Im being a advocate for "The Bard" decided I would post a paper that I wrote. I really do not care if it bores you, or if you are interested. It is on here, and there is nothing you can do about it. ---'
All That is rotten in Denmark, or in Pencey
For centuries the human race has been obsessed with madness and its affects on humans. The classic story of one man’s tragic flaw being madness has been used a countless amount of times in literature and entertainment. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye both focus on the aftermath of a death that results in madness for both characters, which eventually leads to the death of Hamlet and the institutionalizing of Holden Caulfield. And yet in their tragedy they are also pessimists, negative about their society and the happenings around them. Both stories describe what sort of madness existed in the contrasting time periods of the Renaissance and the 1950s. For instance the suspicions in Ghosts could have been a reason for Shakespeare’s reasoning in Hamlet’s craziness, and the era of conformity that Holden deals with, along with the death of his brother Allie are deciding factors in Holden’s crazy pessimistic rants.
During the 1600’s a time of discovery, and the Renaissance, many people were fascinated with mental disorders and the supernatural, thus explaining the use of Hamlet’s “antic disposition,” (Hamlet III.iv.190). and the appearance of his father’s ghost. In fact people during the renaissance flocked to asylums to see the patients. “So fascinated were Londoners by the insane that they would go to Bedlam to ogle the fewer than thirty inmates who occupied the hospital,” (Moss and George 139). The use of the father’s ghost to explain Hamlet’s madness is not out of the ordinary for the time period. “This is the very coinage of your brain: this bodiless creation ecstasy is very cunning in,” states Gertrude. (III.iii.153-154.) From this passage it is evident that only Hamlet can see his fathers Ghost, let alone speak to it or hear it. This being the case the question had been raised many times if Hamlet was either pretending to be mad or if he really was mad entirely. Suspicions of ghost in the Elizabethan were very high. “…The debate about ghosts and apparitions grew…Hamlet, like Shakespeare and his contemporaries, may have been unsure if the ghost was real or a figment of his imagination,” (Moss, George 142). Hamlet’s madness, which if acted, would have been put under two different categories in the era it was written. “…the violent madman, and the raving ones who talked nonsensically, the way prince Hamlet does.” (Moss, George 139).
Holden’s state of madness, is however, not influenced by the supernatural, but more by the society around him. To describe Holden’s insanity form a ghost would be far from the norm in the easy going conformed 1950s. In a time where homes were prefabricated, men went to work and women stayed home; to be different from anyone was odd. Holden sees society as “phony” and refuses to conform to the American public as it is. Holden is, “Alienated from friends and teachers, unable to face his parents and disillusioned with society in general,” (Moss, George 73). Even the way Holden wears his hunting hat, with the flaps turned upward, is a sign that he wants to be his own person. The pressure to conform came mostly from the ever so popular prep schools of the time. Holden hated Pency Prep because it was always filled with “Godam phonies.” J.D. Salinger’s own experience in Military School is said to be written into the piece of work. “In real life prep-school students followed a rigorous schedule, with prescribe times for eating, studying, attending class or chapel, playing sports, and going to bed…separating themselves into cliques or groups of their own,” (Moss, George 74). Because of the tight and rigorous course of prep schools Holden’s mental attitude is brought down in his pressure to stay away from conforming, which eventually weighs on his mind. “For Holden the conformity demanded at Pencey may have set the stage and even arranged the props…” (Pinsker, 49).
Although the book never specifies what Holden ends up being, whether crazy or mentally ill, readers do see Holden’s struggle. “Readers of his story realize that he is more emotionally unstable than anything else. Holden in fed up with what he perceives as a world of sham,” (Moss, George 77). Just like the time of Hamlet’s mental breakout people were just as fascinated and even more fascinated with trying to fix it. Holden’s case of not wanting to conform to the world was actually a common mindset. “His inability to adjust and conform to societal expectations is constructed as something of a mental illness, a perception typical of post war society,” (Moss, George 77). During the 1950’s treatment from psychologists came wifely accepted. It was seen as “ a way of changing or modifying human behavior,” (Moss, George 77). And just like in all areas of the 1950’s from entertainment to sexual behavior, psychology was fixed on making people conform. “It was the job of psychologists to help readjust such nonconformists to non societal norms,” (Moss, George 77). Things like homosexuality, something that Holden deals with when he visits his professor were seen as rebellion to the society.
Although both Hamlet and Holden are never really truly stated or even openly admitted to being crazy by the authors, it is no doubt that, even if pretending to be mad, the death of a close relative caused much of their twisted logic and irrational behavior. Hamlet is constantly seen thinking and talking, telling himself things that keep him from ever acting. “Hamlet represents the type of man whose power of direct action is paralyzed by an excessive development of his intellect,” (Bloom, 41). After discovering that his father was murdered by his uncle he discovers Claudius praying, a perfect and opportune moment to take revenge. However, Hamlet then delivers a speech that stops him from what he wants to do the most. “Now might I do it Pat, now he is praying. And now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven; and so I am revenged. That would be scanned; A villain kills my father and for that I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven,” (Act III, Scene III). Instead of taking the perfect moment to make revenge he thinks about the actual process of killing his uncle saying that if I kill him now he will go to heaven. “Hamlet is able to do anything—accept take vengeance on the man who did away with his father and took that father’s place with his mother, the man who shows him the repressed wishes of his own childhood realized,” (Bloom, 41.) Yet, when Hamlet does not think he ends up killing the wrong man, Polonius. “How now? A rat! Dead for a ducat, dead,” (Hamlet. III.iv.27). If it was not for the murder of his father, perhaps Hamlet would have gone on to take the throne. Yet the death of his father is what ultimately brings Hamlet to his demise as Hamlet never acts until he myself is poisoned to die.
The thought of vengeance had also become a dying idea in the Elizabethan Era. At the close of the Medieval ages a more humanistic approach on living became England’s new philosophy. “...Hamlet conveys a growing pacifist sentiment that denounces killing in general…the English were beginning to regard killing—even lawless murder—as a less heroic action than had the people of the middle ages.” (Moss and George 142). Despite the fact Hamlet may think to much, it could just be due to the fact Hamlet has also adopted the popular belief of the renaissance. And yet Hamlet still battles with if he should take revenge or not which builds his turmoil. “Why what an ass am I…prompted in my revenge by heaven and hell, must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words…” (Hamlet II.ii.593-597). Along with Hamlet’s want for revenge there had to come a realization that it was truly what he wanted. Hamlet even detests the idea that he has to do it. “The time is out of joint. O, cursed spite, that I was ever born to set it right!” (Hamlet I.v.207-208). Hamlet’s doubt in himself to even think about making revenge causes his delay and outright true madness. “In order to perform revenge with conviction, you must believe in the justice of your own cause. The revenge seeker will not believe in his own cause unless he believes in the guilt of his intended victim.” (Bloom, 169). For Hamlet even to consider taking revenge he had to stop doubting what he thought and admit that he truly saw his father’s ghost and not be skeptical like the rest of the Elizabethan age.
The death of Allie, Holden’s brother has a relative affect on Holden. Thus proving that death affecting the tragic hero never really changes. Ironically it appears as if Holden notices how much he thinks about his deseeded brother. Although he acknowledges missing him, he never really acknowledges it as a problem. Holden’s dependent thoughts on Allie digress to a moment in which Holden writes an English paper for his roommate Stradlater. Holden writes about his younger brother’s baseball glove, and even if it was a brilliant memory on paper, it does not follow the prompt. “For Chrissake, Holden this ia about a goddam baseball glove…You don’t do one damn thing the way your supposed to….” (Salinger, 53). Holden’s inability to conform to even a simple prompt for an English assignment is based on his brother’s death which raises the question if that is why he does not conform to society as well. Besides the essay, the novel tells of Holden’s reaction to Allie’s death as well. Holden talks about his rampage in breaking windows in his garage with his hand. All Allie is to Holden in a grasping tool. Something that Holden can remember in all the “phony” society. “Allie is associated with the theme of death, but his role is not that simple. He also represents hope and the gifted innocence of childhood, which is tenuous and sometimes short lived,” (Cliff Notes, Wiley Publishing).
Furthermore the tragic heroes do not only rely on death as a main factor in their demise but the role of negative thinking also comes into play. Hamlet and Holden alike are constantly making statements that defy any hope within them. Hamlet states that God should lift the ban on suicide, “…Oh that this too, too sullied flesh would melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew, or that the everlasting had not fixed his cannon ‘gaisnt self slaughter.” (Hamlet I.ii.131-134). Hamlet even wears black to his own mother’s wedding because he is still in mourning for his father’s recent death. “Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark…” (Hamlet I.ii.69-70). Elizabethans even believed that grief could cause death and mental disorders, and that it was a mental disorder in and of itself. “ …Doctors, preachers, and dramatists spoke about grief and insanity in their works. These shapers of public opinion warned especially against excessive grief, which, they believed, could drive people into distraction…” (Moss, George139). Holden opens his story by saying, “…If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like…” (Salinger,1). Literature and Times, describes Holden as “the novel’s cynical protagonist…” (Moss and George, 76). Tied into the historical context of the work, negativity was once again seen as another reason for psychologists to do their work. Robert Lindner stated, “The goal of therapy should not be conforming the patient to sick society but working to transform the negative protest and rebellion of the patient into positive expression of the rebellious urge…” (Moss and George 78). Therefore it soon was seen as the person’s negative attitude that should be changed to conform them to society. Nonetheless the negative attitudes of Hamlet and Holden are like bricks to their own life trap.
Much of the famous used tragic hero is all based on his or her tragic flaw and in ability to fix it or even better fix it when it is too late. Both Hamlet and Holden are faced with the pressures of society, both of which cause them to conform to something they see as not real or fake. As for Hamlet he is in inner turmoil as to take revenge on his uncle for killing his father for the throne. Holden’s first cause of madness comes from the pressure of not wanting to conform and stay innocent; whether that be at his prep school or in Manhattan, he refuses to be like everyone else, just look at his hat. The next dilemma for the both of them is that they clearly are influenced by the deaths of a close relative. Hamlet losing his father is the first motive in his journey for revenge. Hamlet is talking to a ghost, one that could highly be doubted of either existing or not existing, especially in the Elizabethan era. Holden constantly holds on to the memory of Allie, his dead brother as a grip of innocence. His tangent on the baseball glove proves that Holden grasping his brother so tightly causes his him to refuse society and see it as “phony.” Hamlet’s constant state of mind and thinking causes him to dig into a “madness” as well. When given the opportune moments to act on his fathers behalf he talks himself out of it, and when he does not to think he does the irrational by killing Polonius. Both characters constantly speak negatively and never say anything good to help their situation. Furthermore both time periods attempted to fix grief and a negative out look on the world in order to help or even conform the “mentally ill” to the society. The creation of Hamlet and Holden Caulfield hold the true essence of the struggle for revenge and the difference between what is real and not real. Without denial “All the is rotten in Denmark, or in Pencey,” (Pinsker, 49). truly has value in today’s society.
