To what extent are mentally ill individuals marginalized within the text of Hamlet by Shakespeare?

To what extent are mentally ill individuals marginalized within the text of Hamlet by Shakespeare?

For multiple generations people have been struggling with multiple mental diseases and the stigma attached to them. Mentally ill people are stigmatized and viewed down upon the other population. According to Wulf Rossler, a professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of Zurich ,“During the Middle Ages, mental illness was regarded as a punishment from God: sufferers were thought to be possessed by the devil and were burned at the stake, or thrown in penitentiaries and madhouses where they were chained to the walls or their beds,” (Rossler, The stigma of mental disorders: A millennia-long history of social exclusion and prejudices). This stigmatization brought upon metally ill people has been happening for millenials now  and that is why people who suffer from them are afraid to speak up.  Since before the fifteenth century, the world has been stigmatizing people with mental illnesses, especially depression and anxiety. The stigma  shown by the population toward these mental illnesses can be observed in the sixteenth century, and in the play Hamlet. Hamlet is one of the most famous plays of all time due to its theme of revenge but what most people tend to lose focus on is how mentally ill people are portrayed in the play.

Shakespeare was the type of British author that used what happened around him, in his society, to write his brilliant plays. Hamlet was published in 1603, which leads up to the question, how were mentally ill individuals stigmatized in Britain in the sixteenth century? According to  Aleksandar Dimitrijevic, a  professor in the Department of Psychology & International Psychoanalytic in the University of Belgrade,“Four centuries ago, the mentally ill were equated with the lowest in the human nature, frequently even with animals, or beasts,” (Dimitrijevic, Being Mad in Early Modern England). The 1600’s were four centuries ago, exactly when Hamlet was published. Being surrounded with this preconceived notion that mentally ill people are something degradable most certainly inspired Shakespeare to portray them in that way in Hamlet.

One of the most important recurring themes in Hamlet  is sanity and Shakespeare  presented this relevant theme in society in so many different ways. “Her speech is nothing,  Yet the unshapèd use of it doth move.The hearers to collection. They yawn at it. And botch the words up fit to their own thoughts, Which, as her winks and nods and gestures yield them, Indeed would make one think there might be thought,  Though nothing sure, yet much unhappily,“ (Shakespeare, IV.v.7–13). In these lines , the sanity/mental health that is being questioned is not Hamlet’s but Ophelia’s. Ophelia is a character that has been through a lot starting off by Hamlet playing with her emotions, her father dying and later on Hamlet leaving her. No sane  human being could ever be okay mentlaly after all that. Not only Hamlet, but Ophelia also, demonstrated strong signs of depression through the book and their lines. According to the gentlemen speaking in the previous quote, Ophelia should not be taken seriously due to her mental stability. Her sadness, traumatic past and depression do not define who she is or how serious she should be taken and this can also be observed in Hamlet’s story. Hamlet was shipped away due to his depression and anxiety following his father’s death and disputes with his uncle and mother. Shakespeare made it clear that people back then did not look out for  depressed people but instead they judged and criticized them telling them to move on.

Individuals have been telling people that have suffered from great traumatic events in their life to “move on” since the beginning of times. According to Will Tosh, a  lecturer and research Fellow at Globe Education, stated  “Madness held a curious fascination for Shakespeare. Rejected or unsatisfied lovers were thought to be at risk of mental collapse, and melancholy in particular was an ailment to which writers and intellectuals were prone. As a dramatist concerned with relationships and sexuality, Shakespeare was aware that infatuation could be readily confused with madness,” (Tosh, Shakespeare and Madness). Madness was a constant theme at Shakespeare’s play. He used love and traumatization of love to convert that love madness into mental madness causing his characters to be depressed.

Since before the fifteenth century, the world has been stigmatizing people with mental illnesses, especially depression and anxiety. The stigma  shown by the population toward these mental illnesses can be observed in the sixteenth century and in the play Hamlet.  Nevertheless, throughout all this years the stigmatization over mentally ill people specifically people with depression and anxiety has been decreasing little by little. Society is being more open to people that speak up about having depression and anxiety and that is what the world needs. INdividuals should feel safe in any environment they are in; they should feel safe to speak up and be their true selves and fortunately that is being accomplished little by little. Little by little more and more people are speaking up and receiving the treatment they deserve. For the first time in centuries mentally ill people are not viewed upon as animals or insane, they are viewed upon as broken and people want to help them get back together.