Hamlet (The Madman?)

    Throughout the beginning of the play, Hamlet has a constant struggle between what his thoughts and words say, and what his actions display. He continues to have a mental battle of whether or not what the ghost states is true and if he himself should carry out the murder. On the contrary, his appearance is rather calm and collective as Hamlet conceals his thoughts with a diplomatic attitude. This also relates to how he attacks Claudius: quietly and threateningly, but he does reach a state of frustration and maybe insanity when he has an argument with his mother. Although outwardly Hamlet seems like an insane, depressed teenager, his actions are well-calculated and scheming to catch his adversaries off guard.
    Hamlet's sanity is questioned when only he can see the ghost, while his mother is in shock over the nonexistent ghost he is talking to. This scene makes the readers wonder if he is hallucinating and whether the ghost's appearance was actually just an image created in his head. Thus question is soon shut down when realizing that it was actually Marcellus and Horatio who introduced Hamlet of the ghost. An insane individual could not be so smart in action by confusing his enemies by first acting fine from his father's death then acting clueless and insane. His outward disguise is, in a way, his own way of protecting himself from enemies. By seeming insane, Claudius does not see Hamlet as a threat, and therefore has more time to plan an aggressive attack against Claudius. The new king is completely caught off guard when Hamlet directs a play following Claudius's devious actions to attain the crown. Hamlet is a sly genius by successfully throwing a bomb in Claudius's borders. As de Boer's claim that there is a difference between the verbal act of madness and actual madness, there is a difference between Hamlet's outward craziness and his calculated mastermind.
    In the play, Hamlet shows a variety of mixed signals from a moment of acceptance about his father's death and a breakdown of anger towards his mother's betrayal. Even throughout these different emotions, in the back of his mind, Hamlet is planning his moves based on what he thinks others will interpret him as. Knowing that numerous characters are spying on him under Claudius's order, Hamlet makes sure to control his actions as this was his own form of revenge against his deceitful uncle.