The idea of madness is one which many writers have explored. By becoming mad, people are granted leave of social, moral, and political expectations. In essence, they become free because as they take leave of their senses, they are shown the societal exit door and enter a world of their own creation. Madness, however, is not a free ticket to a different reality, it comes with a very dear price. For, by leaving logic behind and becoming ruled only by emotion, rather than making things better, events will inevitably turn for the worse. It is the purpose of this paper, then to explore the theme of madness as it appears in Shakespeare's Hamlet.
