The true nature of Hamlet"s madness has been an issue of debate for scholars over the centuries. One theory is that Hamlet"s madness was for his own protection. In the time period in which Hamlet would have lived, governments functioned through the usage of intricate spying networks. In Hamlet"s Denmark, no one is permitted to go unwatched. Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Polonius are all sent to spy on Hamlet at various times. Polonius …showed first 75 words of 409 total…

…showed last 75 words of 409 total…he was praying, the lives of Laertes, Gertrude, and himself might have been saved. Instead, Hamlet becomes lost in his own psychological cloud, which highlights his inability to bring matters to a swift end. Hamlet is a highly reactive character but does not ever seem to have a certain plan by which to accomplish his goal of revenge. Ultimately, the characters of Shakespeare"s Hamlet become victims of the unwholesome situation of their own creation