Hamlet and King Lear Introduction This article will discuss the subject of madness in the main characters of two tragedies ˜Hamlet’ and ˜King Lear.’ The discussion revolves around the comparison and contrast of Hamlet and Ophelia and then afterwards madness as a theme is looked at in Lear and Edgar. The chief highlighting is accorded to the patterns of speech and the reference to madness (Ackroyd 62). The paper will conclude with a breakdown of the need and motive for the insanity of these characters and how they add to the tragedy. Shakespeare has integrated the theme of madness in both Hamlet and King Lear. Of the two characters, one is truthfully mad and the other is pulling an act of madness to serve an intention. Hamlet’s madness is frequently not clear cut. This article will try to argue out the contrapuntal role in each play, Ophelia in Hamlet and Edgar in King Lear, which comes out as a balancing row to the other character’s psychosis or sanity. King Lear’s further significant dissimilarity among Lear’s imperfection of mind and Edgar’s artificial madness facilitates the definition of the relationship between Ophelia’s disintegration and Hamlet’s trademark of insanity (Ackroyd 62). King Lear is generally observed as Shakespeare’s ultimate arty success. In the scene where Lear is mad and is openly wrathful on a turbulent moor against his deceiving daughters and nature, is viewed by many intellectuals as the best illustration of tragic lyricism in the English language. Shakespeare captured the main plot line of an old emperor who was badly treated by his kids, from a tale that first emerged in a script form in the 12th century. It was based on told stories that began in the middle ages. There are other various versions of œLear, where the king does not go mad. The two plays present the characters on all dimensions of sanity. However in Hamlet the dissimilarity is not as obvious as it is in King Lear. Looking at the precise liaison in King Lear, it is easier to find a clear understanding of the relationship in Hamlet. Even as Shakespeare does not directly trench Ophelia’s psychosis in opposition to Hamlet’s madness, there is alternatively a clear definitiveness in the state Ophelia is in and an undisputed improbability in Hamlet’s madness. It is therefore obvious that the character of Hamlet produces clearer evidence, while on the other hand the character of Ophelia breaking down is speedy, but highly conclusive in its meticulousness. Shakespeare starts the first scene of the play by presenting evidence that is straight forward pointing to the sanity of Hamlet. Hamlet opens the scene with guards whose main role in the play is to accord integrity to the ghost. In case Hamlet saw the ghost of his father in private, the argument would be that his madness would improve noticeably (Bevington 85). Ironically, nobody else sees this ghost apart from some three men who do not notify Hamlet. Horatio one of the characters in the play says, œBeing the only of the guards to play a significant role in the rest of the play, Before my God, I might not this believe, Without the sensible and true avouch, Of mine own eyes¦Horatio, a character that frequently comes into view the whole time the play is on, performs as an incontrovertibly sound in defense to Hamlet when framing the King with his reaction to the play. Most importantly, the ghost remains in that form and does not change. It remains as king and speaks to Hamlet reasonably (Bevington 102). There is a practical reason for the ghost not to desire for the guards to identify what he says to Hamlet, because the play could not carry on if the guards were to hear what Hamlet did. In King Lear, the plan is determined by the ill-advised and sometimes groundless decisions made by King Lear and the cruelty of people in a family towards each other. Like a lot other tragedies by Shakespeare, this play is an explanation on deed versus inaction, which is also evident in Hamlet (Ralph 86). Hamlet is a prince in Denmark who finds himself in tragic situation when his father dies in the hand of his own brother who is Hamlet’s uncle called Claudius. Both characters are challenged by relatives’ conflict, the hardships in managing a nation and tackling the complex works of their own mind. In the entire reading of these two stories, a lot of similarities can be gathered from proceedings of the characters. Conclusion King Lear is generally observed as Shakespeare’s ultimate arty success. In the scene where Lear is mad and is openly wrathful on a turbulent moor against his deceiving daughters and nature, is viewed by many intellectuals as the best illustration of tragic lyricism in the English language. In both stories, characters are challenged by relatives’ conflict, the hardships in managing a nation and tackling the complex works of their own mind. In the entire reading of these two stories, a lot of similarities can be gathered from proceedings of the characters. Works cited: Ackroyd, P. Shakespeare: The Biography, London: Vintage.2006 Bevington, D. Shakespeare, Oxford: Blackwell. 2002 Baer, D. The Unquenchable Fire, Xulon Press.2007 Boyce, C. Dictionary of Shakespeare, Ware, Herts, UK: Wordsworth. 1996 Ralph B, Changing Styles in Shakespeare, London: Routledge. 2005