Hamlet's Madness

Mr. Tangen threw me a good question - "Jay, do you think Hamlet's genuinely crazy or is he faking his own madness?" Without any moment of hesitance I answered, "He is OBVIOUSLY faking his craziness, sir." Well, he didn't seem to like my answer. He made his typical 'not-satisfied-with-your-answer' face and asked me back sarcastically to provide him with logical reasons for why I hold my belief that way. That's when I got stuck. There was nowhere in the book, or in at least ACT III that stated "Hamlet is a genius, but he is faking his own behaviour to elude the King's suspicion." So, I decided to be sincere and answered him back - "I don't know sir. I was just assuming." Then he seemed to be happy. Walking past me, he said "Good luck Jay, and tell me when you get the answer to my question."

Since that day, I read through ACT III very thoroughly, but still found no phrases that clearly answered his question. However, at the very moment I closed the book, I was 100% sure that Hamlet was faking his own madness. There were so many clues in the book that insinuated his intelligence, and acting like a retard was only a part of his plan to escape the King's suspicion towards him. Ophelia even says, "O, help him, you sweet heavens!" (III, i, 145-152) Hamelt answers back, " If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny, Get thee to a nunnery, farewell. [...] Farewell." (III, i, 145-152)

Sherlock Holmes

This is the part where Hamlet's precise planning shows off. He tries to act crazy to everyone he knows - even towards his love Ophelia, so that absolutely no one is skeptical about his possible faking. Although Ophelia is terribly hurt, I assume Hamlet had a strong assurance that he could buy her love back later once his revenge has taken place. I could relate his thought to a fictional detective "Sherlock Holmes," because Holmes had done a similar acting to his friend and co-worker, Watson. In order to get a suspect into his trap, Holmes faked his own fatal illness to everyone, including Watson. He purposely provoked Watson so that he would recognize the severeness of his illness, and his plan worked out perfectly. Considering the fact that Holmes was a genius, it is not too exaggerated to assume Hamlet is a genius also.