered to be one of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies that he has written. In addition to it is also the only playRead MoreIs Hamlet s Madness Genuine Or Feigned?1671 Words   |  7 PagesJordan Avery Mrs. Joyner Honors English IV 17 December 2015 Is Hamlet’s Madness Genuine or Feigned? One of the most controversially discussed themes in William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, is the theme of Hamlet’s madness. Shakespeare left it up to the audience to decide whether he was truly crazy or not. Although, there are many deliberate acts of fabricated insanity repeated throughout the play. Hamlet’s life events such as the death of his father, loving someone he cannot have,Read MorePerfect Idealism In Shakespeares Hamlet1631 Words   |  7 Pagessucceeds in killing the king but also dies immediately after accomplishing the vengeance. Hamlet fable is debatably Shakespeare s greatest work. It is mentally gripping and morally ambivalent play. He succeeds to bring out various themes as indicated below: 1. Javed, Tabassum. Perfect Idealism in Shakespeare s Prince Hamlet. The Dialogue 8.3 (2013). This article discusses the theme of the impossibility of certainty. This is well depicted as in the case when we expect to see action particularlyRead MoreMotif of Madness in Hamlet by William Shakespeare Essay771 Words   |  4 PagesMotif of Madness in Hamlet by William Shakespeare It is the driving force of mankind that has delivered man from the age of stone to that of industry. This force is also the essential ingredient that produces the inescapable prison of the mind, a frightful disease that may be viewed as the greatest irony of life. Pain is a dreadful disease in which every individual has felt the everlasting effects. The grief of pain can become a crashing wave that leaves behind only a semblance of sanityRead MoreThe Twelfth Night - Development of Themes889 Words   |  4 Pagesidea or theme in an extended txt you have studied.’ Many say William Shakespeare is the most influential writer in all of English literature with works hailed by Elizabeth I, James I and literary luminaries such as Ben Jonson. Shakespeare wrote the critically acclaimed Twelfth Night in 1601 during the middle of his career. This play incorporates illusion, deception, disguises, madness and shows the extraordinary things that love with cause us to do. Shakespeare cleverly develops the theme of ‘love