Ophelia's genuine insanity compared with Hamlet's 'dangerous lunacy'.

The term 'dangerous lunacy' implies that Hamlet is a person who has descended into madness resulting in effects of harmful physical behaviour to both himself and others around him. Conversely, Ophelia's 'genuine insanity' denotes her to be one who has been the victim of several events to the extent that she passes mentally to an irreversible state of madness. Differences between lunacy and insanity can only be applied when addressing each term to different situations. …

…as reasons for madness, distinguish them apart; Ophelia one who descends into genuine insanity by which there is no return against Hamlet who puts on an act of madness but in doing so ventures at various times into parts of true 'dangerous lunacy' but never resides upon this, unlike Ophelia. Word Count (excluding quotes): 1,687 _________________________________________ Bibliography 1.Bayley, John "Shakespeare in Tragedy" 2.Knight, G. Wilson "The Wheel of fire" 3.Tillyard, E.M.W "The Elizabethan World picture