William Shakespeare s The Of And My Madness

Kierra Crenshaw â€Å"I have found both freedom and safety in my madness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Derived from Kahlil Gibran, this quote correlates with Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Madness is an utmost theme within the play, affecting various characters in distinctive ways. Shakespeare conveys the message that madness is an extremely liberating realm and one should allow their mind to experience this release. Often a person is so caught up with life, responsibilities, and duties that they extract themselves from the pleasure of freedom. The highly negative aura surrounding madness, to the degree that it is even classified as an illness, adverts many away from allowing this opportunity to take over. The id is the impulsive side of our mind, often characterizing our†¦show more content†¦Through this method of freedom, her once restrictive lifestyles was gone. Previously, she was often denied of her own thoughts and beliefs, resulting in her submission to those around her. The condescending and often v ulgar tone used in reference towards Ophelia is extremely prominent throughout the play. Despite this, she upholds herself with dignity and grace, allowing others to use her as they plead. At one point (During Act III, Scene II) Ophelia and Hamlet are speaking publicly. The lewd diction and actions presented during this act displays how others truly think of her; a pawn to simply mess around with. Hamlet often uses sexual innuendos towards Ophelia, stating comments such as â€Å"Lady, shall I lie in your lap?† Yet, everyone simply dismisses the actions. Although she does not purposely go mad, it did allow her freedom from these factors. No one expects anything from her due to her illness. Madness is an opportunity for the mind to relax and experience life for what it is. Shakespeare uses Ophelia as a way to convey this message to his audience. Madness is not alway direct like Ophelia’s and can be found in various ways. Laertes is a prime example of this. His madness is driven by the rage not only felt when he realized that Hamlet had murdered his father, but also when it was noted that Ophelia desired him as well. The primitive and instinctive portion of his mind, referred to as the id, was the controlling factor throughout