The central inquiry focuses on the feigned insanity adopted by the protagonist in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This assumed madness serves as a deliberate strategy, a mask employed to conceal the prince’s true intentions and emotional state. It allows him to observe and assess the actions of those around him without arousing suspicion that he is aware of Claudius’s treachery or contemplating revenge for his father’s murder. The dissimulation is a calculated performance, a tool used to navigate a treacherous court.
The adoption of this deceptive guise offers numerous advantages to the prince. It provides him with a degree of freedom in his speech and actions, enabling him to probe the consciences of suspected individuals like Claudius and Polonius under the guise of erratic behavior. Furthermore, it acts as a protective shield, deflecting suspicion and allowing him to gather evidence without prematurely revealing his plans. Historically, feigned madness was a recognized trope in literature, offering a means for characters to subvert authority and speak truth to power under the veil of insanity.