Question

evaluate

1. in act ii, scene 1, lines 78 - 101, ophelia describes what happened when hamlet visited her. did he just pretend to be mad in that encounter, or could he have been genuinely disturbed because of what he had learned about his fathers murder?

consider the following:

• his warning to horatio and marcellus at the end of act i
• his relationship with ophelia
• the details in her description
• his behavior with other characters in act ii

Explanation:

Hamlet's warning to Horatio and Marcellus at the end of Act I indicates his intention to feign madness. His relationship with Ophelia is complex; he may use their encounter to further his act. The details in Ophelia's description (e.g., his disheveled appearance) could be part of his pretense. Also, his behavior with other characters in Act II (like Polonius) shows a calculated madness.

Answer:

Hamlet was likely pretending to be mad.