Why Prince Hamlet said he would Pretend to be Crazy, and Why he was Indecisive even after Confirming his Uncle’s Guilt

Hamlet implies that he will be pretending to be crazy as part of his plan to find the truth about his father’s death (and then, if appropriate, take revenge). But I don’t believe that was the reason, since his crazy behavior would only draw attention, and cause people to investigate what he was up to. And if he were to kill his uncle in revenge, his reputation as being crazy would undermine his credibility and prevent his getting the crown.

In my last post, I cited evidence that Hamlet had multiple personality. If he did, he had had it since childhood, because multiple personality has a childhood onset. But the condition is usually hidden and camouflaged, because in most people the alternate personalities (alters) develop an equilibrium and a system to get along, and they don’t like people to know about them and interfere.

However, if there is a life crisis—such as father suddenly dying under suspicious circumstances and mother quickly remarrying—this would, temporarily, disturb that equilibrium. If there were one personality who emulated and identified with father, then that alter in particular would be quite upset. And so alters who for many years had been quite content to remain behind the scenes would start to come “out” and make Hamlet look crazy.

Realizing that something like this was happening, Hamlet’s regular, host personality worried that everyone might come to think that he was crazy. He told Horatio and a few others that he would only be pretending to be crazy so that they would not lose faith in him, and so that if he were ever locked away for being crazy, there would be some people on his side to get him out.

Hamlet was indecisive because different personalities differed. For example, one alter, who identified with his late father, would want revenge. A second alter might have thought that his father was a tyrant and a bully, and got what he deserved. A third alter may have believed in nonviolence. And other alters may not have concerned themselves with, or even been aware of, such matters.