The psychology of Hamlet : read at the meeting of the Psychological Society of Great Britain, May 1, 1879 / by Mr. Serjeant Cox.

  • Cox, Edward W. (Edward William), 1809-1879.
Date:
[1878]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The psychology of Hamlet : read at the meeting of the Psychological Society of Great Britain, May 1, 1879 / by Mr. Serjeant Cox. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    is harassed by contending emotions and intellectual conflicts. In a fit of bis melancholy mood he contemplates even suicide as an escape from that mental disquietude which is the most frequent cause of self-slaughter. But he steadily maintains the assumed character of the madman to those about him —to all observers, except his dear friend Horatio, who is the depositary of his secrets. With him he is at all times sane enough. Can a real madman change thus at will ? But Ophelia—what of her ? His behaviour to her is inexplicable and inexcusable, say the critics, save on the assumption of positive madness. She had not offended him. She could not betray him. We challenge an expla- nation of this consistent with the sanity of a gentleman described by Ophelia herself, as The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion and the mould of form, The observed of all observers. He has loved Ophelia dearly—loves her still; but he knows her to be innocently the tool of her father. His sagacity has divined that she is to be made an instrument to try him. Polonius implicitly believes in the reality of his madness. But the King, with the natural suspiciousness of the guilty, has manifestly in his mind an almost instinctive sense that Hamlet is playing a part, and his conscience tells him wherefore. Consequently he is most anxious, by per- sonal observation, to test him when not himself perceived, and he accepts with eagerness the proposal of Polonius that they should hide and him unaware that he is observed; for which purpose Ophelia is to be set innocently to entrap him into a revelation of his true condition. His fellow-students are put upon the like watch for the like reason—to learn if his madness was real or assumed. Be speedily detects their scheme, however. [271]